Original Research by School Decision on River Islands High District
River Islands High District is a new high school district in San Joaquin County serving grades 9 through 10. The district opened its sole school, River Islands High, for the 2024-25 school year on a new campus built in the master-planned River Islands community at Lathrop. This is the direct result of a voter-approved unification in 2020 that created Banta Unified School District, giving the River Islands area its own secondary school rather than requiring students to attend high schools in adjacent districts.
The enrollment is small, with just under three hundred students split between grades 9 and 10. The student body is diverse. Roughly two-fifths of students identify as Asian, about one-third as Hispanic, a small fraction as Black or multiracial, and the remainder as White, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or American Indian or Alaska Native. The district does not report free-or-reduced-price lunch counts, special education enrollment, or English learner data, so a parent cannot assess those dimensions from the available figures.
State assessment results and a graduation rate are not available. This is expected because the district has served only two grades since its opening. California tests grades 3 through 8 and grade 11, so grades 9 and 10 are outside the tested range; the school will not have a cohort complete enough for a four-year graduation rate until its first entering class reaches senior year.
Among San Joaquin County's districts, River Islands stands out on chronic absenteeism, sitting in the top quartile with an exceptionally low rate. The district also reports per-pupil current spending in the upper range for the county, reflecting both the newness of its facilities and its small enrollment base.
A parent moving to River Islands should understand the property tax picture clearly. Homes in the community carry a maxed-out Community Facilities District tax (often called Mello-Roos), which effectively doubles the property tax burden compared to standard county rates. This assessment covers schools, parks, and community amenities built as the master-planned community developed. The CFD is permanent and transfers to the next owner when a home is sold, so it remains a substantial annual cost for as long as the property is owned.
The new high school building includes classroom facilities, a gymnasium, cafeteria, career and technical education space, and a student center with library. The school opened in phases designed to accommodate growth as the community expands, so classroom capacity and program breadth may expand in coming years.
A parent or resident considering River Islands should look directly to the school website and district office for information about course offerings, clubs, athletic programs, and any partnerships with nearby districts or community colleges. The data available here does not cover those dimensions.
See more original research from School Decision →