Pacific Valley (K-12)

Located at 69325 Highway 1, in Big Sur, California, Pacific Valley (K-12) is a tiny unified-grade school that educates 11 students (grades K through 12), operated by Big Sur Unified. Enrollment runs roughly 98% below the state mean of about 602.

Operationally, Pacific Valley (K-12) answers to Big Sur Unified, which sets policy, hires staff, and reports enrollment to the state.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Pacific Valley (K-12) records that 64% of the student body identifies as White. The remainder consists of 36% Hispanic. By comparison, Monterey County as a whole is about 36% White, so the school skews meaningfully more White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, The school reports having 5 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 2.4:1. The state averages around 18.6:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 73% of students at Pacific Valley (K-12) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

Around the school, ACS estimates for Monterey County put median household income runs about $97,230, roughly 28% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Monterey County's 153 public schools (combined enrollment of about 73,845 students), Pacific Valley (K-12) is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is San Antonio Elementary, roughly 21.5 miles away.

The school occupies an outlying site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count changed only slightly: 11 students in 2018 compared to 11 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 45% to 64% across the same window.

On the community side, members of the Pacific Valley (K-12) community share and discuss open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.