Is Pajaro Valley High a good school?

Pajaro Valley High ranks 1350 th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Pajaro Valley High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,489 students attended Pajaro Valley High.

What is the racial makeup of Pajaro Valley High?

Students at Pajaro Valley High are 97% Hispanic, 1% White.

What schools feed into Pajaro Valley High?

Pajaro Valley High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Amesti Elementary Elementary : Freedom Elementary Elementary : H. A. Hyde Elementary Elementary : Starlight Elementary Middle : Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Pajaro Valley High

Summary:

Pajaro Valley High is a public high school located in Watsonville, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,489 students. The school is part of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, which is ranked 1237 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pajaro Valley High consistently ranks in the bottom half of California high schools, with significantly below-average performance on standardized tests. In 2023-2024, only 36.74% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to the state average of 55.73%, and just 14.97% were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the state average of 27.9%. The school's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 84.0% to 87.1% over the past five years, which is below the state average, and its dropout rate has fluctuated between 6.8% and 11.5% during the same period, which is higher than the state average.

Comparing Pajaro Valley High to nearby schools, Aptos High and Soquel High consistently outperform it on academic measures, while New School Community Day and Renaissance High Continuation, both alternative schools within the Pajaro Valley Unified district, have even lower academic performance and higher dropout rates than Pajaro Valley High.

Detail:

Public 9-12

500 Harkins Slough Rd.
Watsonville, CA 95076-9453

(831) 728-8102

District: Pajaro Valley Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1350^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Feeder schools for Pajaro Valley High:

Elementary:	Amesti Elementary
	Freedom Elementary
	H. A. Hyde Elementary
	Starlight Elementary
Middle:	Cesar E. Chavez Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 22.8

Number of students: 1,489

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

97.1%

White:

1.4%

Asian:

0.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 92.9%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Pajaro Valley High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pajaro Valley High ranks worse than 58.1% of high schools in California. It also ranks 3^rd among 6 ranked high schools in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 32.62. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Pajaro Valley High freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

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

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (97.1%), White (1.4%), Asian (0.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 92.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pajaro Valley High is 22.8, which is the highest among 6 high schools in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Pajaro Valley High employs 65.2 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pajaro Valley High:

SchoolDigger ranks Pajaro Valley High 1350^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Pajaro Valley High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Migrant students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Pajaro Valley Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Pajaro Valley Unified 1237^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Pajaro Valley High?

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Rank History for Pajaro Valley High

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Rank History for all students at Pajaro Valley High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2006	58.27	502^nd	1968	74.5%
2007	22.40	1404^th	2063	31.9%
2008	20.95	1504^th	2117	29.0%
2009	22.99	1712^th	2238	23.5%
2010	23.50	1479^th	2281	35.2%
2011	27.68	1383^rd	2367	41.6%
2012	29.40	1312^th	2354	44.3%
2013	26.52	1425^th	2426	41.3%
2015	51.87	943^rd	1994	52.7%
2016	50.01	1018^th	2039	50.1%
2017	38.46	1266^th	2021	37.4%
2018	41.89	1180^th	2017	41.5%
2019	37.88	1267^th	2133	40.6%
2022	37.60	1246^th	2123	41.3%
2023	26.90	1507^th	2348	35.8%
2024	32.62	1350^th	2323	41.9%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Pajaro Valley High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	40.22	445^th	938	52.6%
2019	42.15	413^th	941	56.1%
2022	48.36	349^th	1044	66.6%
2023	25.73	1003^rd	1323	24.2%
2024	31.13	787^th	1350	41.7%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Pajaro Valley High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	26.08	1134^th	1547	26.7%
2024	25.16	1165^th	1534	24.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pajaro Valley High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	48.78	994^th	1862	46.6%
2019	44.92	1054^th	1937	45.6%
2022	48.59	883^rd	1943	54.6%
2023	32.71	1339^th	2247	40.4%
2024	40.12	1140^th	2235	49.0%

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

Rank History for Migrant students at Pajaro Valley High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	53.35	39^th	89	56.2%
2024	85.11	10^th	100	90.0%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Pajaro Valley High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	54.02	121^st	290	58.3%
2023	41.16	224^th	417	46.3%
2024	38.45	286^th	451	36.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Pajaro Valley High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	44.14	1019^th	1760	42.1%
2019	34.74	1175^th	1833	35.9%
2022	36.25	1147^th	1858	38.3%
2023	26.15	1429^th	2118	32.5%
2024	26.66	1438^th	2098	31.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Pajaro Valley High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	40.35	525^th	1052	50.1%
2019	22.06	976^th	1117	12.6%
2022	33.99	710^th	1161	38.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Pajaro Valley High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	35.31	1175^th	1834	35.9%
2019	34.03	1199^th	1880	36.2%
2022	34.94	1170^th	1916	38.9%
2023	25.68	1453^rd	2207	34.2%
2024	35.46	1178^th	2172	45.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pajaro Valley High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	46.63	979^th	1742	43.8%
2019	43.40	1028^th	1814	43.3%
2022	47.06	896^th	1861	51.9%
2023	32.21	1325^th	2142	38.1%
2024	39.68	1123^rd	2125	47.2%

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 Pajaro Valley High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2005	32	2	24	498	1	n/a	n/a	0	557
2006	61	8	39	979	5	n/a	n/a	2	1094
2007	73	11	48	1382	4	n/a	n/a	3	1521
2008	65	9	50	1511	2	n/a	n/a	0	1637
2009	56	10	33	1476	0	0	1	0	1576
2010	40	10	35	1373	2	0	0	0	1460
2011	37	7	30	1358	4	0	2	0	1438
2012	35	6	29	1406	1	0	2	0	1479
2013	28	5	28	1389	0	0	2	0	1452
2014	38	3	23	1421	0	0	1	0	1486
2015	37	2	18	1395	0	0	1	0	1453
2016	30	3	22	1396	1	0	3	0	1455
2017	19	2	33	1347	2	0	3	0	1406
2018	30	4	35	1332	1	0	4	0	1406
2019	34	1	31	1363	3	1	3	0	1436
2020	25	4	24	1391	2	0	3	2	1451
2021	29	6	17	1499	2	0	0	0	1553
2022	21	2	17	1521	1	0	0	0	1562
2023	21	4	13	1446	0	0	3	2	1489

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 Pajaro Valley High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	557	27.0	20.6	66.4
2006	1094	36.7	29.8	67.2
2007	1521	61.6	24.7	61.7
2008	1637	79.5	20.6	70.7
2009	1576	52.0	25.0	76.9
2010	1460	61.0	23.9	82.5
2011	1438	n/a	n/a	78.2
2012	1479	55.8	26.5	n/a
2013	1452	51.5	28.1	85.7
2014	1486	56.7	26.1	86.3
2015	1453	47.0	30.9	85.8
2016	1455	54.0	26.9	87.5
2017	1406	49.5	28.3	86.2
2018	1406	71.2	19.7	86.2
2019	1436	50.1	28.6	91.3
2020	1451	n/a	n/a	88.1
2021	1553	62.9	24.6	89.6
2022	1562	66.1	23.6	89
2023	1489	65.2	22.8	92.9

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 Pajaro Valley High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	557	27.0	20.6	66.4
2006	1094	36.7	29.8	67.2
2007	1521	61.6	24.7	61.7
2008	1637	79.5	20.6	70.7
2009	1576	52.0	25.0	76.9
2010	1460	61.0	23.9	82.5
2011	1438	n/a	n/a	78.2
2012	1479	55.8	26.5	n/a
2013	1452	51.5	28.1	85.7
2014	1486	56.7	26.1	86.3
2015	1453	47.0	30.9	85.8
2016	1455	54.0	26.9	87.5
2017	1406	49.5	28.3	86.2
2018	1406	71.2	19.7	86.2
2019	1436	50.1	28.6	91.3
2020	1451	n/a	n/a	88.1
2021	1553	62.9	24.6	89.6
2022	1562	66.1	23.6	89
2023	1489	65.2	22.8	92.9

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.

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pajaro Valley 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 1267^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 1507^th of 2348 High schools	4.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Pajaro Valley High)	37.8	33.3	4.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Pajaro Valley Unified)	45.9	38.4	7.4%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Pajaro Valley High)	13.4	7.9	5.6%
11th Grade Mathematics (Pajaro Valley Unified)	20.5	14.3	6.2%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
12th Grade Science (Pajaro Valley High)	17.9	15.6	2.3%
12th Grade Science (Pajaro Valley Unified)	19	18.8	0.2%
12th Grade Science (California)	25.6	26.9	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1436	1489	3.7%
African American	1	4	300%
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	31	13	58.1%
Hispanic	1363	1446	6.1%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	34	21	38.2%
Two or More Races	3	3
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	91.3%	92.9%	1.7%

Schools Near Pajaro Valley 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 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 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	Total
Pajaro Valley High	Public	9-12	500 Harkins Slough Rd.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-8102	1,489	65	22.8	92.9%	21 (1.4%)	4 (0.3%)	1,446 (97.1%)	13 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.2%)	32.6	1350^th of 2323 public high schools	41.9%		26.9	1507^th of 2348 public high schools	35.8%	157			15.6	15.6				36.7	36.7				15.0	15.0
New School Community Day	Public	9-12	165 Harkins Slough Rd.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 761-6140	37	4	9.2	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6.3	2281^st of 2323 public high schools	1.8%		9	2131^st of 2348 public high schools	9.2%	150		0.0		0.0				0.0	0.0				0.0	0.0
Diamond Technology Institute	Public, Charter	9-12	112 Diamond Dr.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6225	83	5	16.2	75.9%	7 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (86.7%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.4%)	75.1	398^th of 2323 public high schools	82.9%		85	238^th of 2348 public high schools	89.9%	160		47.6	53.9	50.0				66.7	66.7				23.8	23.8
Ceiba College Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	260 West Riverside Dr.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Ceiba College Preparatory Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 786-2100	511	31	16.6	76.7%	9 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	497 (97.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39.8	1138^th of 2323 public high schools	51.0%		38.2	1198^th of 2348 public high schools	49.0%	60	4.9		1.8	3.6	29.9	38.6	35.4	69.5	41.1	28.7	47.7	17.1	20.7	29.5
Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter	Public, Charter	12	229 Green Valley Rd.	Freedom	95076	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 466-5697	163	7	23.2	13.5%	27 (16.6%)	2 (1.2%)	130 (79.8%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)								(n/a)
Watsonville High	Public	9-12	250 East Beach St.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6390	2,244	103	21.8	91.6%	58 (2.6%)	6 (0.3%)	2,146 (95.6%)	25 (1.1%)	5 (0.2%)	1 (0.0%)	1 (0.0%)	26.3	1523^rd of 2323 public high schools	34.4%		26.5	1522^nd of 2348 public high schools	35.2%	1			12.9	12.9				34.0	34.0				8.9	8.9
Renaissance High Continuation	Public	9-12	11 Spring Valley Rd.	La Selva Beach	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6344	143	16	9.2	93.0%	5 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	138 (96.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8.8	2111^th of 2323 public high schools	9.1%		10.7	2014^th of 2348 public high schools	14.2%	97		1.6	4.3	2.7				5.4	5.4				0.0	0.0
Aptos High	Public	9-12	100 Mariner Way	Aptos	95003	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-7832	1,360	65	20.8	49.3%	622 (45.7%)	11 (0.8%)	633 (46.5%)	40 (2.9%)	5 (0.4%)	4 (0.3%)	43 (3.2%)	64.2	559^th of 2323 public high schools	75.9%		67.7	513^th of 2348 public high schools	78.2%	46			30.4	30.4				51.8	51.8				35.7	35.7
Delta Charter	Public, Charter	9-12	6500 Soquel Dr. Bldg. 1190	Aptos	95003	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 477-5212	116	9	13.2	34.5%	70 (60.3%)	1 (0.9%)	40 (34.5%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	24.3	1571^st of 2323 public high schools	32.4%		22.9	1624^th of 2348 public high schools	30.8%	53			14.6	14.6				27.0	27.0				7.9	7.9
North Monterey County High	Public	9-12	13990 Castroville Blvd.	Castroville	95012	Monterey County	North Monterey County Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 633-5221	1,286	63	20.5	77.4%	91 (7.1%)	4 (0.3%)	1,165 (90.6%)	15 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	8 (0.6%)	40.5	1117^th of 2323 public high schools	51.9%		36	1250^th of 2348 public high schools	46.8%	133		23.0		22.7				51.8	51.8				8.5	8.5	$10,527

Pajaro Valley High

Pajaro Valley High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Pajaro Valley Unified:

What do you think?

Rank History for Pajaro Valley High

Rank History for all students at Pajaro Valley High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Pajaro Valley High

Rank History for Special Education students at Pajaro Valley High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pajaro Valley High

Rank History for Migrant students at Pajaro Valley High

Rank History for Homeless students at Pajaro Valley High

Rank History for Female students at Pajaro Valley High

Rank History for Disabled students at Pajaro Valley High

Rank History for Male students at Pajaro Valley High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pajaro Valley High

Enrollment information for Pajaro Valley High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pajaro Valley High

Student/Teacher Ratio Pajaro Valley High

Impact of COVID-19 on Pajaro Valley High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Pajaro Valley High

Frequently Asked Questions about Pajaro Valley High

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