South OC Times

In the 2023-24 school year, 12th grade was the largest grade in Saddleback Valley Unified School District, with 2,177 students making up 9.4% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a growth of 0.3% compared to the previous year.

The grade with the second highest number of students was 11th grade, with 1,958 students, or 8.5% of the student body.

The school that had the highest number of 12th grade students in Saddleback Valley Unified School District during the period was Trabuco Hills High School, while SVUSD Virtual Academy (Alternative) had the fewest.

Overall, Saddleback Valley Unified School District enrolled 23,165 students, ranking as the 44th highest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It also ranked 44th 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
Cielo Vista Elementary School	488
De Portola Elementary School	567
Del Cerro Elementary School	381
Del Lago Elementary School	359
El Toro High School	1,972
Esperanza Education Center	77
Foothill Ranch Elementary School	1,065
Glen Yermo Elementary School	318
La Madera Elementary School	602
La Paz Intermediate School	707
La Tierra Early Childhood Center	1
Laguna Hills High School	1,401
Lake Forest Elementary School	688
Linda Vista Magnet Elementary School	278
Lomarena Elementary School	525
Los Alisos Intermediate School	611
Melinda Heights Elementary School	950
Mission Viejo High School	1,628
Montevideo Elementary School	456
Olivewood Elementary School	412
Portola Hills Elementary School	758
Ralph A. Gates DLI Magnet Elementary School	908
Rancho Canada Elementary School	630
Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate School	1,116
Robinson Elementary School	489
San Joaquin Elementary School	229
Santiago STEAM Magnet Elementary School	497
Serrano Intermediate School	887
Silverado High School	248
SVUSD Virtual Academy (Alternative)	161
Trabuco Elementary School	95
Trabuco Hills High School	2,507
Trabuco Mesa Elementary School	630
Valencia Elementary School	524