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SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PAJARO VALLEY UNIFIED·NCES 062949004555

Watsonville High

250 East Beach St., Watsonville, CA 95076 · (831) 728-6390 · Santa Cruz County
GRADES 09–12HIGH13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL2,215 STUDENTS
C
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 29% of California public high schools
  • DTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
  • B-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
  • A-Three-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.

Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public high schools

Enrollment
2,215
High
DISTRICT 837 · STATE 838
Student : Teacher
23.5:1
94 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.0:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
91%
2,017 students
DISTRICT 81% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.

Enrollment by grade, 2024-25

GradeStudentsShare
Grade 958126%
Grade 1059827%
Grade 1152124%
Grade 1251523%
Student demographics
7%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 27% · STATE 62% · US 70%
White
522%
DISTRICT 13% · STATE 20% · US 43%
Hispanic
2,13696%
DISTRICT 84% · STATE 56% · US 30%
Black
50%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 5% · US 15%
Asian
161%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 12% · US 6%
Two+
30%
DISTRICT 2% · STATE 6% · US 5%
Native American
20%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 0% · US 1%
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
Male
1,11951%
Female
1,09549%

Discussions

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Test scores

CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standard
English Language Arts
38.9%
CA avg 49.1% . +4.9pp since 2014
Math
19.9%
CA avg 37.7% . +4.9pp since 2014

What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 39 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 20 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 5 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 5 points.

Performance levels, 2024-25

SubjectStandard ExceededStandard MetStandard Nearly MetStandard Not Met
English Language Arts9.6%29.3%29.5%31.5%
Math7.6%12.3%23.3%56.8%
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 yearEnglish Language ArtsMath
2024-2538.9%19.9%
2023-2434.0%8.9%
2022-2331.8%9.2%
2021-2231.8%10.0%
2018-1947.6%17.1%
2017-1846.7%17.4%
2016-1751.3%16.0%
2015-1641.0%18.0%
2014-1534.0%15.0%
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

BeatsExpectations

Demographically-adjusted score · methodology
Tier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
25.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
26.2%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-0.8pp
below demographic expectation

What this means: About 25% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 26% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.

BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →

Schools most like Watsonville High

Watsonville High's state test result (25.4% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.

SchoolStudentsLow-incomeProficient
Watsonville High this school2,21591.1%25.4%
Coachella Valley High
Thermal
2,30090.3%25.6%
James A. Garfield Senior High
Los Angeles
2,23792.8%44.8%
Bell Senior High
Bell
2,08891.4%41.7%
Santa Ana High
Santa Ana
2,50590.6%27.5%
Hueneme High
Oxnard
1,91391.2%24.4%
Matched among California high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.

Where Watsonville High ranks

Among high schools
MeasureThis schoolIn CaliforniaIn Santa Cruz County
State test proficiency
ranked highest first
25.4%#914 of 1,052#7 of 9
Math proficiency
ranked highest first
19.9%#687 of 1,056
▲ 266
#7 of 9
▲ 1
Reading proficiency
ranked highest first
38.9%#910 of 1,056
▲ 42
#8 of 9
no change
3-year test score change
ranked biggest gain first
+8.5pp#189 of 1,044#1 of 9
Enrollment
ranked largest first
2,215#182 of 2,093#1 of 19
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
23.5:1#1,053 of 1,352#10 of 12
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
6.9%#1,274 of 1,351#10 of 12
Free and reduced lunch
ranked highest share first
91.1%#262 of 1,575#2 of 14
Enrollment change since 2017-18
ranked fastest growth first
+4.7%#211 of 327N/A
Ranked against other public high 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 2024-25
Enrollment
2,215
-104 (-4%) vs 2020
-7% since 1990-91, when it was 2,387
Student : Teacher
23.5:1
was 23.9:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-252,21594.223.5:191% (2,017)
2023-242,25396.623.3:193% (2,088)
2022-232,244102.821.8:192% (2,056)
2020-212,3199723.9:190% (2,076)
2017-182,1167827.1:180% (1,685)
2015-161,9257625.3:181% (1,567)
2010-112,077N/AN/A77% (1,607)
2000-013,21614322.5:140% (1,279)
1990-912,3879824.4:1N/A
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Watsonville High.

Since 2017-18: students up 5% (2,116 to 2,215); teachers up 21% (78 to 94.2).

About Watsonville High

Watsonville High is a high school with a street address in Watsonville, California. Students in grades 9 through 12 attend the school, which enrolls 2,215 students. Enrollment is 164% higher than the average for high schools in California, which is about 838.

Watsonville High falls under Pajaro Valley Unified, which has 33 schools enrolling 16,482 students.

Watsonville High's enrollment is 96% Hispanic. The school is also 2% White. That is higher than the 35% Hispanic share among all Santa Cruz County residents. The school's diversity index is 7%, meaning two students picked at random have a 7% chance of belonging to different racial or ethnic groups.

At Watsonville High, 94.2 full-time-equivalent teachers work with students, a ratio of about 23.5:1. That is higher than the 18.2:1 average for high schools in California. Roughly 91% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. Compared with the 52% average for public schools in Santa Cruz County, the school's rate is higher.

allk12 grades Watsonville High a C. The grade compares the school only with California public high schools, because each state gives its own test.

Watsonville High sits between the top and bottom 10% of California schools on BeatsExpectations, with an actual average proficiency rate on state tests of 25.4% and a predicted 26.2%.

In the county around the school, Santa Cruz County, the median household income is $111,093, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 44% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 6%. Santa Cruz County is home to 83 public schools and about 36,316 public school students.

The closest public school, PVUSD Virtual Academy, is less than a tenth of a mile from Watsonville High. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles. By average proficiency, Watsonville High is 2nd among 6 schools close by.

NCES assigns Watsonville High the locale City: Small, meaning inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.

Compared with 2020-21, the school had 104 fewer students in 2024-25.

The allk12 site hosts a discussion page for Watsonville High covering things like sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.

Santa Cruz County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
264,926
Census ACS
Median income
$111,093
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
44%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
83
36,316 students

Quick facts

School name
Watsonville High
District
Pajaro Valley Unified
Address
250 East Beach St., Watsonville, CA 95076
Phone
(831) 728-6390
County
Santa Cruz County
Level
High
Grade range
09–12
Total enrollment
2,215
Teachers (FTE)
94
Student–teacher ratio
23.5:1
Free and reduced lunch
2,017 (91%)
Locale
13-City: Small
NCES ID
062949004555
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Pajaro Valley Unified
Other schools in Watsonville
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Watsonville High
How large is Watsonville High?
Watsonville High enrolls approximately 2,215 students in grades 09-12.
Is Watsonville High an elementary, middle, or high school?
Watsonville High is a high school covering grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watsonville High?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Watsonville High is approximately 23.5:1 (94 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Watsonville High?
At Watsonville High, the student body is approximately 2% White, 96% Hispanic, 0% Black, 1% Asian, 0% Two or more.
What district is Watsonville High in?
Watsonville High is part of Pajaro Valley Unified.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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