Public schools in Petaluma, CA
39 open public schools with an address in Petaluma, operated by 12 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
39
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
10,962
38 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
22:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
14
2 magnet · 0 virtual
An overview of Petaluma public schools
The federal directory lists 39 public schools in Petaluma, CA: 26 elementary, 4 middle, 6 high, 3 combined or other. The 38 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 10,962 students, an average of 288 per school. The largest campus is Casa Grande High (1,653 students), and the largest elementary school is Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley (494).
Petaluma Joint Union High operates the most schools here (11), and 10 regular districts have at least one Petaluma campus, plus 2 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 22:1, similar to 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 14 charter schools, 2 magnet schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 8 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 2 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 3 of 8 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 40% 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 Petaluma
Petaluma Joint Union High
Public school district
11 schools in Petaluma
Petaluma City Elementary
Public school district
8 schools in Petaluma · 9 total
Old Adobe Union
Public school district
5 schools in Petaluma
Liberty Elementary
Public school district
3 schools in Petaluma
Cinnabar Elementary
Public school district
2 schools in Petaluma
Dunham Elementary
Public school district
2 schools in Petaluma
Laguna Joint Elementary
Public school district
2 schools in Petaluma
Waugh Elementary
Public school district
2 schools in Petaluma
Heartwood Charter District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Petaluma
River Montessori Elementary Charter District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Petaluma
Two Rock Union
Public school district
1 school in Petaluma
Wilmar Union Elementary
Public school district
1 school in Petaluma
Elementary schools in Petaluma
26| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinnabar Charter Cinnabar Elementary · Charter | KG–06 | 156 | 16.4:1 | |
| Cinnabar Elementary Cinnabar Elementary | KG–KG | 20 | 20:1 | |
| Corona Creek Elementary Waugh Elementary | KG–06 | 403 | 22:1 | |
| Dunham Charter Dunham Elementary · Charter | KG–06 | 166 | 21.6:1 | |
| Dunham Elementary Dunham Elementary | KG–06 | 9 | 30:1 | |
| Grant Elementary Petaluma City Elementary | KG–06 | 386 | 24.1:1 | |
| La Tercera Elementary Old Adobe Union | KG–06 | 295 | 23.6:1 | |
| Laguna Elementary Laguna Joint Elementary | KG–06 | 9 | 9:1 | |
| Liberty Elementary Liberty Elementary · Charter | 01–06 | 162 | 23.1:1 | |
| Liberty Primary Liberty Elementary | KG–01 | 56 | 19.6:1 | |
| Lincoln Union Laguna Joint Elementary | KG–06 | 0 | — | |
| Loma Vista Immersion Academy Old Adobe Union · Charter · Magnet | KG–06 | 451 | 24.5:1 | |
| Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley Petaluma Joint Union High · Charter | KG–08 | 494 | 26.2:1 | |
| McDowell Elementary Petaluma City Elementary | KG–06 | 329 | 23.5:1 | |
| McKinley Elementary Petaluma City Elementary | KG–06 | 368 | 24.5:1 | |
| McNear Elementary Petaluma City Elementary | KG–06 | 343 | 22.9:1 | |
| Meadow Elementary Waugh Elementary | KG–06 | 384 | 22.1:1 | |
| Miwok Valley Elementary Charter Old Adobe Union · Charter | KG–06 | 288 | 20.6:1 | |
| Old Adobe Elementary Charter Old Adobe Union · Charter | KG–06 | 278 | 25.3:1 | |
| River Montessori Elementary Charter River Montessori Elementary Charter District · Charter | KG–06 | 144 | 24.1:1 | |
| Sonoma Mountain Elementary Old Adobe Union · Charter | KG–06 | 422 | 24.8:1 | |
| Two Rock Elementary Two Rock Union | KG–06 | 135 | 19.3:1 | |
| Valley Oaks Elementary (Alternative) Petaluma City Elementary · Alternative School | KG–06 | 0 | — | |
| Valley Vista Elementary Petaluma City Elementary | KG–06 | 155 | 19.4:1 | |
| Valley Vista Public Waldorf Petaluma City Elementary · Charter | KG–08 | — | — | |
| Wilson Elementary Wilmar Union Elementary | KG–06 | 235 | 23.5:1 |
Middle schools in Petaluma
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dual Language Immersion Academy Charter Petaluma Joint Union High · Charter | 07–08 | 31 | 32.3:1 | |
| Kenilworth Junior High Petaluma Joint Union High | 07–08 | 812 | 20.7:1 | |
| Petaluma Accelerated Charter Petaluma Joint Union High · Charter · Magnet | 07–08 | 115 | 25.3:1 | |
| Petaluma Junior High Petaluma Joint Union High | 07–08 | 454 | 19.1:1 |
High schools in Petaluma
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpe Diem High (Continuation) Petaluma Joint Union High · Alternative School | 09–12 | 19 | 9.5:1 | |
| Casa Grande High Petaluma Joint Union High | 09–12 | 1,653 | 21.5:1 | |
| Petaluma High Petaluma Joint Union High | 09–12 | 1,193 | 20.9:1 | |
| San Antonio High (Continuation) Petaluma Joint Union High · Alternative School | 09–12 | 65 | 8.5:1 | |
| Sonoma Mountain High (Necessary Small School) Petaluma Joint Union High · Alternative School | 10–12 | 21 | 10.7:1 | |
| Valley Oaks High (Alternative) Petaluma Joint Union High · Alternative School | 07–12 | 43 | 8:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Petaluma
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heartwood Charter Heartwood Charter District · Charter | KG–12 | 739 | 32.6:1 | |
| Liberty Independent Study Liberty Elementary · Charter | KG–12 | 0 | — | |
| South County Consortium Petaluma City Elementary · Special Education School | KG–12 | 129 | 9.9:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White51.9%
- Hispanic35.7%
- Black1.1%
- Asian2.9%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.5%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.3%
- Multiracial7%
Enrollment-weighted across 35 Petaluma schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (10,962 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Petaluma
How many public schools are in Petaluma, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 39 open public schools with a location address in Petaluma: 26 elementary, 4 middle, 6 high, 3 combined or other. Together they reported 10,962 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Petaluma?
Schools with an address in Petaluma belong to 12 education agencies, led by Petaluma Joint Union High (11 schools), Petaluma City Elementary (8 schools), Old Adobe Union (5 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Petaluma?
Casa Grande High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Petaluma, with 1,653 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Petaluma?
Yes. 14 of the 39 public schools in Petaluma are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Cinnabar Charter, Dual Language Immersion Academy Charter, Dunham Charter. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Petaluma schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Petaluma public schools is 22:1, similar to 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 Petaluma 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