Valley Academy

Located at 253 East Ross Ave., in El Centro, California, Valley Academy is a tiny unified-grade school that educates 205 students (grades K through 12), overseen by Imperial County Office of Education. Compared to the state average of about 602 students per school, that is 66% leaner than typical.

Imperial County Office of Education runs 3 schools in total, collectively educating 462 students. Valley Academy is one of those campuses.

On the student-mix side, Valley Academy reports that nearly all students (96%) are Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 86% Hispanic, putting the school's mix noticeably more Hispanic than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 11 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 19.3:1 students per teacher. That tracks the state average closely. Around 94% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Imperial County runs at roughly 77%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Imperial County) records that median household earnings sit near $57,681, roughly 16% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 17% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Imperial County's 76 public schools (combined enrollment of about 36,513 students), Valley Academy is one campus in the mix.

Phoenix Rising High is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.5 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Valley Academy.

Geographically, the school is in a downtown area.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked up 7%: 191 students in 2018 compared to 205 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 25.5:1 in 2018 to 19.3:1 today.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.