Enrollment
110
Combined
DISTRICT 495 · STATE 602
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SANTA CRUZ CITY HIGH·NCES 063560007437
Alternative Family Education
840 North Branciforte Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95062 · (831) 429-3898 · Santa Cruz County
GRADES KG–12COMBINED13-CITYALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SCHOOL110 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
Schools serving specialized populations are not graded, because state test results are not a fair comparison for them. How grades work
Student : Teacher
27.6:1
4 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 21.0:1 · STATE 18.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
35%
38 students
DISTRICT 37% · STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other combined schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 6 | 5% |
| Grade 1 | 2 | 2% |
| Grade 2 | 3 | 3% |
| Grade 3 | 9 | 8% |
| Grade 4 | 9 | 8% |
| Grade 5 | 8 | 7% |
| Grade 6 | 7 | 6% |
| Grade 7 | 8 | 7% |
| Grade 8 | 9 | 8% |
| Grade 9 | 11 | 10% |
| Grade 10 | 19 | 17% |
| Grade 11 | 10 | 9% |
| Grade 12 | 9 | 8% |
Student demographics
64%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 60% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
QUIET COMMUNITY
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START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
64.1%
own-school result
Math
37.5%
own-school result
State assessment results for this school reflect a specialized student population. The figures above are the school's own reported scores; they are not directly comparable to state averages or to general-enrollment schools, so the usual state-average comparison line is suppressed here.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 25.6% | 38.5% | 23.1% | 12.8% |
| Math | 17.5% | 20.0% | 30.0% | 32.5% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 64.1% | 37.5% |
| 2023-24 | 58.3% | 20.0% |
| 2022-23 | 60.0% | 40.0% |
| 2021-22 | 60.0% | 28.6% |
| 2018-19 | 100.0% | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 81.8% | 61.9% |
| 2016-17 | 94.1% | 66.7% |
| 2015-16 | 83.0% | 81.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Not computed for this schoolBeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →
Where Alternative Family Education ranks
Among K-12 schools| Measure | This school | In California |
|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 110 | #90 of 208 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 34.5% | #84 of 95 |
Ranked against other public K-12 schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
110
-129 (-54%) vs 2020
-34% since 2000-01, when it was 167
Student : Teacher
27.6:1
was 39.8:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 110 | 4 | 27.6:1 | 35% (38) |
| 2023-24 | 110 | 4.2 | 26.2:1 | 34% (37) |
| 2022-23 | 108 | 4.8 | 22.5:1 | 26% (28) |
| 2020-21 | 239 | 6 | 39.8:1 | 28% (68) |
| 2017-18 | 128 | 4.9 | 26.1:1 | 16% (20) |
| 2015-16 | 162 | 5 | 32.4:1 | 17% (28) |
| 2010-11 | 165 | N/A | N/A | 8% (13) |
| 2000-01 | 167 | 6 | 27.8:1 | 0% (0) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Alternative Family Education.
Since 2017-18: students down 14% (128 to 110); teachers down 19% (4.9 to 4).
About Alternative Family Education
Alternative Family Education is a small combined-grade school in Santa Cruz, California, administered by Santa Cruz City High. Grades offered run from kindergarten through 12, with 110 students enrolled. The average among combined schools in California is roughly 602 students; this school is 82% smaller than that.
Santa Cruz City High has 9 schools and 4,455 students, and Alternative Family Education is one of those schools.
White students account for 54% of enrollment at Alternative Family Education. Other groups make up 23% Hispanic, 15% multiracial, 5% Asian, and 4% Black. Alternative Family Education has a diversity index of 64%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Federal staffing data show 4 full-time-equivalent teachers at Alternative Family Education and a ratio of 27.6:1. That ratio is over the 18.6:1 average for combined schools in California. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility covers 35% of students. Public schools in Santa Cruz County average 52%.
Across Santa Cruz County, median household income is about $111,093, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 44%, and roughly 6% of residents are in poverty. Alternative Family Education is among the 83 public schools in Santa Cruz County.
Nearby, Ark Independent Studies is less than a tenth of a mile away. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8.
Federal records code the school's setting as City: Small.
Federal counts for Alternative Family Education: 239 students in 2020-21, 110 in 2024-25. A gap this wide can follow a change in the grades offered. In 2020-21, the student-to-teacher ratio was 39.8:1; by 2024-25 it was 27.6:1.
Posts about sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater are welcome on this page. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Santa Cruz County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
264,926
Census ACS
Median income
$111,093
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
44%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
83
36,316 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Santa Cruz City High
- Santa Cruz HighHigh · 1,093 students
- Soquel HighHigh · 1,074 students
- Harbor HighHigh · 1,013 students
- Mission Hill MiddleMiddle · 510 students
- Branciforte MiddleMiddle · 409 students
- Delta CharterHigh · 113 students
Other schools in Santa Cruz
- Santa Cruz HighHigh · 1,093 students
- Harbor HighHigh · 1,013 students
- Santa Cruz County CommunityHigh · 730 students
- Pacific Collegiate CharterHigh · 536 students
- Mission Hill MiddleMiddle · 510 students
- Brook Knoll ElementaryElementary · 498 students
Nearby schools
- Ark Independent Studies0.0 mi · 56
- Costanoa Continuation High0.0 mi · 77
- Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-Monarch0.1 mi · 114
- Branciforte Middle0.3 mi · 409
- Gault Elementary0.4 mi · 314
- Harbor High1.2 mi · 1,013
Frequently asked questions
About Alternative Family EducationHow large is Alternative Family Education?
Alternative Family Education enrolls approximately 110 students in grades KG-12.
Is Alternative Family Education an elementary, middle, or high school?
Alternative Family Education is a combined-grade school covering grades KG-12.
How many students per teacher at Alternative Family Education?
Approximately 27.6:1 students per teacher at Alternative Family Education.
What is the student diversity at Alternative Family Education?
Student demographics at Alternative Family Education are roughly 54% White, 23% Hispanic, 4% Black, 5% Asian, 15% Two or more.
What district is Alternative Family Education in?
Alternative Family Education is part of Santa Cruz City High.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.