Sentinel High

Summary:

Sentinel High is a small public high school located in Waterford, California, serving just 21 students in grades 9-12. This school stands out from the surrounding high schools in the region due to its extremely small size, poor academic performance, high rates of chronic absenteeism and dropout, and socioeconomic challenges faced by its student population.

With only 21 students, Sentinel High is one of the smallest high schools in the area, in stark contrast to nearby schools like James C. Enochs High and John H. Pitman High, which have student populations ranging from around 100 to over 2,400. Sentinel High consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of California high schools based on the SchoolDigger statewide ranking, with test scores significantly lower than the Waterford Unified School District and state averages. The school also faces alarmingly high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 25% to over 74% in recent years, and a dropout rate fluctuating between 4.5% and 10.5%.

Sentinel High's student population is predominantly Hispanic (57-65%) and White (30-35%), with very few African American, Asian, or other minority students. Additionally, a large majority of the school's students (over 85%) come from low-socioeconomic status backgrounds, as indicated by the high percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients. These factors, combined with the school's small size and isolated location within the Waterford Unified School District, which is ranked 982 out of 1,560 districts in California, may be contributing to Sentinel High's persistent struggles and the need for targeted interventions to address the unique challenges faced by this small, high-poverty school.

Detail:

Public 9-12

121 South Reinway Ave.
Waterford, CA 95386-9629

(209) 874-9017

District: Waterford Unified

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,511

Student/teacher ratio: 10.0

Number of students: 26

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

69.2%

White:

26.9%

Not Specified:

3.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 88.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Sentinel High is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.65. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Sentinel High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (69.2%), White (26.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 88.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sentinel High is 10. (See more...)

Compare Sentinel High employs 2.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sentinel High is $11,511.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Sentinel High was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

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Rank History for Sentinel High

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Rank History for all students at Sentinel High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2009	13.45	1951^st	2238	12.8%
2010	21.04	1582^nd	2281	30.6%
2011	48.00	845^th	2367	64.3%
2012	30.63	1285^th	2354	45.4%
2013	57.72	590^th	2426	75.7%
2015	12.97	1655^th	1994	17.0%
2016	13.54	1661^st	2039	18.5%
2017	27.96	1408^th	2021	30.3%
2018	13.95	1631^st	2017	19.1%
2019	15.67	1746^th	2133	18.1%
2021	14.56	1083^rd	1290	16.0%
2022	12.63	1893^rd	2123	10.8%
2023	7.65	2223^rd	2348	5.3%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sentinel High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	17.40	1430^th	1862	23.2%
2019	15.33	1617^th	1937	16.5%
2022	13.65	1716^th	1943	11.7%
2023	7.64	2131^st	2247	5.2%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sentinel High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	8.54	1814^th	1858	2.4%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sentinel High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	8.92	1773^rd	1834	3.3%
2023	6.55	2156^th	2207	2.3%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Sentinel High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2009	22	1	0	12	0	0	0	0	35
2010	18	1	0	19	0	0	0	0	38
2011	21	0	0	17	0	0	0	0	38
2012	17	0	0	6	0	0	2	0	25
2013	10	0	0	9	0	0	0	0	19
2014	14	0	0	17	0	1	0	0	32
2015	13	0	0	23	0	0	0	0	36
2016	16	0	0	27	1	0	1	0	45
2017	12	0	1	16	1	0	1	0	31
2018	12	1	0	26	0	0	1	0	40
2019	14	0	0	19	0	0	0	0	33
2020	7	0	0	10	0	0	0	0	17
2021	7	1	0	12	0	0	0	0	20
2022	13	1	0	28	1	0	0	0	43
2023	7	0	0	12	0	0	2	0	21
2024	7	0	0	18	0	0	0	1	26

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sentinel High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	35	1.0	35.0	57.1
2010	38	1.2	30.4	84.2
2011	38	n/a	n/a	71.1
2012	25	2.0	12.5	n/a
2013	19	1.8	10.5	78.9
2014	32	1.6	20.0	81.3
2015	36	2.0	18.0	80.6
2016	45	2.0	22.5	66.7
2017	31	1.8	17.2	77.4
2018	40	1.8	22.2	67.5
2019	33	2.0	16.5	87.9
2020	17	n/a	n/a	82.4
2021	20	1.6	12.5	75
2022	43	2.6	16.3	88.4
2023	21	2.7	7.6	85.7
2024	26	2.6	10.0	88.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Sentinel High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	35	1.0	35.0	57.1
2010	38	1.2	30.4	84.2
2011	38	n/a	n/a	71.1
2012	25	2.0	12.5	n/a
2013	19	1.8	10.5	78.9
2014	32	1.6	20.0	81.3
2015	36	2.0	18.0	80.6
2016	45	2.0	22.5	66.7
2017	31	1.8	17.2	77.4
2018	40	1.8	22.2	67.5
2019	33	2.0	16.5	87.9
2020	17	n/a	n/a	82.4
2021	20	1.6	12.5	75
2022	43	2.6	16.3	88.4
2023	21	2.7	7.6	85.7
2024	26	2.6	10.0	88.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sentinel High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$11,511

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sentinel High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1746^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 2223^rd of 2348 High schools	12.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sentinel High)	28.6	7.7	20.9%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Waterford Unified)	70	51.3	18.7%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Sentinel High)	0	0
11th Grade Mathematics (Waterford Unified)	28.9	22.2	6.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (Sentinel High)	0	6.3	6.3%
11th Grade Science (Waterford Unified)	32.2	26.5	5.6%
11th Grade Science (California)	30.4	30.8	0.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	33	21	36.4%
African American	0	0
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	19	12	36.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	14	7	50%
Two or More Races	0	2
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	87.9%	85.7%	2.2%

Schools Near Sentinel High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)					Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)			Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 10th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Sentinel High	Public	9-12	121 South Reinway Ave.	Waterford	95386	Stanislaus County	Waterford Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 874-9017	26	3	10.0	88.5%	7 (26.9%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (69.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$11,511
Waterford High	Public	9-12	121 South Reinway	Waterford	95386	Stanislaus County	Waterford Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 874-9060	589	30	19.3	80.8%	173 (29.4%)	10 (1.7%)	383 (65.0%)	9 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.7%)	55.9	724^th of 2323 public high schools	68.8%		48.8	895^th of 2348 public high schools	61.9%	171			32.8		32.1		54.0	54.0		22.4	22.4	$11,149
Hughson High	Public	9-12	7419 East Whitmore Ave.	Hughson	95326	Stanislaus County	Hughson Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 883-0469	835	34	24.4	51.9%	431 (51.6%)	4 (0.5%)	375 (44.9%)	10 (1.2%)	5 (0.6%)	6 (0.7%)	4 (0.5%)	54.9	755^th of 2323 public high schools	67.5%		49.2	883^rd of 2348 public high schools	62.4%	128			24.3		23.0		59.0	59.0		26.2	26.2	$8,036
Dickens (Billy Joe) High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	6937 Fox Rd.	Hughson	95326	Stanislaus County	Hughson Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 883-4182	32			68.8%	7 (21.9%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (78.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13.8	1853^rd of 2323 public high schools	20.2%		7.9	2209^th of 2348 public high schools	5.9%	356			6.3		6.3		18.8	18.8		6.3	6.3	$5,422
Valley Community Day	Public	7-12	6937 Fox Rd.	Hughson	95326	Stanislaus County	Hughson Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 883-4182	6	1	6.1		1 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$5,422
Teel School in Empire	Public	5-12	5255 1st St.	Empire	95357	Stanislaus County	Stanislaus County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 238-6600	161	11	14.4	80.1%	48 (29.8%)	7 (4.3%)	97 (60.2%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.5%)	6.9	2256^th of 2323 public high schools	2.9%		7.3	2246^th of 2348 public high schools	4.3%	10	0.0				7.4	0.0	5.6	2.2	0.0	0.0	0.0
Peter Johansen High	Public	9-12	641 Norseman Dr.	Modesto	95357	Stanislaus County	Modesto City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-1760	2,000	87	22.9	83.4%	265 (13.3%)	51 (2.6%)	1,459 (73.0%)	64 (3.2%)	6 (0.3%)	13 (0.7%)	142 (7.1%)	42.5	1061^st of 2323 public high schools	54.3%		27.6	1491^st of 2348 public high schools	36.5%	430		14.8	24.0	0.0	22.8		50.7	50.7		13.7	13.7
Denair High	Public	9-12	3431 Lester Rd.	Denair	95316	Stanislaus County	Denair Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 632-9911	277	17	16.6	69.0%	119 (43.0%)	1 (0.4%)	147 (53.1%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	24.3	1572^nd of 2323 public high schools	32.3%		29	1447^th of 2348 public high schools	38.4%	125			9.2		9.2		38.2	38.2		7.9	7.9	$8,946
John H. Pitman High	Public	9-12	2525 West Christoffersen Pkwy.	Turlock	95382	Stanislaus County	Turlock Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 656-1592	1,982	93	21.4	65.5%	554 (28.0%)	36 (1.8%)	1,106 (55.8%)	196 (9.9%)	14 (0.7%)	14 (0.7%)	61 (3.1%)	56.3	709^th of 2323 public high schools	69.5%		47.2	928^th of 2348 public high schools	60.5%	219			19.9	31.1	24.3		61.9	61.9		24.5	24.5	$10,898
Whitmore Charter High	Public, Charter	9-12	3435 Don Pedro Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1617	86	6	15.4	53.5%	27 (31.4%)	2 (2.3%)	43 (50.0%)	7 (8.1%)	2 (2.3%)	1 (1.2%)	4 (4.7%)	57.2	695^th of 2323 public high schools	70.1%		74	423^rd of 2348 public high schools	82.0%	272			20.0		25.9		72.0	72.0		23.1	23.1	$10,373

Frequently Asked Questions about Sentinel High

What is the racial makeup of Sentinel High?

Students at Sentinel High are 69% Hispanic, 27% White, 4% Not Specified.

What district is Sentinel High in?

Waterford Unified

How many students attend Sentinel High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 26 students attended Sentinel High.

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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.