Wine Country Times

In the 2023-24 school year, 10th grade was the largest grade in Upper Lake Unified School District, with 89 students making up 9.3% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a decline of 1.1% compared to the previous year.

The grade with the second highest number of students was ninth grade, with 87 students, or 9.1% of the student body.

The school that had the highest number of 10th grade students in Upper Lake Unified School District during the period was Upper Lake High School.

Overall, Upper Lake Unified School District enrolled 954 students, ranking as the 379th lowest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It ranked 375th lowest in the previous school year.

California's public schools face a growing financial crisis driven by declining enrollment and an increase in chronic absenteeism, both impacting the state's school funding model.

Enrollment, which peaked at 6.3 million students in the early 2000s, has steadily declined to under 6 million today, with projections indicating it could fall below 5.2 million by 2032. This trend is attributed to lower birth rates, slowed immigration, and families relocating out of state due to high housing costs. Rural and coastal districts have been particularly affected, facing tough decisions such as school closures and staffing reductions.

At the same time, chronic absenteeism has surged from 12% pre-pandemic to 25%, disproportionately impacting younger students and jeopardizing their long-term success.

School	Total Enrollment
Clover Valley High (Continuation)	14
Upper Lake Elementary School	426
Upper Lake High School	331
Upper Lake Middle School	183