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Public school · Santa Cruz City High · Santa Cruz, California

Alternative Family Education

Alternative Family Education rates 6.1 on our ten-point scale and ranks 5,550 of 9,557 schools in California.

Schools, 1 to 10This campus on our ten-point scale.
6.1this school

6.1 on a one-to-ten scale.

#5,550 of 9,557 schools in California

The brief

A Santa Cruz City High school where students score 7 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 5,550 of 9,557 schools in California and 6 of 9 in Santa Cruz City High.

Alternative Family Education is listed in Santa Cruz City High, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math38%1 point above the California average of 37%40 students tested · 2025 CAASPP
Reading64%15 points above the California average of 49%39 students tested · 2025 CAASPP
Proficiency has fallen 24 points since 2018, to 51% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 CAASPP; 20 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
9.8
25% of the rating
Academics
6.9
25% of the rating
College Readiness
5.6
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
1.2
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 81% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 95062; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Alternative Family Education and the 20 nearest schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$108,261
Median home value
$1,064,600
Median rent
$2,291/mo
College educated
50.7%
Homeownership
53.6%
Poverty rate
13.3%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 95062; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
93
Walker's Paradise
Transit Score
48
Some Transit
Bike Score
99
Biker's Paradise
City reported crime
3,038/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Santa Cruz. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Santa Cruz), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
33.6%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Alternative Family Educationthis school
    6.1
  2. 5.8Compare →
  3. 5.2Compare →
Two grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Alternative Family Education.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Alternative Family Education serve?

Alternative Family Education serves students in grades Kindergarten through 12th.

How many students attend Alternative Family Education?

Alternative Family Education has an enrollment of approximately 110 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Alternative Family Education?

The student-teacher ratio at Alternative Family Education is 27.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Alternative Family Education rank in CA?

Alternative Family Education ranks #5,550 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Alternative Family Education's MySchoolScout rating?

Alternative Family Education has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.1 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Alternative Family Education?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Alternative Family Education has 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 81% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Alternative Family Education a charter school?

No, Alternative Family Education is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Alternative Family Education a Title I school?

No, Alternative Family Education is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Alternative Family Education?

33.6% of students at Alternative Family Education qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Kindergarten – 12th
Enrollment
110
Student-teacher ratio
27.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
4
Type
Alternative
Title I
No
Setting
Small City
County
Santa Cruz County
4-year graduation
50%+
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#6 of 9
Schools in district
9
District spending per student
Not available
The source marked this value as not applicable.
District child poverty rate
8.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 95062)
36,047
Area average commute
22.6 min
Area median age
42.7

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, California Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.