Wellington M. Smith Junior

Summary:

Wellington M. Smith Junior is a small alternative public school serving grades 4-12 in Salinas, California, with a predominantly Hispanic student population of just 29 students. The school's performance metrics, however, paint a concerning picture, with significantly lower graduation rates, higher dropout rates, and poor academic achievement compared to state and county averages.

Despite its small size, Wellington M. Smith Junior faces significant challenges. The school has seen fluctuating 4-year graduation rates ranging from 57.1% to 70.4%, well below the state average of 86.8%. Dropout rates have been high, ranging from 14.8% to 35%, much higher than the state average of 8.9%. Academically, the school has consistently scored 0% proficient or better in Smarter Balanced Assessments for both English Language Arts and Mathematics, underperforming the Monterey County Office of Education and California state averages. Additionally, the school has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 89.66% to 92.68%, indicating a high-poverty student population.

When compared to other nearby alternative schools, such as Monterey County Special Education and Monterey County Home Charter, Wellington M. Smith Junior stands out with its significantly lower test scores, higher dropout rates, and higher free/reduced lunch rates. However, it has a lower chronic absenteeism rate than the Monterey County Special Education school. These findings suggest that the school may be facing unique challenges in supporting its predominantly Hispanic, low-income student population and that further investigation and targeted interventions may be necessary to improve educational outcomes.

Detail:

Public, Alternative 4-12

1420 Natividad Rd.
Salinas, CA 93906

(831) 755-3979

District: Monterey County Office of Education

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,920

Student/teacher ratio: 8.5

Number of students: 34

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

97.1%

White:

2.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 91.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Wellington M. Smith Junior is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.44. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Wellington M. Smith Junior 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 Wellington M. Smith Junior has the smallest alternative school student body size in the Monterey County Office of Education School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (97.1%), White (2.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 91.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Monterey County Office of Education School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Wellington M. Smith Junior is 8.5. 1 alternative schools in the Monterey County Office of Education School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Wellington M. Smith Junior employs 3.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Wellington M. Smith Junior is $11,920. 1 alternative schools in the Monterey County Office of Education School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Wellington M. Smith Junior was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

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Rank History for Wellington M. Smith Junior

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Rank History for all students at Wellington M. Smith Junior

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	21.86	1195^th	1653	27.7%
2005	14.88	1585^th	1901	16.6%
2006	19.05	1472^nd	1968	25.2%
2007	12.21	1821^st	2063	11.7%
2008	10.19	1885^th	2117	11.0%
2009	28.04	1480^th	2238	33.9%
2010	6.71	2083^rd	2281	8.7%
2011	11.05	2010^th	2367	15.1%
2012	17.96	1698^th	2354	27.9%
2013	10.71	2053^rd	2426	15.4%
2015	9.35	1884^th	1994	5.5%
2016	7.27	2026^th	2039	0.6%
2017	9.01	1947^th	2021	3.7%
2018	9.70	1908^th	2017	5.4%
2019	7.94	2132^nd	2133	0.0%
2023	6.44	2294^th	2348	2.3%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Wellington M. Smith Junior

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	9.15	1844^th	1862	1.0%
2023	6.37	2199^th	2247	2.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Wellington M. Smith Junior

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	10.01	1699^th	1834	7.4%
2019	7.72	1880^th	1880	0.0%
2023	6.40	2163^rd	2207	2.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Wellington M. Smith Junior

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	8.58	1725^th	1742	1.0%
2023	6.03	2099^th	2142	2.0%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative 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 Wellington M. Smith Junior

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	61	10	7	58	1	n/a	n/a	0	137
1989	42	14	2	41	1	n/a	n/a	0	100
1990	36	12	0	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	83
1991	23	12	4	45	0	n/a	n/a	0	84
1992	20	12	2	42	0	n/a	n/a	0	76
1993	23	9	2	96	1	n/a	n/a	0	131
1994	15	4	6	81	2	n/a	n/a	0	108
1995	13	3	4	123	0	n/a	n/a	0	143
1996	13	3	4	123	0	n/a	n/a	0	143
1997	228	14	9	162	4	n/a	n/a	0	417
1998	197	36	25	261	1	n/a	n/a	0	520
1999	89	18	7	224	4	n/a	n/a	18	360
2000	177	34	11	255	0	n/a	n/a	20	497
2001	32	15	9	199	0	n/a	n/a	2	257
2002	28	10	1	127	0	n/a	n/a	0	166
2003	28	10	1	127	0	n/a	n/a	0	166
2004	14	8	0	71	0	n/a	n/a	0	93
2005	18	5	0	128	0	n/a	n/a	0	151
2006	21	10	1	102	0	n/a	n/a	0	134
2007	26	8	3	102	0	n/a	n/a	1	140
2008	5	1	1	42	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	49
2009	12	2	0	145	0	0	1	0	160
2010	8	11	0	126	0	0	17	0	162
2011	7	7	0	86	0	0	27	0	127
2012	3	3	0	46	0	1	21	0	74
2013	2	4	2	72	2	0	1	0	83
2014	3	2	0	90	0	0	2	0	97
2015	3	0	2	63	1	0	1	0	70
2016	2	4	2	68	0	0	5	0	81
2017	1	1	0	67	0	0	2	0	71
2018	3	3	0	49	0	0	1	0	56
2019	3	0	2	47	0	0	0	0	52
2020	1	3	0	43	0	0	0	0	47
2021	1	3	0	36	0	1	0	0	41
2022	1	3	0	34	0	0	0	0	38
2023	1	0	0	28	0	0	0	0	29
2024	1	0	0	33	0	0	0	0	34

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 Wellington M. Smith Junior

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	137	7.9	17.3	n/a
1989	100	6.2	16.1	n/a
1990	83	6.0	13.8	n/a
1991	84	8.0	10.5	n/a
1992	76	8.1	9.3	n/a
1993	131	10.0	13.1	0
1994	108	8.0	13.5	0
1995	143	9.0	15.9	0
1996	143	9.0	15.9	0
1997	417	8.0	52.1	0
1998	520	14.0	37.1	0
1999	360	30.9	11.7	0
2000	497	33.2	15.0	0
2001	257	20.2	12.7	0
2002	166	11.7	14.2	0
2003	166	11.7	14.2	0
2004	93	7.0	13.3	96.8
2005	151	10.0	15.1	98
2006	134	9.0	14.9	97.8
2007	140	9.8	14.3	98.6
2008	49	11.3	4.3	93.9
2009	160	12.0	11.1	98.1
2010	162	9.5	17.0	80.9
2011	127	n/a	n/a	83.5
2012	74	5.5	13.4	n/a
2013	83	7.0	11.8	74.7
2014	97	5.8	16.5	63.9
2015	70	8.0	8.7	70
2016	81	7.0	11.5	30.9
2017	71	9.1	7.8	95.8
2018	56	4.0	14.0	94.6
2019	52	7.0	7.3	94.2
2020	47	n/a	n/a	93.6
2021	41	6.0	6.8	92.7
2022	38	5.0	7.6	92.1
2023	29	3.9	7.3	89.7
2024	34	3.9	8.5	91.2

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 Wellington M. Smith Junior

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	137	7.9	17.3	n/a
1989	100	6.2	16.1	n/a
1990	83	6.0	13.8	n/a
1991	84	8.0	10.5	n/a
1992	76	8.1	9.3	n/a
1993	131	10.0	13.1	0
1994	108	8.0	13.5	0
1995	143	9.0	15.9	0
1996	143	9.0	15.9	0
1997	417	8.0	52.1	0
1998	520	14.0	37.1	0
1999	360	30.9	11.7	0
2000	497	33.2	15.0	0
2001	257	20.2	12.7	0
2002	166	11.7	14.2	0
2003	166	11.7	14.2	0
2004	93	7.0	13.3	96.8
2005	151	10.0	15.1	98
2006	134	9.0	14.9	97.8
2007	140	9.8	14.3	98.6
2008	49	11.3	4.3	93.9
2009	160	12.0	11.1	98.1
2010	162	9.5	17.0	80.9
2011	127	n/a	n/a	83.5
2012	74	5.5	13.4	n/a
2013	83	7.0	11.8	74.7
2014	97	5.8	16.5	63.9
2015	70	8.0	8.7	70
2016	81	7.0	11.5	30.9
2017	71	9.1	7.8	95.8
2018	56	4.0	14.0	94.6
2019	52	7.0	7.3	94.2
2020	47	n/a	n/a	93.6
2021	41	6.0	6.8	92.7
2022	38	5.0	7.6	92.1
2023	29	3.9	7.3	89.7
2024	34	3.9	8.5	91.2

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 Wellington M. Smith Junior

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$11,920

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Wellington M. Smith Junior

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 2132^nd of 2133 High schools	Ranks 2294^th of 2348 High schools	2.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Wellington M. Smith Junior)	0	0
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Monterey County Office of Education)	36.9	23.4	13.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Wellington M. Smith Junior)	0	0
11th Grade Mathematics (Monterey County Office of Education)	6.4	1.1	5.3%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	52	29	44.2%
African American	0	0
American Indian	0	0
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	47	28	40.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	3	1	66.7%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	94.2%	89.7%	4.6%

Schools Near Wellington M. Smith Junior

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 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	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Total
Wellington M. Smith Junior	Public, Alternative	4-12	1420 Natividad Rd.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Monterey County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 755-3979	34	4	8.5	91.2%	1 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (97.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																					$11,920
Monterey County Special Education	Public, Alternative	K-12	901 Blanco Cir.	Salinas	93912	Monterey County	Monterey County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 755-0300	281	40	7.0	75.1%	17 (6.0%)	3 (1.1%)	242 (86.1%)	9 (3.2%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.5%)								(n/a)									6.3					9.1							$55,412
Monterey County Home Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	901 Blanco Cir.	Salinas	93901	Monterey County	Monterey County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 755-0331	254	14	18.0	74.0%	50 (19.7%)	1 (0.4%)	195 (76.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.2%)	3 (1.2%)								(n/a)	9.5		10.0	11.8	23.1		26.1	37.2	29.8	0.0		4.4	7.0	5.2							$11,038
North Monterey County Center for Independent Study	Public, Alternative	K-12	17500 Pesante Rd.	Salinas	93907	Monterey County	North Monterey County Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 633-7050	131	5	25.8	77.1%	26 (19.8%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (75.6%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.3%)								(n/a)	25.0	15.6		18.0			18.8	34.4	25.4			18.8	18.8	14.5	75.0	85.0	85.0	85.0	80.0	85.0	$5,355
Big Sur Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	304 Foam St.	Monterey	93940	Monterey County	Big Sur Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 324-4573	89	4	21.4	27.0%	47 (52.8%)	1 (1.1%)	27 (30.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	12 (13.5%)								(n/a)									52.8					47.2
PVUSD Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	250 East Beach St.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(831) 786-2482	74	4	19.0	81.1%	12 (16.2%)	1 (1.4%)	59 (79.7%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)			17.7	16.0					50.0					28.6
San Benito County Juvenile Hall Court	Public, Alternative	K-12	708 Flynn Rd.	Hollister	95023	San Benito County	San Benito County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 636-4053	5	1	8.3		0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																					$18,283
Pacific Coast Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	294 Green Valley Rd.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 786-2180	197	8	24.5	55.8%	27 (13.7%)	0 (0.0%)	163 (82.7%)	3 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)								(n/a)		15.4	26.1	22.9		36.4		34.5	37.5		27.3		6.9	16.9

Frequently Asked Questions about Wellington M. Smith Junior

What district is Wellington M. Smith Junior in?

Monterey County Office of Education

What is the racial makeup of Wellington M. Smith Junior?

Students at Wellington M. Smith Junior are 97% Hispanic, 3% White.

How many students attend Wellington M. Smith Junior?

In the 2023-24 school year, 34 students attended Wellington M. Smith Junior.

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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.