High Schools in Pittsburg Unified

The Pittsburg Unified school district operates two high schools for grades 9-12: the large comprehensive Pittsburg Senior High and the much smaller alternative Black Diamond High (Continuation), together serving over 3,600 students in a community with high economic need.

Pittsburg Senior High, serving the vast majority of students, shows a positive trajectory with a graduation rate that now exceeds the state average and a significant improvement in its statewide ranking. However, academic proficiency, especially in math and science, remains below state averages. The school also faces a challenge with chronic absenteeism, which is higher than the state average. In contrast, Black Diamond High (Continuation), which serves students needing an alternative setting, receives significantly more funding per student and has smaller classes but struggles profoundly with academic outcomes, graduation rates, and an extremely high rate of chronic absenteeism.

Key takeaways for the district include a critical need to improve mathematics instruction across both schools and to address chronic absenteeism, which is a major barrier to learning. While Pittsburg Senior High demonstrates that progress is possible, the district must evaluate how to most effectively support the vulnerable student population at Black Diamond High (Continuation), where high resources have not yet translated to improved student outcomes.