Fortuna Union High

The Fortuna Union High school district in California consists of three high schools serving grades 9-12, educating a total of about 1,046 students with a wide range of performance and challenges.

Among these schools, Academy of the Redwoods stands out as a top performer, consistently ranking in the top 4% of California high schools with exceptionally high test scores in English, math, and science, a high graduation rate, and very low chronic absenteeism. In contrast, East High (Continuation) faces significant difficulties, including very low test proficiency, an extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 79%, and a lower graduation rate, placing it in the bottom 11% of state schools. The comprehensive Fortuna Union High school shows average performance with a strong graduation rate but notably low math proficiency.

A key finding is the inverse relationship between school spending and results; Academy of the Redwoods achieves its outstanding outcomes with the lowest per-student spending in the district, while East High has the highest spending but the most severe challenges. The data shows a clear connection between attendance and achievement, and highlights that the district's overall average ranking masks the extreme variation between its highest and lowest performing schools.