1
What's the one class at Aptos High every student should take?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,274
High
DISTRICT 837 · STATE 838
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PAJARO VALLEY UNIFIED·NCES 062949004535
Aptos High
100 Mariner Way, Aptos, CA 95003 · (831) 728-7832 · Santa Cruz County
GRADES 09–12HIGH41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,274 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
22.0:1
58 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.0:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
48%
607 students
DISTRICT 81% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 329 | 26% |
| Grade 10 | 328 | 26% |
| Grade 11 | 325 | 26% |
| Grade 12 | 292 | 23% |
Student demographics
55%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 27% · 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
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
46.5%
CA avg 49.1% . -30.5pp since 2014
Math
30.8%
CA avg 37.7% . -15.2pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 46 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 31 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 31 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 15 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 17.7% | 28.8% | 26.1% | 27.4% |
| Math | 13.9% | 16.9% | 18.5% | 50.7% |
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 | 46.5% | 30.8% |
| 2023-24 | 51.8% | 35.7% |
| 2022-23 | 57.8% | 31.2% |
| 2021-22 | 66.5% | 36.5% |
| 2018-19 | 66.6% | 39.3% |
| 2017-18 | 70.5% | 32.3% |
| 2016-17 | 76.3% | 42.5% |
| 2015-16 | 79.0% | 40.0% |
| 2014-15 | 77.0% | 46.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
41.2%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
51.6%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-10.4pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 41% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 52% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Aptos High
Aptos High's state test result (41.2% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aptos High this school | 1,274 | 47.6% | 41.2% |
| South Tahoe High South Lake Tahoe | 1,076 | 46.7% | 35.8% |
| Windsor High Windsor | 1,700 | 48.4% | 42.8% |
| Casa Grande High Petaluma | 1,653 | 48.6% | 47.3% |
| Terra Linda High San Rafael | 1,248 | 49.4% | 57.1% |
| Novato High Novato | 1,287 | 48.3% | 42.8% |
Matched among California high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Aptos High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Santa Cruz County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 41.2% | #501 of 1,052 | #6 of 9 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 30.8% | #421 of 1,056 ▼ 121 | #5 of 9 ▼ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 46.5% | #775 of 1,056 ▼ 159 | #6 of 9 no change |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -12.9pp | #19 of 1,044 | #1 of 9 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,274 | #649 of 2,093 | #3 of 19 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 22.0:1 | #849 of 1,352 | #8 of 12 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 55.4% | #530 of 1,351 | #5 of 12 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 47.6% | #1,193 of 1,575 | #6 of 14 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -13.8% | #333 of 802 | N/A |
Ranked against other public high 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
1,274
-161 (-11%) vs 2020
-6% since 1990-91, when it was 1,358
Student : Teacher
22.0:1
was 22.8:1
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 | 1,274 | 58 | 22.0:1 | 48% (607) |
| 2023-24 | 1,316 | 60.5 | 21.8:1 | 46% (608) |
| 2022-23 | 1,360 | 65.1 | 20.9:1 | 49% (671) |
| 2020-21 | 1,435 | 63 | 22.8:1 | 35% (496) |
| 2017-18 | 1,478 | 56 | 26.4:1 | 37% (552) |
| 2015-16 | 1,409 | 54 | 26.1:1 | 32% (449) |
| 2010-11 | 1,383 | N/A | N/A | 24% (338) |
| 2000-01 | 1,978 | 90 | 22.0:1 | 24% (483) |
| 1990-91 | 1,358 | 61 | 22.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Aptos High.
Since 2017-18: students down 14% (1,478 to 1,274); teachers up 4% (56 to 58).
About Aptos High
Aptos High is a large high school serving families in Aptos, California. The school had 1,274 students in grades 9 through 12 in 2024-25. Average enrollment for high schools in California is about 838, so this school runs 52% bigger than that.
Pajaro Valley Unified (33 schools, 16,482 students) runs Aptos High.
Hispanic students make up a majority at Aptos High, at 53%. The remaining students are 40% White, 4% multiracial, and 2% Asian. Census figures show Santa Cruz County is about 35% Hispanic. Aptos High's diversity index is 55%, against a US figure of 70%.
The count of teachers at Aptos High is 58 full-time equivalents, for a ratio of 22.0:1. That is 3.8 students per teacher above the 18.2:1 average for high schools in California. Around 48% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
The model predicts 51.6% for a school in California with Aptos High's free or reduced-price lunch share. Aptos High posts 41.2%.
Santa Cruz County has these Census figures: the median household income is $111,093, roughly 44% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Santa Cruz County is home to 83 public schools and about 36,316 public school students.
Aptos Junior High is the public school closest to Aptos High, about 1.1 miles away. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles. Aptos High ranks 3rd of 8 among nearby schools on average proficiency, with 41.2% against a local average of 35.7%.
Locale: Rural: Fringe. In NCES terms, the school is in rural territory close to an urban area.
The school enrolled 1,274 students in 2024-25, 161 fewer than the 1,435 it had in 2020-21.
The allk12 site hosts a discussion page for Aptos High covering things like sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater. 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 Pajaro Valley Unified
- Watsonville HighHigh · 2,215 students
- Pajaro Valley HighHigh · 1,293 students
- Alianza CharterElementary · 626 students
- Rolling Hills MiddleMiddle · 588 students
- Aptos Junior HighMiddle · 587 students
- Cesar E. Chavez MiddleMiddle · 548 students
Other schools in Aptos
- Aptos Junior HighMiddle · 587 students
- Valencia ElementaryElementary · 487 students
- Rio del Mar ElementaryElementary · 393 students
- Mar Vista ElementaryElementary · 270 students
- Delta CharterHigh · 113 students
Nearby schools
- Aptos Junior High1.1 mi · 587
- Rio del Mar Elementary1.5 mi · 393
- Valencia Elementary1.8 mi · 487
- Bradley Elementary3.0 mi · 520
- Mar Vista Elementary3.2 mi · 270
- Delta Charter3.6 mi · 113
Frequently asked questions
About Aptos HighHow large is Aptos High?
Aptos High enrolls approximately 1,274 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does Aptos High serve?
Aptos High serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
How many teachers does Aptos High have?
Aptos High employs 58 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 22.0:1.
What is the student diversity at Aptos High?
Student demographics at Aptos High are roughly 40% White, 53% Hispanic, 0% Black, 2% Asian, 4% Two or more.
What district is Aptos High in?
Aptos High is part of Pajaro Valley Unified.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.