Round Valley High

Round Valley High is a public high school in Covelo, California, serving 102 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Round Valley Unified School District, which is ranked 1510 out of 1543 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Round Valley High consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of California high schools, with academic performance significantly below the state average across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2024-2025, only 21.05% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to the state average of 56.96%. The school's performance is also below the district average, indicating systemic challenges within the Round Valley Unified School District. The school has experienced fluctuating graduation and dropout rates, ranging from 56% to 86.4% and 8.2% to 44%, respectively, in recent years. In comparison, the nearby Laytonville High School, which is in a different district, had a more consistent four-year graduation rate of 86.4% and a dropout rate of 8.9% in the most recent year.

Round Valley High serves a high-need population, with 70.59% to 98.21% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in recent years, significantly higher than the 66.67% at Laytonville High School. Despite the relatively high per-student spending at Round Valley High, ranging from $22,106 to $48,545 in recent years, the academic outcomes do not reflect the level of investment. This raises questions about the effectiveness of resource allocation and the need for a more targeted and strategic approach to improving educational outcomes for the students of Round Valley High.