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North Star Academy

Q: Is North Star Academy a good school?

North Star Academy ranks 1284 th of 2162 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Alternative Grades K-12

1284^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,162 California Alternative Schools

Better than 41% of California alternative schools

Summary

North Star Academy is a small, K-12 alternative public school serving 44 students in Sutter Creek, California, as part of the Amador County Unified district, offering a personalized environment with a low student-teacher ratio of 13-to-1.

The school excels at its core mission of supporting students through to graduation, boasting a perfect 100% graduation rate for 2024-2025 and a very low dropout rate, which significantly outpaces state averages. This success comes alongside a dramatic, multi-year improvement in student attendance. However, like many alternative schools, its standardized test scores, particularly in mathematics, are below state averages, presenting an area for continued focus.

Compared to nearby alternatives like Calaveras Unified Alternative-Sierra Hills Education Center and Mountain Oaks, North Star Academy operates with a much lower student-teacher ratio and higher per-student spending. While it matches or exceeds graduation rates, its academic proficiency and chronic absenteeism rates are areas where some neighboring schools perform differently, suggesting each alternative program has its own distinct strengths and operational approach for serving students.

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,529

Per pupil spending ?

36.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

525 Independence Dr.
Sutter Creek, CA 95685-9669

(209) 257-7773

District: Amador County Unified

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.5%

Hispanic:

27.3%

American Indian:

2.3%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 77th percentile in 2022 → 41st in 2025

Strengths

✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (23% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 77th-percentile peak (2022) to 41st (2025)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school23%

District avg30%

California avg41%

1,284^th of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Bottom 41%▲ up 23 pts since 2019

From bottom 18% (2019) to bottom 41% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1052^nd of 1,543Amador County Unified among California districts

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

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2009	14.8	1839 of 2063	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	34.6	1267 of 1999	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	40.6	993 of 1804	45.0%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.3	1284 of 2162	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	1422 of 2159	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.6	1187 of 2170	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	72.6	488 of 2123	77.0%	★★★★☆
2019	15.3	1759 of 2133	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	31.0	1289 of 2426	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	28.4	1338 of 2354	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	28.3	1366 of 2367	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	29.8	1280 of 2281	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	29.3	1426 of 2238	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	34.5	1056 of 2117	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	38.7	908 of 2063	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	41.0	810 of 1968	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2005	39.2	816 of 1901	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	33.8	835 of 1653	49.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	31.7	1299 of 1915	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.0	1467 of 1915	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	75.8	385 of 1858	79.3%	★★★★☆
2019	15.6	1522 of 1833	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	43.1	1119 of 2026	44.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	11.9	1025 of 1155	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.7	1022 of 1173	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.6	980 of 1193	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	5.1	1157 of 1222	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

High school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)45th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2024)32nd percentile~ school

White (2025)11th percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy35%-14 vs state

Science25%-8 vs state

Mathematics10%-27 vs state

★

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Schools Near North Star Academy

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
North Star Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	525 Independence Dr.	Sutter Creek	95685	Amador County	Amador County Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 257-7773	44	3	13.4	36.4%	31 (70.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (27.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)			28.6		25.0							40.0	35.0							13.3	10.0							$21,529	$825	$20,704
County Community	Public, Alternative	1-12	525 Independence Dr.	Sutter Creek	95685	Amador County	Amador County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 257-5100	10	1	10.5	50.0%	6 (60.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (20.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (10.0%)								(n/a)
Amador County Special Education	Public, Alternative	K-12	217 Rex Ave.	Jackson	95642	Amador County	Amador County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 257-5330	13	1	13.0	30.8%	8 (61.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (38.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Calaveras Unified Alternative-Sierra Hills Education Center	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	501 Gold Strike Rd.	San Andreas	95249	Calaveras County	Calaveras Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(209) 754-2123	127	4	29.8	59.1%	85 (66.9%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (18.1%)	3 (2.4%)	6 (4.7%)	1 (0.8%)	9 (7.1%)								(n/a)												31.3	31.6							6.3	5.3							$12,431	$1,068	$11,363
Mountain Oaks	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	150 Old Oak Rd.	San Andreas	95249	Calaveras County	Calaveras County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(888) 686-6257	425	8	50.4	52.5%	297 (69.9%)	1 (0.2%)	85 (20.0%)	3 (0.7%)	9 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.1%)								(n/a)	24.0	50.0	18.2	61.9	40.6	36.0	22.9	32.0	29.0	16.7	46.9	50.0	33.9	36.0	25.7	24.0	10.5	10.0	25.0	23.8	21.6	40.9	45.5	63.6	40.9	45.5	50.0	$12,959	$215	$12,744

Frequently Asked Questions about North Star Academy

What district is North Star Academy in?

Amador County Unified

What is the racial makeup of North Star Academy?

Students at North Star Academy are 70% White, 27% Hispanic, 2% American Indian.

Is North Star Academy a good school?

North Star Academy ranks 1284^th of 2162 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend North Star Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 44 students attended North Star Academy.

Rate North Star Academy!

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CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Sutter Creek, CA

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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.