Santa Cruz County Districts: Pajaro Valley Unified School District welcomed most students in 2022-23 school year

Pajaro Valley Unified School District had the highest enrollment among Santa Cruz County school districts, welcoming 17,887 students during the 2022-23 school year, according to the California Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2022-23 school year, 50.8% of them were boys, and 49.2% were girls.

The most represented ethnicity among Pajaro Valley Unified School District students was white, accounting for 12.8% of the student population.

Among the 13 districts in Santa Cruz County, San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District ranked second in enrollment numbers with 5,402 students, while Santa Cruz City High School District welcomed 4,383 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 school year.

Pajaro Valley Unified School District roughly covers schools within Santa Cruz County and has a main office in Watsonville.

In the previous school year, San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District had the highest number of students among Santa Cruz County districts.

In the last decade, enrollment in California elementary and secondary schools rose by at least 5%, while high school enrollment dropped 5%.

However, overall enrollment in California public schools is sliding, and the Public Policy Institute of California expects it to drop another 8% by the 2031-32 school year.