Alta Vista Innovation High

Alta Vista Innovation High is a large public high school serving grades 9-12 with 2,812 students in Hesperia, CA, operating within the Alta Vista Innovation High District.

The school faces significant challenges, with academic proficiency rates far below state averages—only 8% in math and 23% in English compared to state averages of 37% and 49%, respectively—and an alarmingly low graduation rate of 19.3% paired with a high dropout rate of 19.8%. These outcomes are notably different from nearby comprehensive high schools like Sultana High and Hesperia High, which have graduation rates above 97%. A major contributing factor is a chronic absenteeism rate of 71.8%, meaning a large majority of students miss a substantial amount of school, which severely impacts learning.

While the school serves a high-need population, with about 87% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, comparisons show other local schools with similar demographics achieve better results. For instance, Excelsior Charter operates with similar per-student spending but has a much lower student-teacher ratio and higher graduation rate. A potential bright spot is that the school has shown relative strength in supporting its English Language Learner students. Parents should note the school's very high student-teacher ratio of nearly 33-to-1, which is higher than most area schools, and consider how the severe attendance issues might affect the learning environment.