Central Union High School District had largest number of their students enrolled in ninth grade in 2023-24 school year

In the 2023-24 school year, ninth grade was the largest grade in Central Union High School District, with 1,029 students making up 25.6% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a decline of 4% compared to the previous year.

The grade with the second highest number of students was 12th grade, with 1,010 students, or 25.1% of the student body.

The school that had the highest number of ninth grade students in Central Union High School District during the period was Central Union High School, while Central Union Virtual Academy had the fewest.

Overall, Central Union High School District enrolled 4,023 students, ranking as the 326th highest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It ranked 325th highest in the previous school year.

California’s public schools face a growing financial crisis driven by declining enrollment and an increase in chronic absenteeism, both impacting the state’s school funding model.

Enrollment, which peaked at 6.3 million students in the early 2000s, has steadily declined to under 6 million today, with projections indicating it could fall below 5.2 million by 2032. This trend is attributed to lower birth rates, slowed immigration, and families relocating out of state due to high housing costs. Rural and coastal districts have been particularly affected, facing tough decisions such as school closures and staffing reductions.

At the same time, chronic absenteeism has surged from 12% pre-pandemic to 25%, disproportionately impacting younger students and jeopardizing their long-term success.