Acalanes Center for Independent Study

Acalanes Center for Independent Study is a high school of minimally staffed scale in Walnut Creek, California, run under Acalanes Union High, educateing 61 students in grades 9 through 12. That puts it 93% smaller than the typical public school in California, which averages around 838 students.

Within Acalanes Union High, which oversees 5 schools and 5,401 students, Acalanes Center for Independent Study is one campus in the system.

In terms of who attends, Acalanes Center for Independent Study shows that 64% of the student body identifies as White; the rest breaks down as 18% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 5% multiracial. That is noticeably more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 41%.

On the resource side, Acalanes Center for Independent Study shows 6 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 9.5:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 18.2:1 average. An estimated 16% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Contra Costa County (around 45%), the school's rate is meaningfully below typical.

In the broader community, Contra Costa County reports that median household earnings sit near $127,229, roughly 45% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. In all, Contra Costa County runs 280 public schools (combined enrollment of about 167,423 students), of which Acalanes Center for Independent Study is one.

Parkmead Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.8 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

Acalanes Center for Independent Study operates from a city-core location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count grew 154%: 24 students in 2018 compared to 61 in 2025. Asian enrollment moved from 0% to 11% across the same window. Class-load math has rose: from 7.5:1 in 2018 to 9.5:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.