Public schools in Chico, CA
33 open public schools with an address in Chico, operated by 12 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
33
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
15,171
33 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
20.2:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
9
0 virtual
An overview of Chico public schools
The federal directory lists 33 public schools in Chico, CA: 17 elementary, 3 middle, 8 high, 5 combined or other. The 33 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 15,171 students, an average of 460 per school. The largest campus is Pleasant Valley High (1,978 students), and the largest elementary school is Shasta Elementary (621).
Chico Unified operates the most schools here (22), and 2 regular districts have at least one Chico campus, plus 10 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 20.2:1, lower than the statewide school median of 21.6:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 9 charter schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 11 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 4 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 3 of 11 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 55% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Chico
Chico Unified
Public school district
22 schools in Chico
Achieve Charter District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Chico
Blue Oak Charter District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Chico
Butte County Office of Education
Public school district
1 school in Chico · 6 total
Butte County ROP
Specialized public school district
1 school in Chico
Chico Country Day District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Chico
CORE Butte Charter District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Chico
Inspire School of Arts and Sciences District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Chico
Nord Country District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Chico
Pivot Charter School North Valley II District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Chico
Sherwood Montessori District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Chico
Wildflower Open Classroom District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Chico
Elementary schools in Chico
17| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Oak Charter Blue Oak Charter District · Charter | KG–08 | 219 | 20.9:1 | |
| Chapman Elementary Chico Unified | KG–05 | 311 | 20.1:1 | |
| Chico Country Day Chico Country Day District · Charter | KG–08 | 585 | 22.5:1 | |
| Citrus Avenue Elementary Chico Unified | KG–05 | 383 | 19.3:1 | |
| Emma Wilson Elementary Chico Unified | KG–05 | 597 | 20.5:1 | |
| Hooker Oak Elementary Chico Unified · Alternative School | KG–05 | 337 | 21.1:1 | |
| Little Chico Creek Elementary Chico Unified | KG–05 | 471 | 21.5:1 | |
| Marigold Elementary Chico Unified | KG–05 | 571 | 21.1:1 | |
| McManus (John A.) Elementary Chico Unified | KG–05 | 397 | 18:1 | |
| Neal Dow Elementary Chico Unified | KG–05 | 364 | 16.9:1 | |
| Nord Country Nord Country District · Charter | KG–08 | 213 | 22.4:1 | |
| Parkview Elementary Chico Unified | KG–05 | 406 | 18.3:1 | |
| Rosedale Elementary Chico Unified | KG–05 | 563 | 23:1 | |
| Shasta Elementary Chico Unified | KG–05 | 621 | 21.3:1 | |
| Sherwood Montessori Sherwood Montessori District · Charter | KG–08 | 116 | 16.7:1 | |
| Sierra View Elementary Chico Unified · Alternative School | KG–05 | 428 | 17.8:1 | |
| Wildflower Open Classroom Wildflower Open Classroom District · Charter | KG–08 | 183 | 17.4:1 |
Middle schools in Chico
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bidwell Junior High Chico Unified | 06–08 | 1,012 | 24.2:1 | |
| Chico Junior High Chico Unified | 06–08 | 861 | 22.1:1 | |
| Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High Chico Unified | 06–08 | 716 | 19.8:1 |
High schools in Chico
8| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy for Change Chico Unified · Alternative School | 06–12 | 31 | 11.7:1 | |
| Butte County ROP Butte County ROP · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| Center for Alternative Learning Chico Unified · Alternative School | 06–12 | 34 | 12.1:1 | |
| Chico High Chico Unified | 09–12 | 1,804 | 22.3:1 | |
| Fair View High (Continuation) Chico Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 95 | 9.8:1 | |
| Inspire School of Arts and Sciences Inspire School of Arts and Sciences District · Charter | 09–12 | 332 | 14.9:1 | |
| Pivot Charter School North Valley II Pivot Charter School North Valley II District · Charter | 06–12 | 105 | 22.8:1 | |
| Pleasant Valley High Chico Unified | 09–12 | 1,978 | 22.4:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Chico
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achieve Charter Achieve Charter District · Charter | KG–12 | 222 | 27:1 | |
| Butte County Community Butte County Office of Education · Alternative School | KG–12 | 20 | 4:1 | |
| CORE Butte Charter CORE Butte Charter District · Charter | KG–12 | 916 | 17.2:1 | |
| Oak Bridge Academy Chico Unified · Alternative School | KG–12 | 188 | 19:1 | |
| Oakdale Chico Unified · Alternative School | KG–12 | 92 | 20.3:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White53%
- Hispanic28.1%
- Black2.2%
- Asian4.5%
- American Indian / Alaska Native1%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.4%
- Multiracial10.4%
Enrollment-weighted across 32 Chico schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (15,171 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Chico
How many public schools are in Chico, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 33 open public schools with a location address in Chico: 17 elementary, 3 middle, 8 high, 5 combined or other. Together they reported 15,171 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Chico?
Schools with an address in Chico belong to 12 education agencies, led by Chico Unified (22 schools), Achieve Charter District (1 school), Blue Oak Charter District (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Chico?
Pleasant Valley High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Chico, with 1,978 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Chico?
Yes. 9 of the 33 public schools in Chico are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Achieve Charter, Blue Oak Charter, Chico Country Day. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Chico schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Chico public schools is 20.2:1, lower than the California school median of 21.6:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Chico guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby California cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All California cities