High Schools in Whittier Union High

The Whittier Union High district consists of seven high schools serving grades 9-12 in a diverse area with significant economic need, where most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Among these schools, La Serna High stands out as the top performer with the highest state ranking, a 97% graduation rate, and the strongest test scores, particularly in science. It is followed by other strong options like California High and Santa Fe High, which also have above-average state rankings. In contrast, the alternative schools, Frontier High (Continuation) and Sierra Vista High (Alternative), face much greater challenges with very high chronic absenteeism and lower graduation rates, serving a small portion of the district's most at-risk students.

For parents, key takeaways are that the district excels in graduation rates and English performance, but mathematics is a relative weakness. Interestingly, higher spending per student does not guarantee better results, as seen when comparing Pioneer High to La Serna. Chronic absenteeism is strongly linked to academic performance, with schools like Whittier High showing how lower attendance correlates with lower scores. The district shows a positive trend, with several schools consistently improving their state rankings over the past three years.