CaliforniaSchoolsLos Altos High

Los Altos High

PublicRegular
Los Altos, California · Mountain View-Los Altos Union High
Teachers113.0FTE
Ratio18.7:1students per teacher
Students2,114enrolled
SCHOOL SNAPSHOT
Students2,114
Grade Span9–12
Student:Teacher18.7:1
Free/Reduced Lunch15%
Title INo
SectorPublic
Student : Teacher
18.2:1
2.7%vs prior yrUS avg 15.4:1
Teacher FTE
119
5.3%vs prior yr
Enrollment
2,170
2.6%vs prior yr
Years of Data
5
2020–2024
Counselors
1:316
2.0%vs prior yrASCA max 1:250
Nurses
NASN max 1:750
Psychologists
1:1,105
51.0%vs prior yrNASP max 1:500
Social Workers
SSWAA max 1:250
Trends & 5-year history below

Pupil : Teacher Ratio — 5-Year Trend

15.1:116.0:116.9:117.7:118.6:119.5:12020202120222023202419.2:118.9:118.3:118.7:118.2:1Los Altos HighUS public-school avg

Enrollment & Teacher FTE

2,1062,1282,1502,1732,1952,217113114115117118119202020212022202320242,2092,1362,1412,1142,170115113117113119EnrollmentTeacher FTE

Year-by-year workforce

Metric20202021202220232024Nat Avg
Enrollment2,2092,1362,1412,1142,170
Teacher FTE115113117113119
Pupil : Teacher ratio19.2:118.9:118.3:118.7:118.2:115.4:1

What These Numbers Mean

Teacher FTE

Full-Time Equivalent counts part-time teachers proportionally. One full-time teacher = 1.0 FTE; two half-time teachers also = 1.0 FTE. This is the standard federal reporting unit.

Pupil : Teacher ratio

NCES-reported ratio divides total enrollment by teacher FTE. It is NOT the same as average class size — schools with specialists, coaches, and resource teachers will show lower ratios than typical class sizes.

How to read the trend

A falling pupil:teacher ratio (line going down) means more staffing per student — generally a positive signal. A rising line can indicate budget pressure or fast enrollment growth outpacing hiring. Always compare to the US average (dashed grey).

Historical data spans 20202024 from NCES CCD.

Student Support & Wellbeing

Non-teaching staff who support student mental health, physical health, and behavioural needs. Lower pupil-to-staff ratios mean more one-on-one access.

Counselors & Social Workers — staff to pupils (recommended 1:250)

1:01:811:1621:2431:3241:4062015201720201:3761:3221:316Counselor : PupilsSocial Worker : PupilsRecommended 1:250

Nurses & Psychologists — staff to pupils

1:01:4871:9731:1,4601:1,9471:2,4332015201720201:1,0241:2,2531:1,105Nurse : PupilsNASN 1:750Psychologist : PupilsNASP 1:500

Support staffing & ratios — year by year

Metric201520172020Nat Avg
Counselors (FTE)677
Nurses (FTE)0
Psychologists (FTE)2.212
Social Workers (FTE)0
Counselor : Pupils1:3761:3221:3161:250
Nurse : Pupils1:750
Psychologist : Pupils1:1,0241:2,2531:1,1051:500
Social Worker : Pupils1:250

Why these ratios matter

Counselors (ASCA 250:1)

School counselors support academic planning, college & career readiness, and social-emotional wellbeing. The American School Counselor Association recommends no more than 250 students per counselor.

Nurses (NASN 750:1)

School nurses manage chronic conditions, medications, immunisations, and emergencies. The National Association of School Nurses recommends at least 1 full-time nurse per 750 students (more for high-need populations).

Psychologists (NASP 500:1)

School psychologists assess learning & behavioural needs, run mental-health interventions, and coordinate special-education services. NASP recommends 500:1 or lower.

Social workers (SSWAA 250:1)

School social workers bridge home-school relationships, address attendance & trauma, and connect families to community resources. SSWAA recommends 250:1.

Source: US Dept of Education CRDC (20152020) — Civil Rights Data Collection.