Tony Thurmond, Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education | California Department of Education
Tony Thurmond, Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education | California Department of Education
The grade with the second highest number of students was 11th grade, with 1,439 students, or 8.3% of the student body.
The school that had the highest number of seventh grade students in Pajaro Valley Unified School District during the period was Aptos Junior High School, while PVUSD Virtual Academy had the fewest.
Overall, Pajaro Valley Unified School District enrolled 17,428 students, ranking as the 78th highest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It ranked 75th highest in the previous school year.
California's public schools face a growing financial crisis driven by declining enrollment and an increase in chronic absenteeism, both impacting the state's school funding model.
Enrollment, which peaked at 6.3 million students in the early 2000s, has steadily declined to under 6 million today, with projections indicating it could fall below 5.2 million by 2032. This trend is attributed to lower birth rates, slowed immigration, and families relocating out of state due to high housing costs. Rural and coastal districts have been particularly affected, facing tough decisions such as school closures and staffing reductions.
At the same time, chronic absenteeism has surged from 12% pre-pandemic to 25%, disproportionately impacting younger students and jeopardizing their long-term success.
| School | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|
| Alianza Charter | 648 |
| Amesti Elementary School | 424 |
| Ann Soldo Elementary School | 366 |
| Aptos High School | 1,316 |
| Aptos Junior High School | 588 |
| Bradley Elementary School | 523 |
| Calabasas Elementary School | 497 |
| Cesar E. Chavez Middle School | 547 |
| Diamond Technology Institute | 83 |
| E. A. Hall Middle School | 556 |
| Freedom Elementary School | 499 |
| H. A. Hyde Elementary School | 444 |
| Hall District Elementary School | 526 |
| Lakeview Middle School | 410 |
| Landmark Elementary School | 405 |
| Linscott Charter | 259 |
| Mar Vista Elementary School | 311 |
| Mintie White Elementary School | 499 |
| New School Community Day | 40 |
| Ohlone Elementary School | 452 |
| Pacific Coast Charter | 197 |
| Pajaro Middle School | 286 |
| Pajaro Valley High School | 1,428 |
| PVUSD Virtual Academy | 74 |
| Radcliff Elementary School | 417 |
| Renaissance High Continuation | 122 |
| Rio del Mar Elementary School | 408 |
| Rolling Hills Middle School | 610 |
| Starlight Elementary School | 414 |
| T. S. MacQuiddy Elementary School | 424 |
| Valencia Elementary School | 487 |
| Watsonville Charter School of the Arts | 408 |
| Watsonville High School | 2,253 |
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