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Pacific Coast Charter

Q: Is Pacific Coast Charter a good school?

Pacific Coast Charter ranks 1745 th of 2761 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

1745^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Alternative Schools

Better than 37% of California alternative schools

Summary

Pacific Coast Charter is a small, K-12 alternative public school serving 132 students in Watsonville, CA, within the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, and it serves a student population with significant economic need.

The school shows a clear strength in teaching English Language Arts, where its students perform better than the district average, a notable achievement. However, performance in math and science is very low, similar to the struggling district overall, and well below state averages. A major concern is the student dropout rate, which at 14.3% is triple the Pajaro Valley Unified district rate and the highest among similar local alternative schools like SLVUSD Charter and Wellington M. Smith Junior.

Compared to similar schools, Pacific Coast Charter operates with significantly fewer resources per student. For example, the PVUSD Virtual Academy in the same district spends about 60% more per student. While the school effectively supports literacy, the data suggests that increased resources and a strategic focus on math, science, and keeping students engaged through graduation are critical areas for improvement to better serve its community.

132

Students ?

21.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$32,404

Per pupil spending ?

78%

Free/discounted lunch ?

294 Green Valley Rd.
Watsonville, CA 95076-1300

(831) 786-2180

District: Pajaro Valley Unified

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

82.6%

White:

9.8%

Asian:

3.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Pacific Coast Charter to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 52nd percentile in 2023 → 38th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (29% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the California average (82% vs 88%)

!Dropout rate above the California average (14% vs 8%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school29%

District avg21%

California avg41%

Middle school

1,745^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 37%▲ up 24 pts since 2015

From bottom 13% (2015) to bottom 37% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

1,331^st of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Bottom 38%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Alternative Schools in the Pajaro Valley Unified

1253^rd of 1,543Pajaro Valley 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
2025	32.3	1745 of 2761	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	16.6	2428 of 2781	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.4	2378 of 2740	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	53.8	1009 of 2508	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.7	1020 of 2497	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	16.0	2161 of 2477	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	50.3	1142 of 2379	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	64.8	708 of 2259	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	20.7	1888 of 2236	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	41.1	1281 of 2179	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	38.1	1248 of 2063	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	47.7	981 of 2005	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	24.9	1534 of 1999	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	25.3	1360 of 1804	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	59.7	612 of 1777	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	36.3	1049 of 1769	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.0	1340 of 2395	44.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	25.2	1948 of 2542	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	36.9	1331 of 2162	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.9	1194 of 2159	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.2	1050 of 2170	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	30.9	1402 of 2123	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.5	1178 of 2133	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.2	1231 of 2017	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	31.2	1358 of 2021	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	35.6	1268 of 2039	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	39.7	1184 of 1994	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	30.3	1310 of 2426	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	35.8	1158 of 2354	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	26.7	1417 of 2367	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	34.7	1145 of 2281	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	43.5	917 of 2238	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	32.4	1112 of 2117	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	41.9	827 of 2063	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	49.6	643 of 1968	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	53.3	530 of 1901	72.1%	★★★★☆
2004	31.4	897 of 1653	45.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	59.2	726 of 1906	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	32.9	1276 of 1915	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.4	1255 of 1915	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.9	1453 of 1858	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.0	1330 of 1833	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.3	1362 of 1760	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	43.8	1070 of 1900	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.0	1048 of 1902	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.3	1066 of 1917	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.8	1359 of 1861	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.7	1254 of 1814	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	23.4	1274 of 1742	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.4	1208 of 2013	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.0	950 of 2026	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.6	1217 of 2030	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.5	1061 of 1937	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.5	1215 of 1862	34.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	59.9	670 of 1963	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.6	898 of 1880	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.3	810 of 1834	55.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

Middle school

Hispanic (2025)44th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)23rd percentile-13 vs school

High school

Male (2023)66th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2025)62nd percentile+23 vs school

Hispanic (2025)44th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)40th percentile~ school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy44%-5 vs state

Mathematics18%-20 vs state

Science17%-16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Pacific Coast 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 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Pacific Coast Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	294 Green Valley Rd.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 786-2180	132	6	21.6	78.0%	13 (9.8%)	0 (0.0%)	109 (82.6%)	5 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.8%)								(n/a)		14.3			16.7					53.9	28.6	42.1	44.3					23.1	21.4	15.0	17.7	$32,404	$30,396	$2,008
PVUSD Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	250 East Beach St.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(831) 786-2482	43	3	15.9	83.7%	5 (11.6%)	1 (2.3%)	36 (83.7%)	1 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					27.3						54.6	66.7	60.9						50.0	41.7	45.8	$30,151	$25,370	$4,781
Alternative Family Education	Public, Alternative	K-12	840 North Branciforte Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3898	110	4	27.5	34.5%	59 (53.6%)	4 (3.6%)	25 (22.7%)	5 (4.5%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (14.5%)								(n/a)					66.7								64.1								37.5	$27,653	$26,630	$1,023
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)
California Online Public Schools Monterey Bay	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	108 Whispering Pines Dr. Ste.	Scotts Valley	95066	Santa Cruz County	California Online Public Schools Monterey Bay District	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(800) 906-5166	440	16	27.3	41.4%	129 (29.3%)	10 (2.3%)	174 (39.5%)	65 (14.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (12.7%)								(n/a)	29.4	36.0	28.6	34.8	31.7	43.8	64.7	52.9	46.4	60.5	40.8	50.0	50.4	31.3	57.9	35.3	37.0	47.7	40.0	41.9	42.1	$31,052	$30,612	$440
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
SLVUSD Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	325 Marion Ave.	Ben Lomond	95005	Santa Cruz County	San Lorenzo Valley Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 335-0932	301	12	25.7	20.6%	227 (75.4%)	4 (1.3%)	34 (11.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (11.6%)								(n/a)	35.7	48.6	47.1		46.4	38.5	64.7	40.0	64.9	70.8	65.7	73.5	64.3	38.5	29.4	26.7	43.2	56.3	45.7	35.3	42.7	$25,073	$24,854	$219

Frequently Asked Questions about Pacific Coast Charter

Is Pacific Coast Charter a good school?

Pacific Coast Charter ranks 1745^th of 2761 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Pacific Coast Charter?

Students at Pacific Coast Charter are 83% Hispanic, 10% White, 4% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend Pacific Coast Charter?

In the 2024-25 school year, 132 students attended Pacific Coast Charter.

What district is Pacific Coast Charter in?

Pajaro Valley Unified

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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.