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Big Sur Charter

Q: Is Big Sur Charter a good school?

Big Sur Charter ranks 858 th of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

858^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Alternative Schools

Better than 85% of California alternative schools

Summary

Big Sur Charter is a small, K-12 alternative school serving 101 students in Monterey, California, operating under the Big Sur Charter District with a focus on strong academic outcomes and exceptional student attendance.

Academically, the school consistently outperforms state averages, with nearly 63% of students proficient in English Language Arts and about 48% proficient in Mathematics, which is significantly higher than nearby alternative schools like Monterey County Home Charter. A standout feature is its 0% chronic absenteeism rate for the past two years, meaning virtually all students are regularly attending school, a notable achievement compared to the state average and some local schools. The school achieves these strong results while spending less per student than comparable schools in the area.

While the school maintains a slightly higher student-to-teacher ratio than some peers, its performance remains consistently strong across grade levels, with particular strengths in early elementary grades. Compared to other local alternative schools, such as Monterey County Special Education, which serve different student populations with different needs and resources, Big Sur Charter demonstrates a model of effective resource allocation and a highly engaged school community.

101

Students ?

20.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

27.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

304 Foam St.
Monterey, CA 93940-1408

(831) 324-4573

District: Big Sur Charter District

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.5%

Hispanic:

32.7%

Two or more races:

14.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Big Sur Charter to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 82nd percentile in 2019 → 85th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (55% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 15% of California alternative schools

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school55%

California avg41%

858^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 15%▲ up 13 pts since 2023

From top 27% (2023) to top 15% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary 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	86.4	858 of 5857	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	69.4	1607 of 5859	72.6%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	88.8	307 of 2781	89.0%	★★★★☆
2022	81.9	436 of 2740	84.1%	★★★★☆
2019	80.2	482 of 2715	82.2%	★★★★☆

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy63%+14 vs state

Mathematics48%+11 vs state

Science46%+14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Big Sur Charter

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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 ()				Ranking ()				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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th 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 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 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Big Sur Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	304 Foam St.	Monterey	93940	Monterey County	Big Sur Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 324-4573	101	5	20.2	27.7%	48 (47.5%)	4 (4.0%)	33 (32.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	15 (14.9%)								(n/a)			46.2	57.1	72.7		58.3			63.0	78.6	63.6		33.3			48.2
Monterey County Special Education	Public, Alternative	K-12	901 Blanco Cir.	Salinas	93912	Monterey County	Monterey County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 755-0300	274	40	6.9	62.0%	12 (4.4%)	4 (1.5%)	243 (88.7%)	5 (1.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.3%)								(n/a)			0.0							0.0							5.6	$90,224	$87,710	$2,514
Monterey County Home Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	901 Blanco Cir.	Salinas	93901	Monterey County	Monterey County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 755-0331	255	14	18.8	69.0%	43 (16.9%)	1 (0.4%)	201 (78.8%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	4 (1.6%)	3 (1.2%)								(n/a)	11.8	24.0	17.7			25.0	46.7	23.5	33.3	31.8			8.3	0.0	0.0	7.7	8.4	$28,848	$28,556	$292
Wellington M. Smith Junior	Public, Alternative	4-12	1420 Natividad Rd.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Monterey County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 755-3979	50	4	12.4	94.0%	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (98.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																		$50,011	$40,986	$9,025

Frequently Asked Questions about Big Sur Charter

What district is Big Sur Charter in?

Big Sur Charter District

How many students attend Big Sur Charter?

In the 2024-25 school year, 101 students attended Big Sur Charter.

What is the racial makeup of Big Sur Charter?

Students at Big Sur Charter are 48% White, 33% Hispanic, 15% Two or more races, 4% African American.

Is Big Sur Charter a good school?

Big Sur Charter ranks 858^th of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Big Sur Charter!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

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CACalifornia Alternative School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Monterey, CA

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.