Gold Country Today

In the 2023-24 school year, 12th grade was the largest grade in Summerville Union High School District, with 205 students making up 18.8% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a growth of 2.6% compared to the previous year.

The grade with the second highest number of students was 10th grade, with 198 students, or 18.1% of the student body.

The school that had the highest number of 12th grade students in Summerville Union High School District during the period was Summerville High School, while South Fork High School had the fewest.

Overall, Summerville Union High School District enrolled 1,091 students, ranking as the 396th lowest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It ranked 394th 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
Cold Springs High School	1
Connections Visual and Performing Arts Academy	139
Long Barn High School	10
Mountain High School	2
South Fork High School	2
Summerville High School	486