Best Public Schools in Zip Code 96113

In the rural area of Herlong, California (zip code 96113), the Fort Sage Unified district operates four public schools serving grades K-12, with a total of 269 students across one elementary, one middle, one high, and one K-12 charter school, all serving predominantly economically disadvantaged families.

Mt. Lassen Charter stands out as the highest-performing school in the area, achieving a perfect 100% graduation rate, a 0% dropout rate, and a remarkably low 2.1% chronic absenteeism, all significantly better than district and state averages. While academic proficiency rates across the district are below state averages, Mt. Lassen Charter posts the strongest scores, particularly in English and science. In contrast, Sierra Primary and Herlong High face a severe attendance challenge, with chronic absenteeism rates exceeding 50%, which is more than double the state average.

The district spends well above the state average per student, with the smallest school, Fort Sage Middle, having only 9 students and a very low student-teacher ratio. Interestingly, Mt. Lassen Charter achieves its excellent outcomes with the highest student-teacher ratio and the lowest per-student spending in the district, suggesting its alternative model is particularly effective for this community. Herlong High has shown improvement in its statewide ranking over recent years.