Sequoia Union Elementary

The Sequoia Union Elementary district in Lemon Cove operates two schools on the same campus: Sequoia Elementary Charter for grades K-7 with 345 students, and Sequoia Union Elementary serving only 8th grade with 43 students, both serving a population where about 48% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Comparing the two schools reveals distinct profiles. Sequoia Elementary Charter shows strong early grade performance but a significant slump in 7th grade, with proficiency rates dropping well below state averages, and its statewide ranking has fluctuated over recent years. In contrast, Sequoia Union Elementary (the middle school) excels in attendance with a very low chronic absenteeism rate of 4.7% and has an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 7-to-1, but its academic ranking has declined and 8th-grade math proficiency is below the state average.

Key takeaways for the area include a puzzling gap between excellent student attendance and middling academic performance, a dramatic drop in 7th-grade scores at the elementary school that warrants investigation, and a notable disparity in resources where the much smaller middle school spends over $23,000 per student compared to about $15,000 at the elementary school. The unusual structure of a single-grade 8th-grade school also creates a unique transition for students moving up from the K-7 program.