Best High Schools in Zip Code 95603

In the 95603 zip code of Auburn, California, there are three public high schools serving grades 9-12: the traditional Placer High, the online Maidu Virtual Charter Academy, and the alternative Confluence Continuation High, with Placer High enrolling the vast majority of the area's students.

Placer High stands out as the academic leader, ranking well above average statewide with a 93% graduation rate and particularly strong English scores. In contrast, Confluence Continuation High serves a vulnerable population of students at risk of not graduating and faces significant challenges, including very low test scores and an extremely high rate of chronic student absenteeism, though it still achieves an 86% graduation rate. Maidu Virtual Charter Academy offers a small, specialized online model but lacks publicly reported data on test scores and graduation rates for comparison.

Key takeaways for parents include a notable performance gap between the traditional and alternative schools within the Placer Union High district, and that even the high-performing Placer High has room for improvement in mathematics, where its scores are below the state average. The analysis also highlights a major disparity in per-student spending between the well-funded Placer High and the higher-needs Confluence Continuation High.