Diamond Valley Elementary

Diamond Valley Elementary is a very small elementary school in Markleeville, California, part of Alpine County Unified. The school teaches 51 students in grades K through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 89% below the state mean of about 465.

Alpine County Unified comprises 2 schools with combined enrollment of 57 students; Diamond Valley Elementary is among them.

In terms of who attends, Diamond Valley Elementary reports that the largest single group is Native American, at 57% of enrollment. Other groups include 31% White, 12% Hispanic.

On the income-and-resources front, The school currently runs with 5 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 22.3:1, putting Diamond Valley Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 76% of students at Diamond Valley Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

Around the school, census data for Alpine County shows median household earnings sit near $105,521, 41% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. In all, Alpine County runs 5 public schools (combined enrollment of about 61 students), of which Diamond Valley Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Eastern Alpine Academy - A California Opportunity School, roughly 0.0 miles away. 4 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Diamond Valley Elementary has declined 36%, going from 80 students in 2018 to 51 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 44% to 31% across the same window.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.