Public schools in South Lake Tahoe, CA
10 open public schools with an address in South Lake Tahoe, operated by 3 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
10
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
3,539
9 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
20.9:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
0
1 magnet · 1 virtual
An overview of South Lake Tahoe public schools
The federal directory lists 10 public schools in South Lake Tahoe, CA: 4 elementary, 1 middle, 3 high, 2 combined or other. The 9 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 3,539 students, an average of 393 per school. The largest campus is South Tahoe High (1,076 students), and the largest elementary school is Bijou Community (422).
Lake Tahoe Unified operates the most schools here (8), and 3 regular districts have at least one South Lake Tahoe campus. 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 20.9:1, 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 magnet school, 1 virtual school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 3 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 1 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 0 of 4 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 50% 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 South Lake Tahoe
Elementary schools in South Lake Tahoe
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijou Community Lake Tahoe Unified | KG–05 | 422 | 23.4:1 | |
| Meyers Elementary Lake Tahoe Unified · Magnet | KG–05 | 334 | 23.9:1 | |
| Sierra House Elementary Lake Tahoe Unified | KG–05 | 418 | 20.9:1 | |
| Tahoe Valley Elementary Lake Tahoe Unified | KG–05 | 395 | 21.9:1 |
Middle schools in South Lake Tahoe
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Tahoe Middle Lake Tahoe Unified | 06–08 | 716 | 19.4:1 |
High schools in South Lake Tahoe
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine-Tahoe Community Alpine County Office of Education · Alternative School | 07–12 | — | — | |
| Mt. Tallac High Lake Tahoe Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 50 | 16.9:1 | |
| South Tahoe High Lake Tahoe Unified | 09–12 | 1,076 | 19.6:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in South Lake Tahoe
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge El Dorado County Office of Education · Alternative School | KG–12 | 12 | 6:1 | |
| Elevated Digital Learning Academy Lake Tahoe Unified · Virtual · Alternative School | KG–12 | 116 | 22.7:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White44.4%
- Hispanic46.3%
- Black0.3%
- Asian3.7%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.3%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial4.5%
Enrollment-weighted across 9 South Lake Tahoe schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (3,539 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in South Lake Tahoe
How many public schools are in South Lake Tahoe, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 10 open public schools with a location address in South Lake Tahoe: 4 elementary, 1 middle, 3 high, 2 combined or other. Together they reported 3,539 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve South Lake Tahoe?
Schools with an address in South Lake Tahoe belong to 3 education agencies, led by Lake Tahoe Unified (8 schools), Alpine County Office of Education (1 school), El Dorado County Office of Education (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 South Lake Tahoe?
South Tahoe High reported the largest high-school enrollment in South Lake Tahoe, with 1,076 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in South Lake Tahoe?
No school with an address in South Lake Tahoe is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in California.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in South Lake Tahoe schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across South Lake Tahoe public schools is 20.9:1, 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 South Lake Tahoe 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