Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Laurel Tree Charter

Q: Is Laurel Tree Charter a good school?

Laurel Tree Charter ranks 3961 st of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

3961^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Alternative Schools

Better than 32% of California alternative schools

Summary

Laurel Tree Charter is a small, K-12 alternative public school of about 200 students in Arcata, California, operating as its own Laurel Tree Charter District.

The school has a notable strength in science, where student proficiency consistently exceeds the state average, even as performance in English and math lags behind. A significant challenge is chronic student absenteeism, which is much higher than the state average and most nearby schools like Redwood Coast Montessori and Northern United - Humboldt Charter. Interestingly, the school maintains graduation rates close to the state average despite this attendance issue. Recent years have also seen a very large increase in the student-to-teacher ratio and a concerning drop in English proficiency scores.

Compared to other local alternative schools, Laurel Tree serves a student population with a moderate level of economic need. It spends more per student than some peers like Alder Grove Charter School 2, but its current student-teacher ratio is the highest among them. While its science program is a clear asset, the trends in core subjects, attendance, and classroom staffing indicate the school is navigating some important challenges that parents may want to explore further.

197

Students ?

25.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,185

Per pupil spending ?

54.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4555 Valley West Blvd.
Arcata, CA 95521-4683

(707) 822-5626

District: Laurel Tree Charter District

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.6%

Two or more races:

14.7%

Hispanic:

8.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Laurel Tree Charter to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 71st percentile in 2019 → 54th in 2025

Strengths

✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (87%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (35% vs 41% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (28% vs 19% California)

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2019

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school35%

California avg41%

Elementary school

3,961^st of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 32%▼ down 39 pts since 2019

From top 29% (2019) to bottom 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,258^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 46%▲ up 14 pts since 2019

From bottom 40% (2019) to top 46% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	30.0	3961 of 5857	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.6	2758 of 5869	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.8	3586 of 5859	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.7	3248 of 5883	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	68.8	1654 of 5789	71.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	22.7	4538 of 5460	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.0	2986 of 5517	45.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	32.2	3687 of 5628	34.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	18.6	2195 of 2598	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.5	1888 of 2651	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.5	1509 of 2834	46.8%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	47.2	1258 of 2761	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.6	874 of 2783	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.2	737 of 2740	73.1%	★★★★☆
2019	34.9	1618 of 2715	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	43.8	1260 of 2534	50.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.9	1108 of 1520	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Male (2025)34th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)17th percentile-15 vs school

White (2025)16th percentile-17 vs school

Middle school

Male (2025)50th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)27th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Science41%+8 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy36%-13 vs state

Mathematics32%-6 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Laurel Tree Charter and help other families decide.

Rate Laurel Tree Charter

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Laurel Tree Charter

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				CAST Science (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)								Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)								% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	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 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Laurel Tree Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4555 Valley West Blvd.	Arcata	95521	Humboldt County	Laurel Tree Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 822-5626	197	8	25.9	54.3%	145 (73.6%)	2 (1.0%)	16 (8.1%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (14.7%)								(n/a)		41.7			40.7	15.4	30.0		45.0	47.1	25.0		35.9	30.8	36.8		19.1	35.3	53.9		31.6	76.0	92.0	92.0	92.0	92.0	92.0	$18,185	$2,261	$15,924
Redwood Coast Montessori	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1611 Peninsula Dr.	Arcata	95521	Humboldt County	Redwood Coast Montessori District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 832-4194	218	19	11.2	47.7%	134 (61.5%)	1 (0.5%)	28 (12.8%)	4 (1.8%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (19.7%)								(n/a)	46.2	53.9			52.5	33.3	33.3	50.0	41.2	66.7	82.6	93.3	59.8	40.0	16.7	42.9	29.4	61.9	62.5	35.7	44.4							$16,128	$318	$15,810
Alder Grove Charter School 2	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	714 F St.	Eureka	95501	Humboldt County	Alder Grove Charter School 2 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 268-0854	481	25	19.5	65.3%	311 (64.7%)	2 (0.4%)	84 (17.5%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (14.1%)								(n/a)	30.6	36.5	35.0	31.3	33.9	34.4	31.3	38.9	27.3	55.6	44.2	54.6	41.8	18.8	21.9	8.3	12.1	26.7	23.1	18.2	19.0	53.1	53.1	56.3	53.1	53.1	56.3	$16,453	$1,656	$14,797
Humboldt County Office of Education Juvenile Hall Court	Public, Alternative	K-12	2006 Harrison Ave.	Eureka	95501	Humboldt County	Humboldt County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 445-7094	9	1	8.6	66.7%	2 (22.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (22.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (44.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (11.1%)								(n/a)																												$32,671	$3,992	$28,679
Pacific View Charter 2.0	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	115 Henderson St.	Eureka	95501	Humboldt County	Pacific View Charter 2.0 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 269-9490	152	10	14.8	78.3%	67 (44.1%)	1 (0.7%)	33 (21.7%)	1 (0.7%)	10 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (23.0%)								(n/a)	33.3				30.8	31.6	6.7	38.1	38.9			12.5	26.0	26.3	13.3	14.3	5.6			6.3	12.0							$18,614	$2,167	$16,447
Glen Paul	Public, Alternative	K-12	2501 Cypress Ave.	Eureka	95503	Humboldt County	Humboldt County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 445-7068	128	17	7.5	99.2%	63 (49.2%)	2 (1.6%)	31 (24.2%)	5 (3.9%)	6 (4.7%)	1 (0.8%)	20 (15.6%)								(n/a)																												$88,369	$5,435	$82,934
Northern United - Humboldt Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2020 Campton Rd.	Eureka	95503	Humboldt County	Northern United - Humboldt Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 445-2660	330	28	11.9	74.2%	191 (57.9%)	3 (0.9%)	47 (14.2%)	4 (1.2%)	28 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (16.7%)								(n/a)	57.7	31.6	18.8	27.3	37.5	38.9	68.0	73.1		21.7	47.4	36.4	47.4	70.6	61.5	53.9		24.0	26.3	21.2	39.7	70.8	79.2		87.5	87.5	83.3	$18,473	$1,239	$17,234

Frequently Asked Questions about Laurel Tree Charter

How many students attend Laurel Tree Charter?

In the 2024-25 school year, 197 students attended Laurel Tree Charter.

What is the racial makeup of Laurel Tree Charter?

Students at Laurel Tree Charter are 74% White, 15% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 1% African American, 1% American Indian, 1% Not Specified.

What district is Laurel Tree Charter in?

Laurel Tree Charter District

Is Laurel Tree Charter a good school?

Laurel Tree Charter ranks 3961^st of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Laurel Tree Charter!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Alternative School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Arcata, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Laurel Tree Charter!

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.