Van Duzen Elementary

Located at 680 Van Duzen Rd., in Mad River, California, Van Duzen Elementary is a minimally staffed K-5 school that works with 54 students (grades K through 8), part of Southern Trinity Joint Unified. By comparison, California's public schools average about 465 students each, so Van Duzen Elementary sits 88% leaner than that benchmark.

Van Duzen Elementary is one of 3 schools operated by Southern Trinity Joint Unified, a district that teaches 71 students overall.

On demographics, Van Duzen Elementary reports that White students make up the majority at 65%. Beyond that, the school records 13% multiracial, 9% Native American, 7% Asian, 6% Hispanic. That is meaningfully less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 78%.

On the income-and-resources front, Van Duzen Elementary reports 5 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 10.6:1. The state averages around 22.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 61% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Van Duzen Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 43.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 43.7%.

In the area at large, census data for Trinity County shows median household income runs about $53,002, 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 13%. Across Trinity County's 19 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,461 students), Van Duzen Elementary is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Southern Trinity High, roughly 0.0 miles away.

The school occupies a low-density site.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Van Duzen Elementary has declined 5%, going from 57 students in 2018 to 54 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 74% to 65% across the same window.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.