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Sentinel High

Public Grades 9-12

Summary

Sentinel High is a small public high school located in Waterford, California, serving just 21 students in grades 9-12. This school stands out from the surrounding high schools in the region due to its extremely small size, poor academic performance, high rates of chronic absenteeism and dropout, and socioeconomic challenges faced by its student population.

With only 21 students, Sentinel High is one of the smallest high schools in the area, in stark contrast to nearby schools like James C. Enochs High and John H. Pitman High, which have student populations ranging from around 100 to over 2,400. Sentinel High consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of California high schools based on the SchoolDigger statewide ranking, with test scores significantly lower than the Waterford Unified School District and state averages. The school also faces alarmingly high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 25% to over 74% in recent years, and a dropout rate fluctuating between 4.5% and 10.5%.

Sentinel High's student population is predominantly Hispanic (57-65%) and White (30-35%), with very few African American, Asian, or other minority students. Additionally, a large majority of the school's students (over 85%) come from low-socioeconomic status backgrounds, as indicated by the high percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients. These factors, combined with the school's small size and isolated location within the Waterford Unified School District, which is ranked 982 out of 1,560 districts in California, may be contributing to Sentinel High's persistent struggles and the need for targeted interventions to address the unique challenges faced by this small, high-poverty school.

Students ?

5.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$30,262

Per pupil spending ?

78.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

121 South Reinway Ave.
Waterford, CA 95386-9629

(209) 874-9017

District: Waterford Unified

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.0%

Hispanic:

42.9%

Two or more races:

7.1%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 45th percentile in 2012 → 4th in 2023

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 5 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (3% vs 39% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (71% vs 19% California)

!Ranking has slipped — down 41 percentile points since 2012

Students meeting standards (2022-2023) ?

This school3%

District avg30%

California avg39%

Not ranked this year

Sentinel High did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	10.2	2081 of 2170	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.6	1893 of 2123	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.6	1083 of 1290	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.7	1746 of 2133	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.0	1631 of 2017	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	28.0	1408 of 2021	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	13.5	1661 of 2039	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	13.0	1655 of 1994	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	57.7	590 of 2426	75.7%	★★★★☆
2012	30.6	1285 of 2354	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	48.0	845 of 2367	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	21.0	1582 of 2281	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	13.5	1951 of 2238	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	8.5	1814 of 1858	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	10.7	1946 of 2030	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.7	1716 of 1943	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.3	1617 of 1937	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.4	1430 of 1862	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	9.0	1924 of 1963	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.9	1773 of 1834	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)4th percentile~ school

Female (2022)2nd percentile-8 vs school

Male (2023)2nd percentile~ school

By subject vs California (2022-2023) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy8%-39 vs state

Mathematics0%-35 vs state

Science0%-30 vs state

★

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Schools Near Sentinel High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)		CSA Spanish Listening (2025)		CSA Spanish Writing (2025)		CSA Spanish Reading (2025)		CSA Spanish Speaking (2025)	CAST Science (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CSA Spanish Overall 9th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 9th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 9th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 9th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	CSA Spanish Speaking 9th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 10th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sentinel High	Public	9-12	121 South Reinway Ave.	Waterford	95386	Stanislaus County	Waterford Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 874-9017	14	3	5.4	78.6%	7 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (42.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.1%)								(n/a)																							$30,262	$1,758	$28,504
Waterford High	Public	9-12	121 South Reinway	Waterford	95386	Stanislaus County	Waterford Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 874-9060	582	30	19.1	85.9%	143 (24.6%)	8 (1.4%)	402 (69.1%)	14 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.1%)	47.2	1091^st of 2162 public high schools	49.5%		60.1	761^st of 2159 public high schools	64.8%	330												25.2		24.3			47.0	47.0			23.0	23.0	$5,875	$3,784	$2,091
Hughson High	Public	9-12	7419 East Whitmore Ave.	Hughson	95326	Stanislaus County	Hughson Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 883-0469	859	37	23.5	57.2%	421 (49.0%)	6 (0.7%)	398 (46.3%)	18 (2.1%)	7 (0.8%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	52.9	969^th of 2162 public high schools	55.2%		59.5	780^th of 2159 public high schools	63.9%	189												18.4		18.4			64.3	64.3			24.9	24.9	$18,691	$17,196	$1,495
Dickens (Billy Joe) High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	6937 Fox Rd.	Hughson	95326	Stanislaus County	Hughson Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 883-4182	33			72.7%	6 (18.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (81.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24.1	1612^th of 2162 public high schools	25.4%		16.5	1774^th of 2159 public high schools	17.8%	162												0.0		0.0			7.1	7.1			28.6	28.6	$35,970	$34,390	$1,580
Valley Community Day	Public	7-12	6937 Fox Rd.	Hughson	95326	Stanislaus County	Hughson Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 883-4182	4	1	3.8		1 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (75.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																							$35,970	$34,390	$1,580
Teel School in Empire	Public	5-12	5255 1st St.	Empire	95357	Stanislaus County	Stanislaus County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 238-6600	125	13	9.6	81.6%	30 (24.0%)	3 (2.4%)	86 (68.8%)	3 (2.4%)	1 (0.8%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8.2	2104^th of 2162 public high schools	2.7%		9.3	2107^th of 2159 public high schools	2.4%	3										0.0				5.3	0.0	0.0	8.0	3.9	9.1	0.0	0.0	2.0	$85,797	$75,536	$10,261
Peter Johansen High	Public	9-12	641 Norseman Dr.	Modesto	95357	Stanislaus County	Modesto City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-1760	2,029	91	22.3	81.9%	251 (12.4%)	53 (2.6%)	1,474 (72.6%)	69 (3.4%)	4 (0.2%)	14 (0.7%)	164 (8.1%)	35.8	1363^rd of 2162 public high schools	37.0%		45.7	1107^th of 2159 public high schools	48.7%	256											11.1	21.4	6.3	20.5			43.0	43.0			13.1	13.1	$24,410	$22,396	$2,014
Denair High	Public	9-12	3431 Lester Rd.	Denair	95316	Stanislaus County	Denair Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 632-9911	306	17	17.9	75.2%	115 (37.6%)	1 (0.3%)	177 (57.8%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)	21.5	1663^rd of 2162 public high schools	23.1%		26.7	1560^th of 2159 public high schools	27.7%	103	13.3	13.3	13.3	13.3	26.7	26.7	6.7	6.7	93.3			6.4		7.5			29.7	29.7			12.5	12.5	$22,809	$22,692	$117
John H. Pitman High	Public	9-12	2525 West Christoffersen Pkwy.	Turlock	95382	Stanislaus County	Turlock Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 656-1592	1,986	90	22.1	65.9%	549 (27.6%)	41 (2.1%)	1,117 (56.2%)	189 (9.5%)	9 (0.5%)	14 (0.7%)	66 (3.3%)	47.7	1078^th of 2162 public high schools	50.1%		61.5	729^th of 2159 public high schools	66.2%	349												17.0	35.3	22.2			49.7	49.7			21.7	21.7	$20,504	$19,890	$614
Whitmore Charter High	Public, Charter	9-12	3435 Don Pedro Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1617	96	5	19.4	54.2%	32 (33.3%)	1 (1.0%)	49 (51.0%)	6 (6.3%)	1 (1.0%)	2 (2.1%)	5 (5.2%)	52.3	987^th of 2162 public high schools	54.3%		59.6	777^th of 2159 public high schools	64.0%	210												30.8		33.3			53.9	53.9			19.2	19.2	$26,680	$26,670	$10

Frequently Asked Questions about Sentinel High

What is the racial makeup of Sentinel High?

Students at Sentinel High are 50% White, 43% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

What district is Sentinel High in?

Waterford Unified

How many students attend Sentinel High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 14 students attended Sentinel High.

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.