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Surprise Valley High

Public Grades 8-12

Summary

Surprise Valley High is a public high school located in Cedarville, California, serving grades 8-12 with a total enrollment of 46 students. Over the past decade, the school has seen fluctuating performance, ranking as high as 300 out of 2,367 California high schools in 2010-2011 and as low as 1,682 out of 2,309 in 2024-2025, with a current 2 out of 5 star rating from SchoolDigger.

Surprise Valley High has experienced declining graduation rates, from 87.0% in 2021-2022 to 86.4% in 2023-2024, and an increasing dropout rate, from 7.8% to 8.9% during the same period. The school's performance on standardized tests, such as the Smarter Balanced Assessments and CAST, is significantly lower than the state and Surprise Valley Joint Unified district averages. For example, in 2024-2025, only 27.27% of Surprise Valley High students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 41.3% for the district and 48.81% for the state of California. The nearby Modoc High also struggles with test scores, with proficiency rates below the state average in most subject areas.

Surprise Valley High has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 20.6% to 29.6% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average and the nearby Warner High and Modoc High, which have chronic absenteeism rates around 20.4% in 2023-2024. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 43.48% to 62.5% over the past few years, which may contribute to the academic challenges it faces.

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,817

Per pupil spending ?

63.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

470 Lincoln St.
Cedarville, CA 96104

(530) 279-6141

District: Surprise Valley Joint Unified

Feeder schools for Surprise Valley High:

Elementary:

Surprise Valley Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.3%

Hispanic:

23.7%

American Indian:

10.5%

See top rated California public schools

Compare Surprise Valley High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 89th percentile in 2006 → 42nd in 2023

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (23% vs 43% meeting standards)

!Dropout rate above the California average (17% vs 9%)

!Ranking has slipped — down 47 percentile points since 2006

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school23%

District avg37%

California avg43%

Not ranked this year

Surprise Valley 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	37.3	1553 of 2783	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.9	1148 of 2740	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	86.5	156 of 2063	92.4%	★★★★★

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	38.7	1254 of 2170	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	31.5	1315 of 1994	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	32.9	1238 of 2426	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	35.4	1168 of 2354	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.4	300 of 2367	87.3%	★★★★☆
2010	63.5	431 of 2281	81.1%	★★★★☆
2009	38.1	1085 of 2238	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	81.2	111 of 2117	94.8%	★★★★★
2007	64.3	363 of 2063	82.4%	★★★★☆
2006	74.1	215 of 1968	89.1%	★★★★☆
2005	63.9	350 of 1901	81.6%	★★★★☆
2004	74.7	122 of 1653	92.6%	★★★★★

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy27%-22 vs state

Mathematics18%-19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Surprise Valley High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	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
Surprise Valley High	Public	8-12	470 Lincoln St.	Cedarville	96104	Modoc County	Surprise Valley Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 279-6141	38	4	10.3	63.2%	21 (55.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (23.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (10.5%)								(n/a)				27.3		18.2	$25,817	$1,368	$24,449
Warner High	Public	9-12	802 North East St.	Alturas	96101	Modoc County	Modoc Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 233-7201	13	1	14.7	76.9%	6 (46.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (30.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (23.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)							$18,896	$6,961	$11,935
Modoc High	Public	9-12	900 North Main St.	Alturas	96101	Modoc County	Modoc Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 233-7201	245	15	16.2	63.7%	153 (62.4%)	5 (2.0%)	45 (18.4%)	2 (0.8%)	20 (8.2%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (6.1%)	42.2	1208^th of 2162 public high schools	44.1%		36.8	1318^th of 2159 public high schools	39.0%	110	24.6	24.6	41.4	41.4	20.7	20.7	$17,997	$1,406	$16,591
Modoc County Regional Occupational Program	Public	9-12	139 Henderson St.	Alturas	96101	Modoc County	Modoc County Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(530) 233-7102	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Surprise Valley High

What is the racial makeup of Surprise Valley High?

Students at Surprise Valley High are 55% White, 24% Hispanic, 11% American Indian, 11% Two or more races.

How many students attend Surprise Valley High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 38 students attended Surprise Valley High.

What schools feed into Surprise Valley High?

Surprise Valley High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Surprise Valley Elementary

What district is Surprise Valley High in?

Surprise Valley Joint Unified

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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.