La Cuesta Continuation High

Summary:

La Cuesta Continuation High is a small public high school in Santa Barbara, California, serving grades 9-12 and part of the Santa Barbara Unified School District. With only 80 students, La Cuesta is classified as a continuation high school, typically serving students at risk of not graduating or who have fallen behind academically.

The data reveals that La Cuesta Continuation High is struggling to provide the same level of academic success as the nearby Dos Pueblos Senior High and San Marcos Senior High. La Cuesta consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of California high schools, with significantly lower performance on standardized tests, highly variable graduation rates ranging from 34.0% to 69.4%, and extremely high chronic absenteeism rates up to 94.3%. The school's performance is particularly low for Hispanic students and English Language Learners.

These findings suggest that continuation high schools like La Cuesta may face unique challenges in serving their at-risk student populations, requiring specialized resources and interventions to help students succeed. Given the proximity to higher-performing comprehensive high schools, there may be opportunities for collaboration and resource-sharing that could benefit La Cuesta's students and help bridge the performance gap.

Detail:

Public 9-12

710 Santa Barbara St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101-2232

(805) 966-0883

District: Santa Barbara Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2205^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $23,703

Student/teacher ratio: 9.9

Number of students: 80

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

87.5%

White:

7.5%

African American:

1.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details La Cuesta Continuation High ranks worse than 94.9% of high schools in California. It also ranks last among 5 ranked high schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.62. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at La Cuesta Continuation High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details La Cuesta Continuation High has the largest high school student body size in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at La Cuesta Continuation High is $23,703, which is the highest among 5 high schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

La Cuesta Continuation High:

SchoolDigger ranks La Cuesta Continuation High 2205^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See La Cuesta Continuation High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Santa Barbara Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Barbara Unified 696^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for La Cuesta Continuation High

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Rank History for all students at La Cuesta Continuation High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2013	15.85	1838^th	2426	24.2%
2015	11.64	1716^th	1994	13.9%
2016	11.17	1786^th	2039	12.4%
2017	11.84	1715^th	2021	15.1%
2018	9.96	1872^nd	2017	7.2%
2019	11.36	1957^th	2133	8.3%
2022	13.27	1865^th	2123	12.2%
2023	7.41	2241^st	2348	4.6%
2024	7.62	2205^th	2323	5.1%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at La Cuesta Continuation High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	24.88	1002^nd	1044	4.0%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at La Cuesta Continuation High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	9.79	1774^th	1862	4.7%
2019	10.67	1827^th	1937	5.7%
2022	15.25	1671^st	1943	14.0%
2023	7.26	2155^th	2247	4.1%
2024	8.02	2102^nd	2235	6.0%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at La Cuesta Continuation High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	7.30	1706^th	1760	3.1%
2019	11.11	1629^th	1833	11.1%
2022	17.73	1541^st	1858	17.1%
2023	9.81	1905^th	2118	10.1%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at La Cuesta Continuation High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	10.72	1638^th	1834	10.7%
2019	9.86	1795^th	1880	4.5%
2022	8.47	1915^th	1916	0.1%
2023	9.92	1952^nd	2207	11.6%
2024	9.97	1891^st	2172	12.9%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at La Cuesta Continuation High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	8.48	1737^th	1742	0.3%
2019	10.52	1699^th	1814	6.3%
2022	11.71	1716^th	1861	7.8%
2023	6.96	2052^nd	2142	4.2%
2024	7.48	2008^th	2125	5.5%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for La Cuesta Continuation High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2012	11	4	0	109	0	0	1	0	125
2013	16	4	0	110	0	0	2	0	132
2014	10	2	1	121	0	0	4	0	138
2015	6	1	0	121	1	2	2	0	133
2016	7	0	0	105	1	0	0	0	113
2017	6	1	0	73	1	0	0	0	81
2018	5	3	0	70	1	0	1	0	80
2019	8	3	0	78	0	0	1	0	90
2020	12	1	0	100	0	0	0	0	113
2021	6	1	1	79	0	0	0	1	88
2022	5	1	2	107	0	0	0	0	115
2023	6	1	1	70	0	1	0	1	80

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at La Cuesta Continuation High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	125	6.6	18.8	97.6
2013	132	7.0	18.8	97.7
2014	138	8.0	17.2	75.4
2015	133	8.0	16.6	68.4
2016	113	8.0	14.1	65.5
2017	81	8.0	10.1	51.9
2018	80	7.0	11.4	70
2019	90	8.0	11.2	72.2
2020	113	n/a	n/a	77.9
2021	88	7.0	12.5	78.4
2022	115	7.9	14.5	95.7
2023	80	8.0	9.9	87.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio La Cuesta Continuation High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	125	6.6	18.8	97.6
2013	132	7.0	18.8	97.7
2014	138	8.0	17.2	75.4
2015	133	8.0	16.6	68.4
2016	113	8.0	14.1	65.5
2017	81	8.0	10.1	51.9
2018	80	7.0	11.4	70
2019	90	8.0	11.2	72.2
2020	113	n/a	n/a	77.9
2021	88	7.0	12.5	78.4
2022	115	7.9	14.5	95.7
2023	80	8.0	9.9	87.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for La Cuesta Continuation High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$23,703

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on La Cuesta Continuation High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1957^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 2241^st of 2348 High schools	3.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (La Cuesta Continuation High)	8.2	0	8.2%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Barbara Unified)	60	55.3	4.7%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (La Cuesta Continuation High)	2	0	2%
11th Grade Mathematics (Santa Barbara Unified)	40.5	31.7	8.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (La Cuesta Continuation High)	2	0	2%
11th Grade Science (Santa Barbara Unified)	40.6	35.1	5.5%
11th Grade Science (California)	30.4	31.7	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	90	80	11.1%
African American	3	1	66.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	78	70	10.3%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	8	6	25%
Two or More Races	1	0	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	72.2%	87.5%	15.3%

Schools Near La Cuesta Continuation High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
La Cuesta Continuation High	Public	9-12	710 Santa Barbara St.	Santa Barbara	93101	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 966-0883	80	8	9.9	87.5%	6 (7.5%)	1 (1.3%)	70 (87.5%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7.6	2205^th of 2323 public high schools	5.1%		7.4	2241^st of 2348 public high schools	4.6%	36		0.0		0.0			9.1	9.1			0.0	0.0	$23,703
Alta Vista Alternative High	Public, Virtual	9-12	215 East Ortega St.	Santa Barbara	93101	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(805) 966-0883	117	9	12.7	67.5%	26 (22.2%)	1 (0.9%)	80 (68.4%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.8%)	48.3	904^th of 2323 public high schools	61.1%		40.9	1110^th of 2348 public high schools	52.7%	206		29.2	36.4	31.4			33.3	33.3			25.0	25.0	$17,768
Santa Barbara Senior High	Public	9-12	700 East Anapamu St.	Santa Barbara	93103	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 966-9101	2,107	102	20.6	61.3%	673 (31.9%)	15 (0.7%)	1,297 (61.6%)	33 (1.6%)	7 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	73 (3.5%)	35.5	1256^th of 2323 public high schools	45.9%		42	1074^th of 2348 public high schools	54.3%	182		19.6		19.5			37.1	37.1			19.5	19.5	$11,746
Santa Barbara County Community	Public	5-12	4400 Cathedral Oaks Rd.	Santa Barbara	93110	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 967-5307	9	2	4.3	66.7%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4.4	2314^th of 2323 public high schools	0.4%		4.2	2330^th of 2348 public high schools	0.8%	16	0.0			0.0	0.0	0.0		0.0	0.0	0.0		0.0	$29,687
Santa Barbara County Regional Occupational Program-South	Public	9-12	4400 Cathedral Oaks Rd.	Santa Barbara	93160	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara County Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(805) 967-4711	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Santa Barbara County Juvenile Court	Public	5-12	4400 Cathedral Oaks Rd.	Santa Barbara	93110	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 967-5307	19	4	4.7	84.2%	1 (5.3%)	1 (5.3%)	17 (89.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)													$3,725
San Marcos Senior High	Public	9-12	4750 Hollister Ave.	Santa Barbara	93110	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 967-4581	2,020	94	21.5	57.1%	709 (35.1%)	9 (0.4%)	1,154 (57.1%)	58 (2.9%)	5 (0.2%)	4 (0.2%)	78 (3.9%)	60.3	629^th of 2323 public high schools	72.9%		62.5	608^th of 2348 public high schools	74.1%	21		33.2		33.2			50.4	50.4			32.1	32.1	$12,018
Carpinteria Senior High	Public	9-12	4810 Foothill Rd.	Carpinteria	93013	Santa Barbara County	Carpinteria Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 684-4107	653	36	18.2	70.3%	134 (20.5%)	1 (0.2%)	495 (75.8%)	9 (1.4%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.5%)	39.2	1155^th of 2323 public high schools	50.3%		45.3	988^th of 2348 public high schools	57.9%	167		18.0		17.7			40.6	40.6			24.0	24.0	$8,649
Dos Pueblos Senior High	Public	9-12	7266 Alameda Ave.	Goleta	93117	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 968-2541	2,034	96	21.2	43.7%	816 (40.1%)	17 (0.8%)	922 (45.3%)	136 (6.7%)	5 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	132 (6.5%)	84.2	261^st of 2323 public high schools	88.8%		87	219^th of 2348 public high schools	90.7%	42		48.8	10.5	47.4			68.5	68.5			47.0	47.0	$11,880

Frequently Asked Questions about La Cuesta Continuation High

What is the racial makeup of La Cuesta Continuation High?

Students at La Cuesta Continuation High are 88% Hispanic, 8% White, 1% African American, 1% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander, 1% Not Specified.

Is La Cuesta Continuation High a good school?

La Cuesta Continuation High ranks in the bottom 5.1% of California high schools.

How many students attend La Cuesta Continuation High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 80 students attended La Cuesta Continuation High.

What district is La Cuesta Continuation High in?

Santa Barbara Unified

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.