Chico Times

In the 2023-24 school year, kindergarten was the largest grade in Paradise Unified School District, with 234 students making up 10.3% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a growth of 0.8% compared to the previous year.

The grade with the second highest number of students was fourth grade, with 195 students, or 8.6% of the student body.

The school that had the highest number of kindergarten students in Paradise Unified School District during the period was Paradise Ridge Elementary School, while Pine Ridge had the fewest.

Overall, Paradise Unified School District enrolled 2,266 students, ranking as the 452nd highest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It ranked 468th 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
Cedarwood Elementary School	248
Paradise eLearning Academy	46
Paradise Junior High School	175
Paradise Ridge Elementary School	446
Paradise Senior High School	506
Pine Ridge	183
Ridgeview High (Continuation)	53