Public schools in Santa Cruz, CA
27 open public schools with an address in Santa Cruz, operated by 10 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
27
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
8,825
26 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
21.8:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
1
0 virtual
An overview of Santa Cruz public schools
The federal directory lists 27 public schools in Santa Cruz, CA: 13 elementary, 3 middle, 8 high, 3 combined or other. The 26 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 8,825 students, an average of 339 per school. The largest campus is Santa Cruz High (1,093 students), and the largest elementary school is Brook Knoll Elementary (498).
Santa Cruz City High operates the most schools here (7), and 8 regular districts have at least one Santa Cruz 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 21.8:1, 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 1 charter school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 9 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 4 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 4 of 9 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 37% 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 Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz City High
Public school district
7 schools in Santa Cruz · 9 total
Live Oak Elementary
Public school district
6 schools in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz City Elementary
Public school district
5 schools in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Public school district
3 schools in Santa Cruz · 4 total
Bonny Doon Union Elementary
Public school district
1 school in Santa Cruz
Happy Valley Elementary
Public school district
1 school in Santa Cruz
Pacific Collegiate Charter District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz County ROP
Specialized public school district
1 school in Santa Cruz
Scotts Valley Unified
Public school district
1 school in Santa Cruz · 4 total
Soquel Union Elementary
Public school district
1 school in Santa Cruz · 4 total
Elementary schools in Santa Cruz
13| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay View Elementary Santa Cruz City Elementary | KG–05 | 394 | 18.8:1 | |
| Bonny Doon Elementary Bonny Doon Union Elementary | KG–06 | 92 | 15.3:1 | |
| Brook Knoll Elementary Scotts Valley Unified | KG–05 | 498 | 22.5:1 | |
| De Laveaga Elementary Santa Cruz City Elementary | KG–05 | 481 | 23.6:1 | |
| Del Mar Elementary Live Oak Elementary | KG–05 | 322 | 23:1 | |
| Gault Elementary Santa Cruz City Elementary | KG–05 | 314 | 22.4:1 | |
| Green Acres Elementary Live Oak Elementary | KG–05 | 262 | 21.8:1 | |
| Happy Valley Elementary Happy Valley Elementary | KG–06 | 106 | 16.6:1 | |
| Live Oak Elementary Live Oak Elementary | KG–05 | 362 | 24.1:1 | |
| Ocean Alternative Education Center Live Oak Elementary | KG–08 | 76 | 21.5:1 | |
| Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-Monarch Santa Cruz City Elementary · Alternative School | KG–05 | 114 | 22.8:1 | |
| Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary Soquel Union Elementary | KG–05 | 214 | 24.3:1 | |
| Westlake Elementary Santa Cruz City Elementary | KG–05 | 453 | 20.6:1 |
Middle schools in Santa Cruz
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branciforte Middle Santa Cruz City High | 06–08 | 409 | 17.8:1 | |
| Mission Hill Middle Santa Cruz City High | 06–08 | 510 | 18.2:1 | |
| Shoreline Middle Live Oak Elementary | 06–08 | 478 | 18.4:1 |
High schools in Santa Cruz
8| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ark Independent Studies Santa Cruz City High · Alternative School | 06–12 | 56 | 27.2:1 | |
| Costanoa Career Prep Continuation High Santa Cruz City High · Alternative School | 09–12 | 77 | 22.8:1 | |
| Harbor High Santa Cruz City High | 09–12 | 1,013 | 18.5:1 | |
| Pacific Collegiate Charter Pacific Collegiate Charter District · Charter | 07–12 | 536 | 17.6:1 | |
| Santa Cruz County Community Santa Cruz County Office of Education · Alternative School | 07–12 | 730 | 22.6:1 | |
| Santa Cruz County Court Santa Cruz County Office of Education · Alternative School | 07–12 | 20 | 10:1 | |
| Santa Cruz County ROP Santa Cruz County ROP · Career and Technical School | 10–12 | 0 | — | |
| Santa Cruz High Santa Cruz City High | 09–12 | 1,093 | 23.8:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Santa Cruz
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative Family Education Santa Cruz City High · Alternative School | KG–12 | 110 | 27.6:1 | |
| Santa Cruz County Special Education Santa Cruz County Office of Education · Special Education School | KG–12 | 105 | 7:1 | |
| Special Education Preschool Live Oak Elementary | Not reported | — | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White46.3%
- Hispanic41.8%
- Black1.1%
- Asian3%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.3%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
- Multiracial7.2%
Enrollment-weighted across 25 Santa Cruz schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (8,825 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Santa Cruz
How many public schools are in Santa Cruz, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 27 open public schools with a location address in Santa Cruz: 13 elementary, 3 middle, 8 high, 3 combined or other. Together they reported 8,825 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Santa Cruz?
Schools with an address in Santa Cruz belong to 10 education agencies, led by Santa Cruz City High (7 schools), Live Oak Elementary (6 schools), Santa Cruz City Elementary (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 Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Santa Cruz, with 1,093 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Santa Cruz?
Yes. 1 of the 27 public schools in Santa Cruz are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Pacific Collegiate Charter. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Santa Cruz schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Santa Cruz public schools is 21.8:1, 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 Santa Cruz 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