North Star Academy

Q: Is North Star Academy a good school?

North Star Academy ranks 1454 th of 2323 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

North Star Academy is a small alternative public school in Sutter Creek, California, serving grades K-12 with a total enrollment of 68 students. It is part of the Amador County Unified School District, which is ranked 939 out of 1,568 school districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

North Star Academy has seen a steady improvement in its four-year graduation rates, increasing from 72.7% in 2018-2019 to 93.8% in 2022-2023, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages. However, its dropout rates have fluctuated over the years, ranging from 3.2% to 9.1%, which are higher than the nearby Calaveras Unified Alternative-Sierra Hills Education Center and Mountain Oaks, though still lower than the state average. The school also has a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 32.0% to 57.1%, which is significantly higher than the nearby alternative schools, which have rates below 10%.

North Star Academy's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are generally lower than the district and state averages. For example, in 2023-2024, only 43.75% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 61.94% in the Amador County Unified district and 55.73% statewide. This suggests that the school may need to focus on addressing the underlying causes of chronic absenteeism and improving academic performance, while considering the unique context of the school and its student population, which has a relatively high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Detail:

Public, Alternative K-12

525 Independence Dr.
Sutter Creek, CA 95685-9669

(209) 257-7773

District: Amador County Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1454^th of 2,323 California Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $4,828

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 44

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.1%

Hispanic:

22.7%

Two or more races:

13.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 40.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare North Star Academy to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details North Star Academy is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2009 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.79. (See more...)

Compare Details North Star Academy ranks worse than 62.6% of high schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.88. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at North Star Academy 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 Student population at North Star Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (59.1%), Hispanic (22.7%), two or more races (13.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 40.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at North Star Academy is 14.8. (See more...)

Compare North Star Academy employs 2.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at North Star Academy is $4,828.

Schooldigger Rankings:

North Star Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks North Star Academy 1454^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See North Star Academy in the ranking list.)

Amador County Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Amador County Unified 939^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for North Star Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2006	40.58	993^rd	1804	45.0%
2007	34.61	1267^th	1999	36.6%
2009	14.79	1839^th	2063	10.9%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

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

Rank History for North Star Academy

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Rank History for all high school students at North Star Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	33.76	835^th	1653	49.5%
2005	39.16	816^th	1901	57.1%
2006	40.99	810^th	1968	58.8%
2007	38.72	908^th	2063	56.0%
2008	34.47	1056^th	2117	50.1%
2009	29.34	1426^th	2238	36.3%
2010	29.77	1280^th	2281	43.9%
2011	28.32	1366^th	2367	42.3%
2012	28.42	1338^th	2354	43.2%
2013	30.97	1289^th	2426	46.9%
2019	15.30	1759^th	2133	17.5%
2022	72.62	488^th	2123	77.0%
2023	40.41	1127^th	2348	52.0%
2024	28.88	1454^th	2323	37.4%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at North Star Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	32.25	1358^th	2247	39.6%
2024	34.60	1303^rd	2235	41.7%

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

Rank History for high school Female students at North Star Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	15.56	1522^nd	1833	17.0%
2022	75.77	385^th	1858	79.3%
2023	26.47	1415^th	2118	33.2%
2024	32.76	1283^rd	2098	38.8%

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

Rank History for high school White students at North Star Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	5.09	1157^th	1222	5.3%
2023	21.38	1071^st	1434	25.3%
2024	11.59	1190^th	1406	15.4%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for White 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 North Star Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1998	112	2	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	123
1999	114	0	2	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	121
2000	101	0	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	105
2001	88	0	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	94
2002	76	1	2	8	5	n/a	n/a	0	92
2003	76	1	2	8	5	n/a	n/a	0	92
2004	82	0	4	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	97
2005	81	0	1	8	5	n/a	n/a	0	95
2006	88	0	2	8	10	n/a	n/a	4	112
2007	87	0	2	7	8	n/a	n/a	5	109
2008	57	n/a	1	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	67
2009	56	0	1	4	2	0	12	0	75
2010	78	1	1	8	4	0	7	0	99
2011	71	0	1	21	4	0	7	0	104
2012	65	0	1	19	6	0	4	0	95
2013	72	0	0	14	7	0	4	0	97
2014	58	0	1	11	5	0	3	0	78
2015	54	0	1	12	6	0	4	0	77
2016	51	0	0	9	6	0	2	0	68
2017	43	0	1	15	5	0	4	0	68
2018	31	1	0	6	6	0	5	0	49
2019	30	0	0	11	8	0	4	0	53
2020	36	0	0	12	3	0	5	0	56
2021	40	0	0	19	3	0	4	0	66
2022	69	2	0	34	9	0	11	0	125
2023	33	6	0	17	6	0	6	0	68
2024	26	0	0	10	1	0	6	1	44

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 North Star Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	123	3.7	33.2	0
1999	121	1.9	63.7	0
2000	105	3.7	28.4	0
2001	94	4.6	20.4	0
2002	92	4.2	21.9	0
2003	92	4.2	21.9	0
2004	97	4.2	23.1	0
2005	95	3.6	26.4	2.1
2006	112	5.1	22.0	0
2007	109	4.2	26.0	11.5
2008	67	5.1	13.1	4.5
2009	75	4.1	17.0	13.3
2010	99	4.1	24.1	33.3
2011	104	n/a	n/a	38.5
2012	95	3.6	26.3	n/a
2013	97	3.6	26.9	43.3
2014	78	3.6	21.6	41
2015	77	4.0	19.2	49.4
2016	68	3.0	22.6	52.9
2017	68	3.6	18.8	45.6
2018	49	4.1	11.9	55.1
2019	53	0.6	88.3	50.9
2020	56	n/a	n/a	35.7
2021	66	2.7	24.4	43.9
2022	125	6.6	18.9	46.4
2023	68	5.9	11.3	55.9
2024	44	2.9	14.8	40.9

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 North Star Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	123	3.7	33.2	0
1999	121	1.9	63.7	0
2000	105	3.7	28.4	0
2001	94	4.6	20.4	0
2002	92	4.2	21.9	0
2003	92	4.2	21.9	0
2004	97	4.2	23.1	0
2005	95	3.6	26.4	2.1
2006	112	5.1	22.0	0
2007	109	4.2	26.0	11.5
2008	67	5.1	13.1	4.5
2009	75	4.1	17.0	13.3
2010	99	4.1	24.1	33.3
2011	104	n/a	n/a	38.5
2012	95	3.6	26.3	n/a
2013	97	3.6	26.9	43.3
2014	78	3.6	21.6	41
2015	77	4.0	19.2	49.4
2016	68	3.0	22.6	52.9
2017	68	3.6	18.8	45.6
2018	49	4.1	11.9	55.1
2019	53	0.6	88.3	50.9
2020	56	n/a	n/a	35.7
2021	66	2.7	24.4	43.9
2022	125	6.6	18.9	46.4
2023	68	5.9	11.3	55.9
2024	44	2.9	14.8	40.9

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 North Star Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$4,828

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on North Star Academy

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 1759^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 1127^th of 2348 High schools	34.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (North Star Academy)	14.3	60	45.7%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Amador County Unified)	58.5	60.8	2.3%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Science (North Star Academy)	7.1	15.8	8.7%
11th Grade Science (Amador County Unified)	7.1	31.8	24.7%
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	53	68	28.3%
African American	0	6
American Indian	8	6	25%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	11	17	54.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	30	33	10%
Two or More Races	4	6	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	50.9%	55.9%	4.9%

Schools Near North Star Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				CAST Science (2024)						Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)								Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)								% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 10th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	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 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	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	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Total
North Star Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	525 Independence Dr.	Sutter Creek	95685	Amador County	Amador County Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 257-7773	44	3	14.8	40.9%	26 (59.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (22.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (13.6%)								(n/a)				16.7		15.4							43.8	38.1							6.3	9.5							$4,828
County Community	Public, Alternative	1-12	525 Independence Dr.	Sutter Creek	95685	Amador County	Amador County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 257-5100	9	2	4.7	44.4%	5 (55.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (22.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (22.2%)								(n/a)																													$21,134
Amador County Special Education	Public, Alternative	K-12	217 Rex Ave.	Jackson	95642	Amador County	Amador County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 257-5330	12	1	12.0	25.0%	9 (75.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																													$8,752
Calaveras Unified Alternative-Sierra Hills Education Center	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	501 Gold Strike Rd.	San Andreas	95249	Calaveras County	Calaveras Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(209) 754-2123	108	4	25.2	58.3%	63 (58.3%)	1 (0.9%)	31 (28.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (8.3%)								(n/a)						0.0							11.8	17.8							0.0	0.0
Mountain Oaks	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	150 Old Oak Rd.	San Andreas	95249	Calaveras County	Calaveras County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(888) 686-6257	398	8	50.2	56.8%	286 (71.9%)	3 (0.8%)	66 (16.6%)	2 (0.5%)	9 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (7.8%)								(n/a)	19.4	26.5	63.6		17.4	26.6	20.0	22.7	20.0	22.7	50.0	38.2	53.7	34.2	23.3	13.6	12.9	22.7	29.6	11.8	19.5	18.8	40.9	45.5	63.6	40.9	45.5	50.0	$9,326

Frequently Asked Questions about North Star Academy

How many students attend North Star Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 44 students attended North Star Academy.

What district is North Star Academy in?

Amador County Unified

What is the racial makeup of North Star Academy?

Students at North Star Academy are 59% White, 23% Hispanic, 14% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 2% Not Specified.

Is North Star Academy a good school?

North Star Academy ranks 1454^th of 2323 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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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.