Best Public Schools in Zip Code 95485

The Upper Lake Unified School District in zip code 95485 serves the Upper Lake, CA area with four public schools: an elementary, middle, high, and a continuation high school, all part of the Upper Lake Unified district and educating a student population with high economic need.

Among these schools, Upper Lake High stands out for its very strong 94.6% graduation rate, which is above the state average, and it has the best academic performance in the district, though proficiency in subjects like math and English remains low overall. In contrast, Upper Lake Elementary and Upper Lake Middle show significant academic challenges, with proficiency rates far below state averages and recent declines in their statewide rankings. Clover Valley High (Continuation), a small alternative program, faces an extreme challenge with chronic absenteeism affecting nearly all of its students.

Key takeaways for parents are that the district excels at supporting students through to graduation at the high school level, but academic achievement is a district-wide concern, with test scores in core subjects lagging significantly behind state averages. Attendance is also an issue, particularly at the continuation school. While per-student funding at the main schools is relatively high, this has not yet translated into stronger academic outcomes, indicating the challenges are complex and systemic across all grade levels.