Pajaro Valley Unified School District

294 Green Valley Rd.
Watsonville, CA 95076-1300
(District boundaries shown in map)
2/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Pajaro Valley Unified School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in California for:

Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 11 public middle schools serving 4,583 students in Pajaro Valley Unified School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in California.
Public Middle Schools in Pajaro Valley Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 15% (versus the California public middle school average of 32%), and reading proficiency score of 27% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 89% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the California public middle school average of 78% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
34 Schools
3,501 Schools
# Students
16,921 Students
1,854,363 Students
# Teachers
801 Teachers
87,821 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
21:1
21:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Pajaro Valley Unified School District, which is ranked #1567 of all 1,910 school districts in California (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 89% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#1561 out of 1932 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
17%
34%
27%
47%
17%
29%
89%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.28
0.64
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
11%
% Hispanic
84%
55%
% Black
n/a
5%
% White
13%
22%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
2%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $20,165 is higher than the state median of $19,974. The school district revenue/student has grown by 7% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $18,756 is higher than the state median of $18,396. The school district spending/student has grown by 7% over four school years.
This School District
This State (CA)
Total Revenue
$341 MM
$116,387 MM
Spending
$317 MM
$107,188 MM
Revenue / Student
$20,165
$19,974
Spending / Student
$18,756
$18,396

Best Pajaro Valley Unified School District Public Middle Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Linscott Charter
Charter School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
220 Elm St.
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 728-6301
Gr: K-8 | 259 students Student-teacher ratio: 26:1 Minority enrollment: 88%
Rank: #22.
Aptos Junior High School
(Math: 36% | Reading: 48%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
1001 Huntington Dr.
Aptos, CA 95003
(831) 688-3234
Gr: 7-8 | 588 students Student-teacher ratio: 23:1 Minority enrollment: 55%
Rank: #33.
Alianza Charter
Charter School
(Math: 26% | Reading: 34%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
115 Casserly Rd.
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 728-6333
Gr: K-8 | 648 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 98%
Rank: #44.
Pvusd Virtual Academy
Alternative School
(Math: 15-19% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
250 East Beach St.
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 786-2482
Gr: K-12 | 74 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 84%
Rank: #55.
Watsonville Charter School Of The Arts
Charter School
(Math: 20% | Reading: 33%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
115 Casserly Rd. West Campus
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 728-8123
Gr: K-8 | 408 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 75%
Rank: #66.
Pacific Coast Charter
Charter School
(Math: 15-19% | Reading: 30-39%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
294 Green Valley Rd.
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 786-2180
Gr: K-12 | 197 students Student-teacher ratio: 25:1 Minority enrollment: 86%
Rank: #77.
Pajaro Middle School
(Math: 8% | Reading: 24%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
250 Salinas Rd.
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 728-6238
Gr: 7-8 | 286 students Student-teacher ratio: 20:1
Rank: #88.
Lakeview Middle School
(Math: 10% | Reading: 19%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
2350 East Lake Ave.
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 728-6455
Gr: 6-8 | 410 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 99%
Rank: #99.
Cesar E. Chavez Middle School
(Math: 10% | Reading: 17%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
440 Arthur Rd.
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 761-7699
Gr: 6-8 | 547 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 97%
Rank: #1010.
Rolling Hills Middle School
(Math: 5% | Reading: 15%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
130 Herman Ave.
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 728-6341
Gr: 6-8 | 610 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 98%
Rank: #1111.
E. A. Hall Middle School
(Math: 4% | Reading: 15%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
201 Brewington Ave.
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 728-6270
Gr: 6-8 | 556 students Student-teacher ratio: 23:1 Minority enrollment: 98%

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Quick Facts (2025)

  • District size: 34 schools
  • Grades: KG-12
  • Enrollment: 16,921 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 21:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 87%
  • : 89% (Top 30% in CA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 17% (Btm 50%)
  • : 27% (Btm 50%)
  • : 17% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

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