Summary:
The Upper Lake Unified district consists of four public schools serving about 933 students from kindergarten through 12th grade in a high-need area, with all schools having very high rates of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.
Among the schools, Upper Lake High stands out as the strongest performer, achieving a graduation rate well above the state average and the highest English proficiency in the district, though academic scores district-wide are significantly below state averages. Upper Lake Elementary and Upper Lake Middle have shown declining state rankings in recent years, a trend seen across the district. The continuation school, Clover Valley High, serves a small population of at-risk students and has an extremely high rate of chronic absenteeism alongside the district's lowest per-student spending.
Key challenges for the district include high chronic absenteeism, especially at the continuation school, and low proficiency rates in core subjects. However, the high school's strong graduation rate is a notable strength. Parents should be aware of the significant academic support needs and the wide variation in student experience between the comprehensive high school and the continuation high school, which serves students requiring a different educational setting.
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