Summary:
The Dos Palos Oro Loma Joint Unified district operates two high schools, Dos Palos High and Westside High, serving grades 9-12 in a predominantly rural, economically disadvantaged area of California.
Dos Palos High is the larger and higher-performing school in the district, achieving an exceptional 98.7% graduation rate that far exceeds the state average, though its academic proficiency scores in subjects like math and English are below state benchmarks. In stark contrast, Westside High faces severe challenges, ranking in the bottom 1% of state high schools with alarmingly low proficiency rates and a very high dropout rate of 14.3%.
The most critical difference between the two schools is chronic absenteeism, which is 27.5% at Dos Palos High but a staggering 88.9% at Westside High, directly impacting academic results. Both schools serve a similar high-need population and receive comparable funding, making the dramatic outcome gap a key area for district focus. Parents should note that while the district faces overall challenges, Dos Palos High demonstrates strong success in supporting students to graduate.
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