Ernest Righetti High

Set in Santa Maria, California, Ernest Righetti High is a roomy four-year high school, run under Santa Maria Joint Union High. It instructs 2,416 students across grades 9 through 12. Compared to the state average of about 838 students per school, that is 188% above typical.

Ernest Righetti High is one of 4 schools operated by Santa Maria Joint Union High, a district that teaches 8,930 students overall.

On demographics, Ernest Righetti High records that Hispanic students make up the majority at 75%. The remainder is composed of 18% White, 3% Asian. By comparison, Santa Barbara County as a whole is about 48% Hispanic, so the school skews meaningfully more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 115 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 21.0:1 students per teacher. That figure is higher than the state norm's 18.2:1 average. Roughly 55% of students at Ernest Righetti High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Santa Barbara County runs at roughly 68%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat below the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, Ernest Righetti High sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 46.5%; this one delivers 41.0%.

In the surrounding community, Santa Barbara County reports that median household income runs about $98,161, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 9%. Ernest Righetti High is one of 129 public schools in Santa Barbara County (combined enrollment of about 66,191 students).

Alice Shaw Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.5 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Ernest Righetti High ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 39.8%.

The campus sits in a residential setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Ernest Righetti High has edged up 9%, going from 2,226 students in 2018 to 2,416 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 64% to 75% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 24.2:1 in 2018 to 21.0:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.