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Santa Cruz County Office of Education

At a glance

This district is not ranked due to insufficient test score data.

High 3 Alternative 1Grades K-12

400 Encinal St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060-2115·(831) 466-5600·All California district rankings →

Statewide performance 2012–2023

2023: better than 15.4% of districts

Schools

1,062

Students

Top rankedSanta Cruz County Community1461^st of 2,162 California high schools

▲

Biggest riser

Santa Cruz County Community up 27 spots statewide this year

Compare California districts →See the top-ranked California schools →

Summary:

The Santa Cruz County Office of Education district consists of 4 schools, including 3 high schools and 1 alternative school, serving students in the Santa Cruz County area. The district as a whole is ranked 1333 out of 1565 districts in California and is rated 1 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger.

Among the standout schools in the district, Santa Cruz County Special Education stands out with a very low student-teacher ratio of 7:1, indicating a high level of individualized attention for students. However, this school also has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 20.4% and spends significantly more per student ($149,864) compared to the other schools. Another notable school is Santa Cruz County Court, a small high school with 24 students, which has a high percentage of students (87.5%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a high-need student population.

Overall, the schools in the Santa Cruz County Office of Education district appear to be struggling academically, with test scores well below the state averages across all subjects and grade levels. The high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, as well as the high chronic absenteeism rates, indicate that the schools serve populations with significant socioeconomic challenges. Additionally, the wide range in spending per student and student-teacher ratios suggests that the district may not be allocating resources equitably across its schools.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Santa Cruz County Special Education	Public, Alternative	K-12	400 Encinal St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 466-5700	105	15	7.0	34.3%	50 (47.6%)	1 (1.0%)	36 (34.3%)	9 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (8.6%)								(n/a)
Santa Cruz County Court	Public	7-12	400 Encinal St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 466-5728	20	2	10.0	85.0%	4 (20.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (75.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.0%)								(n/a)
Santa Cruz County Community	Public	7-12	400 Encinal St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 466-5728	730	32	22.6	58.5%	256 (35.1%)	9 (1.2%)	426 (58.4%)	12 (1.6%)	8 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.5%)	31.3	1461^st of 2162 public high schools	32.4%		30	1488^th of 2159 public high schools	31.1%	27	19.2	18.0	9.1	32.9	31.1	8.3	6.4	6.4	$45,658	$44,016	$1,642
Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter	Public, Charter	12	229 Green Valley Rd.	Freedom	95019	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 466-5697	207	8	27.4	12.1%	44 (21.3%)	0 (0.0%)	161 (77.8%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)	0.0	0.0							$32,542	$31,334	$1,208

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Santa Cruz County Regional Occupational Program	0.06 mi	1
Santa Cruz City Elementary	0.85 mi	5	360^th
Santa Cruz City High	0.94 mi	9	541^st
Scotts Valley Unified	2.04 mi	4	141^st
Pacific Collegiate Charter District	2.22 mi	1	35^th

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.