Monterey Times

In the 2023-24 school year, 11th grade was the largest grade in Soledad Unified School District, with 423 students making up 9% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a growth of 0.6% compared to the previous year.

The grade with the second highest number of students was 12th grade, with 413 students, or 8.8% of the student body.

The school that had the highest number of 11th grade students in Soledad Unified School District during the period was Soledad High School, while Pinnacles High School had the fewest.

Overall, Soledad Unified School District enrolled 4,698 students, ranking as the 293rd highest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It also ranked 293rd 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.

School	Total Enrollment
Frank Ledesma Elementary School	474
Gabilan Elementary School	416
Jack Franscioni Elementary School	417
Main Street Middle School	760
Pinnacles High School	33
Rose Ferrero Elementary School	493
San Vicente Elementary School	527
Soledad High School	1,503
Soledad Transition Center	13
Soledad Virtual Academy	62