Total enrollment
8,780
-46 (-1%) vs SY 2017-18
14 schools in Atwater
California · Public K-12
Of all public K-12 schools in California, 14 sit inside Atwater city limits, with combined enrollment of roughly 8,780 students (8 elementary, 3 middle, and 3 high).
7-year change in Atwater
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
14
+1 (+8%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
13%
was 19%
% Hispanic
78%
was 71%
% Black
2%
was 2%
% Asian
5%
was 5%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
32,162
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Students
8,780
public K-12 · NCES
Schools
14
public K-12
| Name | Level | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aileen Colburn Elementary | Elementary | KG-06 | 371 |
| Atwater High | High | 09-12 | 2,029 |
| Atwater Senior Academy | Middle | 06-08 | 5 |
| Bellevue Elementary | Elementary | KG-06 | 599 |
| Bellevue Senior Elementary | Middle | 07-08 | 178 |
| Buhach Colony High | High | 09-12 | 1,704 |
| Elmer Wood Elementary | Elementary | KG-06 | 514 |
| Juniper Elementary | Elementary | KG-06 | 495 |
| Mitchell Elementary | Elementary | KG-06 | 528 |
| Mitchell Intermediate | Middle | 07-08 | 744 |
| Peggy Heller Elementary | Elementary | KG-08 | 712 |
| Shaffer Elementary | Elementary | KG-06 | 405 |
| Thomas Olaeta Elementary | Elementary | KG-06 | 374 |
| Valley Atwater Community | High | 06-12 | 122 |
About Atwater
Atwater is a middle-population California city in terms of public-school footprint, with 14 schools and 8,780 students total.
On the school-mix side, the city is built around 8 elementary, 3 middle, and 3 high.
Trend over the past 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment remained close to its prior level: 8,826 students in SY 2017-18 versus 8,780 in SY 2024-25. Atwater now counts 14 public schools, up from 13 in SY 2017-18. On the demographic side, Hispanic enrollment moved from 71% to 78% over the same window.
On this page, the community for Atwater discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.