Compared to the peripheral area and to the state, the core area has a higher rate of increased school enrollment and a lower high school dropout rate. However, students in the core area tend to have lower SAT scores and are less likely to go on to college than their counterparts in the peripheral area or in the state. They also tend to make less use of the school lunch program and of Limited English Proficiency services.

Fifty percent of county revenue from Forest Service timber receipts is mandated to go to education. These payments go directly to school districts in timber regions such as the core area of the Quincy Library Group. These payments are in addition to the state’s per pupil spending. Therefore, changes in forest production in National Forests produce changes in local school funding.

1. Total Enrollment

Total enrollment in public schools (grade levels K-12) in the core area increased at an average annual rate of 2.8 percent per year, faster than either the 1.3 percent annual increase for peripheral area or the 2.1 percent annual increase for the state.

The rate of growth in school enrollment was higher than the rate of population growth for the core and peripheral areas, but not for the state. At the same time, children aged 5 to 19 constituted a smaller percentage of the population in the core area than in the peripheral area or in the state (see section A4, "Age Distribution"). This suggests that, although the population of the region is older than the population of the state, the population of school-age children is becoming a larger percentage of total population.

Almost one quarter of the population of the core area was enrolled in public school, compared to slightly less than 18 percent of people in the peripheral area and in the state. The primary reason is that there are many fewer private schools in the core area than in the periphery or the state.

Dropout rates for the core area were lower than rates for the peripheral area or for the state. The combination of higher enrollment and lower dropout rates is an indicator of the importance of public education to residents of the core area.

Table S-58. Total Enrollment.
 

County	1990-91	1991-92	1992-93	1993-94	1994-95	1995-96	1996-97	1997-98	1998-99
Lassen	5,252	4,890	5,354	5,382	5,470	5,511	5,635	5,530	5,518
Plumas	3,699	3,871	3,875	3,869	3,851	3,655	3,705	3,630	3,540
Sierra	766	795	847	847	870	899	861	1,615	2,995
Core Area	9,717	9,556	10,076	10,098	10,191	10,065	10,201	10,775	12,053
Butte	29,816	31,195	32,271	33,934	33,955	34,612	35,177	35,304	35,290
Nevada	12,397	12,726	12,732	13,079	13,377	13,457	13,652	13,456	13,280
Shasta	28,121	28,821	29,619	30,027	30,039	30,418	30,742	30,769	30,484
Tehama	10,043	10,527	10,634	10,786	10,927	11,065	11,172	11,038	10,952
Yuba	12,780	12,909	13,289	13,588	13,393	13,309	13,697	13,326	13,173
Peripheral Area	93,157	96,178	98,545	101,414	101,691	102,861	104,440	103,893	103,179
Total Area	102,874	105,734	108,621	111,512	111,882	112,926	114,641	114,668	115,232
California	4,950,474	5,107,145	5,195,777	5,267,277	5,341,025	5,467,224	5,612,965	5,727,303	5,844,111

Source: California Department of Education

According to [Table S-58], enrollment in Sierra County schools nearly doubled in each of the last two years. The Center for Economic Development believes that this is a calculation error from the California Department of Education, as a public school enrollment of 2,995 would include 88 percent of the entire county’s population. However, if the figures are valid, this increase could be attributed to any event or to any series of events in Sierra County or any of its surrounding counties.

2. Dropout Rate

The high school dropout rate is the percent of students entering ninth grade who do not graduate high school. Often referred to as the four-year dropout rate, this social indicator can reflect a community's efforts to raise successful young people. People who stay in school tend to exhibit other forms of socially acceptable behavior, as well.

The dropout rate in the core area for the 1994-95 and 1995-96 school years was less than half that of the peripheral area or of the state. The dropout rate has been steadily dropping in the peripheral area and in the state, but rose in the core area in the 1996-1997 school year. Lassen County rose from about 8 percent in previous years to slightly over 14 percent in 1996-97.

Table S-59. High School Dropout Rates.
 

County	1994-95	1995-96	1996-97
Lassen	8.1	8.4	14.2
Plumas	8.9	8.4	8.6
Sierra	0.0	8.6	3.8
Core Area	8.4	8.4	12.2
Butte	25.1	19.0	16.0
Nevada	16.0	13.5	13.3
Shasta	24.6	18.7	10.4
Tehama	9.4	7.0	7.1
Yuba	6.7	17.0	11.8
Peripheral Area	22.3	17.4	13.1
Total Area	21.7	17.0	13.1
California	18.9	16.9	13.0

Source: California Department of Education

3. SAT Scores

The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a standardized test that is administered to juniors and seniors in high school who volunteer to take it. SAT scores are required for entrance into most colleges. The test changes in content and difficulty each year, so although test scores are comparable from region to region, they are not comparable from year to year.

SAT scores in the core area have consistently been at least 2 percent lower than in the state. However, the converse has been true in the peripheral area, where students consistently score at least 2 percent higher than in the state. This has a generally negative impact on the core area, since more of its students lack the minimum requirements for entrance into college.

Table S-60. SAT Scores.
 

County	1994-95	1995-96	1996-97
Lassen	849	973	954
Plumas	892	1003	1033
Sierra	862	993	967
Core Area	868	986	988
Butte	942	1037	1038
Nevada	958	1058	1064
Shasta	957	1029	1043
Tehama	886	1003	968
Yuba	900	1003	970
Peripheral Area	939	1031	1029
Total Area	932	1026	1025
California	902	1006	1010

Source: California Department of Education

4. Continuation to College

The California Department of Education reports, as a percentage of total graduates, the number of students who graduate from public schools and immediately continue to a two- or four-year college. Places without four-year colleges, such as the core area, generally record lower rates of continuation to college than places that have four-year colleges.

There are two two-year colleges based in the core area: Feather River College in Quincy and Lassen College in Susanville. The peripheral area has three two-year community colleges, Shasta, Butte, and Yuba Colleges, and one four-year public college, California State University, Chico. Sierra Community College in Placer County serves Nevada and Sierra Counties.

Table S-61. Percent of High School Graduates Immediately Continuing to College.
 

County	1994-95	1995-96	1996-97
Lassen	29.3	29.7	33.3
Plumas	36.4	32.4	45.8
Sierra	21.8	38.3	45.9
Core Area	31.5	31.5	39.6
Butte	46.0	45.3	54.7
Nevada	46.8	47.2	53.8
Shasta	39.2	43.7	44.6
Tehama	41.4	40.5	47.4
Yuba	33.7	27.6	33.5
Peripheral Area	42.4	42.8	48.6
Total Area	41.2	41.6	47.7
California	49.4	51.4	51.5

1994-95, all colleges; 1995-96 and 1996-97, public universities only
Note: Rates for some school districts are unknown and were not factored in county totals.
Source: California Department of Education

The availability of colleges is not enough, however, to encourage as many of the region’s students to attend college. Compared to the state's continuation rates, a lower percentage of the region's high school graduates immediately attended college. Slightly less than 40 percent of high school graduates in the core area went on to college, compared to almost half of the high school students in the peripheral area and slightly over half in the state.

It could be, however, that high school graduates are taking a year or two off before entering college. These people are not included in the rate of continuation to college. The age distribution of the core area’s total population shows a large increase in people 20-24 (partially, perhaps, because of the prison) and a large drop in people 25-34. It may very well be that people are staying for a few years after graduating high school, and then going off to college.

5. School Lunch Programs

A useful indicator of socioeconomic status and well-being at the community level is the relative number of students eligible to participate in the School Lunch Program under the National School Lunch Act. Participation in the free and reduced-cost lunch program is based on a variety of factors associated with family condition and need, and is thus a useful indicator of children and family status.

School statistics available from the National Center for Education Statistics–Common Core of Data provide current and historical information at the individual school level. Data for elementary schools, particularly K-6, tend to be the most accurate indicator, due to the reluctance of older children to participate in school lunch programs.

For the Quincy Library Group region, data on the number of students eligible for the school lunch program were obtained for schools ranging in grade levels from K-8, since many elementary schools included these grade levels. Within the QLG region, the percentage of students who were eligible for school lunches during the 1996-97 school year ranged from 3 percent in Mineral to 87 percent in Berry Creek. [Table S-62] shows the percentages and numbers of children eligible for the school lunch program in 1996-97 divided by sub-region and community aggregation.

There is a high degree of variability in the number of students eligible for free or reduced meals among communities within the QLG region that is not reflected in summary county-level statistics. In addition, a high variability often exists between schools within a community aggregation. For example, within the Mineral/Eastern Tehama community, one school had only one out of 29 students (3 percent) eligible for the school lunch program, while in another, 59 out of 78 students (76 percent) were eligible.

Many schools within the QLG region have had consistently high school lunch participation rates between the 1992-3 and 1996-7 school years. Schools with extremely high participation rates over time (between 60 percent to 90 percent) include Yuba Feather Elementary in Challenge, Dobbins Elementary, Ravendale Elementary, Feather Falls Elementary, Indian Jim Elementary in Belden (which is now closed), and Berry Creek Elementary (see [Table S-62]). Other schools with increases in school lunch eligibility levels over time and extremely high percentages in the 1996-7 school year include Spring Valley Elementary in Oroville, Long Valley Elementary in Doyle, Manton Elementary, Cedar Creek Elementary in Montgomery, and Oak Run Elementary. Cohasset Elementary, Forest Ranch Elementary, and Whitmore Elementary all had decreased rates of school lunch eligibility between 1992-3 and 1996-7.

Table S-62. Percent of Students in Grades K-8 Eligible for School Lunch (1992-3 to 1996-7).
 

Region			% Students Eligible for School Lunch
	Community Aggregation	School Name	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
Modoc Plateau
	Bieber/Big Valley	Big Valley Intermediate	35	35	50	50	55
	Burney	East Burney Elementary	36	54	44	53	57
	Cassell/Hat Creek/Old Station	Mt. Burney Elementary	30	39	34	42	34
	Fall River Mills/McArthur	Fall River Elementary	34	47	36	48	45

Table S-62 (continued). Percent of Students in Grades K-8 Eligible for School Lunch (1992-3 to 1996-7).
 

Region			% Students Eligible for School Lunch
	Community Aggregation	School Name	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
Northern
	Lake Oroville Area	Berry Creek Elementary	75	83	68	87	87
	Camptonville/Strawberry Valley/La Porte	Camptonville Elementary	54	60	62	53	58
	Portola	Carmichael Elementary	42	41	41	39	43
	Chester	Chester Elementary	35	33	37	36	38
	Central Butte	Clear Creek Elementary	35	31	33	7	32
	Forest Ranch/Cohasset/Butte Creek Canyon	Cohasset Elementary	80	65	59	70	53
	Susanville	Diamond View Elementary	25	26	35	34	35
	Oregon House/Dobbins	Dobbins Elementary	64	65	78	84	76
	Downieville/North Yuba	Downieville Elementary	21	37	52	43	34
	Lake Oroville Area	Feather Falls Elementary	78	76	68	71	84
	Mohawk Valley	Feather River Middle	29	30	10	31	33
	Westwood/Clear Creek	Fletcher Walker Elementary	43	46	61	54	55
	Forest Ranch/Cohasset/Butte Creek Canyon	Forest Ranch Elementary	46	34	26	23	25
	Herlong/Sierra Army Depot	Fort Sage Middle	23	24	36	28	48
	Greenville/Indian Valley	Greenville Elementary	56	60	67	57	55
	Quincy	Indian Jim Elementary	71	65	92	91	63
	Janesville	Janesville Elementary	23	30	25	26	27
	Susanville	Johnstonville Elementary	42	40	43	38	40
	Camptonville/Strawberry Valley/La Porte	La Porte Elementary	0	N/A	0	0	0
	Doyle	Long Valley Elementary	54	48	56	52	87
	Sierra Valley/Verdi	Loyalton Elementary	23	39	46	43	54
	Sierra Valley/Verdi	Loyalton Intermediate	17	30	28	26	30
	Susanville	McKinley Elementary	46	52	58	58	55
	Susanville	Meadow View Elementary	28	31	35	38	37
	Paradise/Magalia	Paradise Elementary	39	41	45	46	42
	Paradise/Magalia	Paradise Intermediate	28	35	33	35	35
	Paradise/Magalia	Pines Elementary	43	46	51	45	51
	Quincy	Pioneer Elementary	31	34	36	39	46
	Paradise/Magalia	Ponderosa Elementary	33	35	35	39	42
	Mohawk Valley	Portola Elementary	53	49	61	47	59
	Quincy	Quincy Elementary	34	35	39	38	38
	Madeline Plains/Northeast Lassen	Ravendale Elementary	88	72	73	93	N/A
	Susanville	Richmond Elementary	13	5	14	9	10
	Standish/Litchfield	Shaffer Elementary	50	63	63	55	51
	Herlong/Sierra Army Depot	Sierra Primary	20	18	38	28	61
	Sierra Valley/Verdi	Sierraville Elementary	21	33	43	37	44
	Central Butte	Spring Valley Elementary	63	71	59	69	87
	Greenville/Indian Valley	Taylorsville Elementary	35	47	36	59	44
	Dobbins/Challenge/Brownsville	Yuba Feather Elementary	66	62	67	60	68

Table S-62 (continued). Percent of Students in Grades K-8 Eligible for School Lunch (1992-3 to 1996-7).
 

Region			% Students Eligible for School Lunch
	Community Aggregation	School Name	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
Northern Sacramento Valley
	Oak Run/Millville/Whitmore	Black Butte Elementary	49	53	58	59	58
	Montgomery Creek/Round Mountain/Big Bend	Cedar Creek Elementary	50	61	56	64	73
	Montgomery Creek/Round Mountain/Big Bend	Indian Springs Elementary	60	73	64	66	56
	Mineral/Lassen Park Corridor	Manton Elementary	49	62	63	57	76
	Oak Run/Millville/Whitmore	Millville Elementary	26	18	38	34	37
	Mineral/Lassen Park Corridor	Mineral Elementary	0	6	0	22	3
	Montgomery Creek/Round Mountain/Big Bend	Montgomery Creek Elem.	40	51	71	41	57
	Oak Run/Millville/Whitmore	Oak Run Elementary	48	56	67	69	70
	Mineral/Lassen Park Corridor	Plum Valley Elementary	75	66	76	67	59
	Oak Run/Millville/Whitmore	Whitmore Elementary	38	49	75	67	28

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data

Overall, the percentage of students in school lunch programs in the core area of the Quincy Library Group was lower than in the peripheral area or in the state overall. This is consistent with the relatively low poverty rate for the core area (see section C3, "Persons Below the Poverty Level").

While the variation in school lunch program participation in the core area has followed the peripheral area and state trends, it has not varied as widely as the other areas. It is unusual for a small area, like the core area, to have a more stable trend than the larger areas (see section H, "Health Indicators"). It is also unusual for the peripheral area to show a dip and a rise in rates when the state trend is a small, but consistent, rise in rates.

Within the core area, Plumas and Sierra Counties had the highest percentages of students, around 30 percent, enrolled in school lunch programs. Lassen County’s school lunch program participation was considerably less, hovering around 15 percent.

Table S-63. Percent of Total Students Eligible for School Lunch Programs.
 

County	1994-95	1995-96	1996-97
Lassen	14.8	12.7	17.0
Plumas	29.5	31.7	30.3
Sierra	24.3	21.2	28.8
Core Area	21.2	20.4	22.8
Butte	25.6	11.6	24.2
Nevada	12.6	11.9	13.8
Shasta	22.5	21.1	22.6
Tehama	28.9	30.1	28.8
Yuba	44.8	44.6	49.3
Peripheral Area	25.9	20.7	26.2
Total Area	25.4	20.7	25.9
California	26.6	29.7	30.2

Source: California Department of Education

6. English Proficiency

Certain students, usually recent immigrants to the United States, are not fluent in English and are classified by school districts as being "limited English proficient" (LEP). Districts with high LEP rates often have a difficult time meeting the educational needs of these students, and overall test scores fall. With the recent passage of California’s "English only" initiative, regions with high numbers of LEP students will have greater difficulties because they will have to make quick adjustments in their curriculum to satisfy legal requirements.

This should cause little worry in the core area, where the rate of LEP students was less than 1 percent, compared to 5.3 percent in the peripheral area and 15.8 percent in California.

Table S-64. Percent of Total Students Classified as Limited English Proficient.
 

County	1994-95	1995-96	1996-97
Lassen	1.0	0.9	0.5
Plumas	0.2	1.0	1.2
Sierra	0.0	0.0	0.0
Core Area	0.6	0.9	0.7
Butte	4.9	5.2	6.2
Nevada	0.2	0.3	0.4
Shasta	1.0	1.2	1.3
Tehama	2.7	2.3	2.4
Yuba	16.2	17.2	19.5
Peripheral Area	4.4	4.6	5.3
Total Area	4.0	4.3	4.9
California	16.0	16.0	15.8

Source: California Department of Education

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