There were 898 students enrolled in Modoc County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 3.2% less than the previous year, according to the California Department of Education.
Of all the students welcomed at the time, 50.6% identified as female, 49% as male, and 0.4% identified themselves as non-binary or did not specify their gender.
Data also showed that white students made up 63.3% of the student body, the largest percentage in the county, followed by Hispanic or Latino students at 19.9% (179 students), American Indian or Alaska Native students at 7.5% (67 students) and multiracial students at 5.6% (50 students).
Alturas Elementary School had the highest enrollment among Modoc County’s 59 schools in the 2023-24 academic year, welcoming 357 students.
After peaking at 6.3 million in the early 2000s, public school enrollment in California has marked its seventh consecutive decline in the 2023-24 school year, with projections indicating it could fall to approximately 5.2 million by the 2033-34 school year. 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.
Although chronic absenteeism in California decreased in 2023, it remains double the pre-pandemic rate. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, chronic absenteeism in the state public schools reached 25% in 2023, up from 12% in 2019.
| School name | Total Enrollment in 2022-23 | Total Enrollment in 2023-24 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alturas Elementary School | 389 | 357 | -8.2% |
| Modoc High School | 227 | 237 | 4.4% |
| Modoc Middle School | 192 | 202 | 5.2% |
| Surprise Valley High School | 44 | 46 | 4.5% |
| Surprise Valley Elementary School | 52 | 42 | -19.2% |
| Warner High School | 18 | 10 | -44.4% |
| High Desert Community Day | 3 | 4 | 33.3% |
