Summary:
The city of Herlong, California is home to 4 schools serving students from elementary through high school, including 1 alternative school. The schools in this small district face challenges common to many economically disadvantaged areas, with high rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch across all campuses.
Mt. Lassen Charter, the alternative school, stands out with a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 92.9% compared to the other schools. However, it also has a higher dropout rate of 7.1% and chronic absenteeism rate of 20.2%. In contrast, Herlong High has the highest performance on state assessments, with over 50% of 11th graders proficient or better in ELA and 36% in Science, earning it a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. Yet Herlong High also struggles with a low 58.8% graduation rate and an alarmingly high 35.3% dropout rate.
Across the Fort Sage Unified district, chronic absenteeism is a significant issue, ranging from 20.2% at Mt. Lassen Charter to 66.0% at Herlong High. The small size of the schools, with the largest being Mt. Lassen Charter at 147 students, may contribute to the performance challenges they face in providing a full range of academic and extracurricular programs. Addressing these systemic challenges will be crucial for improving student outcomes in the Herlong school community.
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