West Valley Early College High

Set in Cottonwood, California, West Valley Early College High is a mid-tier 9-12 campus, operated by Anderson Union High. It works with 736 students across grades 9 through 12.

Within Anderson Union High, which oversees 6 schools and 1,580 students, West Valley Early College High is one campus in the system.

In terms of who attends, West Valley Early College High shows that the largest single group is White, at 68% of enrollment. Beyond that, the school reports 20% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, 4% Native American. The wider county runs roughly 78% White, putting the school's mix considerably less White than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 33 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 22.1:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 18.2:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 47% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Shasta County runs at roughly 58%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat below the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, On a poverty-adjusted basis, West Valley Early College High sits in the bottom 10% statewide. Predicted proficiency from the FRL regression is roughly 51.4%; actual is 33.8%, a gap of -17.6 points.

In the surrounding community, census data for Shasta County shows the typical household earns roughly $72,636 per year, roughly 24% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Shasta County's 95 public schools (combined enrollment of about 26,639 students), West Valley Early College High is one campus in the mix.

Happy Valley Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 3.5 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 7 other public schools. On composite proficiency, West Valley Early College High comes 4th of 6 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 38.2%.

The campus sits in a rural setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 17%: 889 students in 2018 compared to 736 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share shrank from 76% to 68%.

In the discussion threads here, members of the West Valley Early College High community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.