Alta Vista Alternative High

215 E. Ortega St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

www.sbunified.org

117 Students

High School 9th - 12th

School Overview

Alta Vista Alternative High School, located in downtown Santa Barbara, is a specialized campus within the Santa Barbara Unified School District designed to provide a flexible and supportive educational environment. The school caters to students who may benefit from a non-traditional setting, offering personalized learning pathways that allow pupils to earn their high school diplomas at an individualized pace. By focusing on smaller class sizes and close relationships between students and faculty, the school aims to re-engage students who have struggled in traditional high school settings.

The school’s curriculum is structured to emphasize both academic mastery and personal growth, often integrating credit recovery options and vocational exploration to help students transition toward post-secondary success. As part of the broader district, Alta Vista plays a vital role in ensuring that all students—regardless of their unique challenges or circumstances—have access to a high school education that is tailored to their specific needs, preparing them for college, career, and community engagement.

117

Total Students

9.2

Full-Time Teachers

12.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

60.7%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Alta Vista Alternative High
Demographic	Student Count
White	26
Hispanic	80
Black	1
Asian	2
Two or More	8

Hispanic
80 (68.4 %)
White
26 (22.2 %)
Two or More
8 (6.8 %)
Asian
2 (1.7 %)
Black
1 (0.9 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	High School
School Type:	Alternative School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	Primarily virtual
Shared Time Status:	N/A
District:	Santa Barbara Unified
Phone:	(805)966-0883
Website:	http://www.sbunified.org
Grade Range:	9th - 12th
Total Students:	117
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	9.2
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	12.7
NSLP Participation:¹	N/A
Qualified Free Lunch:	62
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	9

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 8 1

Grade 9 4

Grade 10 21

Grade 11 29

Grade 12 62