1
What's the vibe like in the hallways at Orion Alternative right now?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
512
Elementary
DISTRICT 507 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·REDWOOD CITY ELEMENTARY·NCES 063213008182
Orion Alternative
555 Avenue Del Ora, Redwood City, CA 94063 · (650) 482-2412 · San Mateo County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY13-CITYALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SCHOOL512 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
21.8:1
24 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 20.8:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
28%
142 students
DISTRICT 62% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 179 | 35% |
| Grade 1 | 95 | 19% |
| Grade 2 | 93 | 18% |
| Grade 3 | 48 | 9% |
| Grade 4 | 35 | 7% |
| Grade 5 | 62 | 12% |
This year's kindergarten class (179) is 189% larger than its 5th grade class (62).
Student demographics
76%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 54% · 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
67.1%
own-school result
Math
61.6%
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 | 45.2% | 21.9% | 10.3% | 22.6% |
| Math | 39.7% | 21.9% | 14.4% | 24.0% |
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 | 67.1% | 61.6% |
| 2023-24 | 53.2% | 51.3% |
| 2022-23 | 52.5% | 53.9% |
| 2021-22 | 52.3% | 49.7% |
| 2018-19 | 57.4% | 47.1% |
| 2017-18 | 51.4% | 48.6% |
| 2016-17 | 66.7% | 58.0% |
| 2015-16 | 63.0% | 45.0% |
| 2014-15 | 55.0% | 35.0% |
% 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 Orion Alternative ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In San Mateo County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 512 | #2,287 of 5,915 | #20 of 106 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 21.8:1 | #2,027 of 5,352 | #44 of 99 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 75.9% | #76 of 5,354 | #2 of 99 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 27.7% | #4,852 of 5,625 | #54 of 103 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +142.7% | #4 of 1,139 | #1 of 13 |
Ranked against other public elementary 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
512
+87 (+20%) vs 2020
+196% since 1990-91, when it was 173
Student : Teacher
21.8:1
was 19.3:1
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 | 512 | 23.5 | 21.8:1 | 28% (142) |
| 2023-24 | 461 | 20.7 | 22.3:1 | 28% (129) |
| 2022-23 | 419 | 19 | 22.0:1 | 35% (145) |
| 2020-21 | 425 | 22 | 19.3:1 | 37% (157) |
| 2017-18 | 211 | 9 | 23.4:1 | 20% (42) |
| 2015-16 | 211 | 8 | 26.4:1 | 26% (55) |
| 2010-11 | 220 | N/A | N/A | 21% (47) |
| 2000-01 | 158 | 10 | 15.8:1 | 20% (32) |
| 1990-91 | 173 | 8 | 21.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Orion Alternative.
Since 2017-18: students up 143% (211 to 512); teachers up 161% (9 to 23.5).
About Orion Alternative
Orion Alternative is a mid-sized elementary school in California, with an address in Redwood City. Enrollment totals 512 students across kindergarten through 5.
Redwood City Elementary is the local district for Orion Alternative. It runs 12 schools with 6,378 students.
Hispanic students make up 29% of enrollment at Orion Alternative, the largest share of any group. Next come 24% multiracial, 23% White, and 22% Asian. That is in line with San Mateo County, where about 25% of residents are Hispanic. A diversity index of 76% means there is a 76% chance two randomly chosen students at Orion Alternative are from different groups.
The student-to-teacher ratio is 21.8:1. The school has 23.5 full-time-equivalent teachers. The 22.3:1 average for elementary schools in California is close to this figure. In all, 28% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
For the population of San Mateo County, median household income comes to about $158,855, 54% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. San Mateo County counts 176 public schools with about 82,403 students.
Orion Alternative is about 0.5 miles from Rocketship Redwood City, its nearest public school. Orion Alternative has at least 8 other public schools within five miles.
Orion Alternative is coded as City: Small in federal locale data.
Enrollment figures show a rise of 87 students from 2020-21 to 2024-25. The number of students per teacher increased from 19.3 to 21.8 over 4 years.
Use the discussion section to ask about special education services, counseling, and support programs at Orion Alternative. You can also rate the school on this page.
San Mateo County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
742,340
Census ACS
Median income
$158,855
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
54%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
4%
Below federal line
Schools in county
176
82,403 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Redwood City Elementary
- John F. Kennedy MiddleMiddle · 808 students
- Clifford ElementaryElementary · 698 students
- Hoover ElementaryElementary · 675 students
- Roy Cloud ElementaryElementary · 636 students
- Adelante Selby Spanish ImmersionElementary · 582 students
- North Star AcademyMiddle · 527 students
Other schools in Redwood City
- Sequoia HighHigh · 1,854 students
- John F. Kennedy MiddleMiddle · 808 students
- KIPP Excelencia Community PreparatoryElementary · 711 students
- Clifford ElementaryElementary · 698 students
- Hoover ElementaryElementary · 675 students
- Roy Cloud ElementaryElementary · 636 students
Nearby schools
- Rocketship Redwood City0.5 mi · 275
- McKinley Institute of Technology0.6 mi · 476
- North Star Academy0.6 mi · 527
- Roosevelt Elementary0.6 mi · 382
- Sequoia High0.7 mi · 1,854
- John F. Kennedy Middle1.0 mi · 808
Frequently asked questions
About Orion AlternativeHow large is Orion Alternative?
Orion Alternative enrolls approximately 512 students in grades KG-05.
Is Orion Alternative an elementary, middle, or high school?
Orion Alternative is an elementary school covering grades KG-05.
How many teachers does Orion Alternative have?
Orion Alternative employs 24 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 21.8:1.
What is the student diversity at Orion Alternative?
Student demographics at Orion Alternative are roughly 23% White, 29% Hispanic, 2% Black, 22% Asian, 24% Two or more.
Is Orion Alternative public or private?
Orion Alternative is a public K-12 school, overseen by Redwood City Elementary.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.