Sonora Union High, CA - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Sonora Union High

Sonora Union High School District serves the high schools of Tuolumne County, a rural area in the Sierra foothills. The district encompasses three high schools—Sonora High, Dario Cassina High, and Theodore Bird High—drawing students from a span of small communities including Sonora, Jamestown, Columbia, and surrounding towns across the county.

The district's enrollment is small, with about evenly distributed across grades nine through twelve. The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful Hispanic population and smaller numbers of students from other backgrounds. Free-and-reduced-price-lunch data and special population counts were not available, so a parent should ask the schools directly about the proportion of students needing economic support or receiving special education services.

On state testing, Sonora Union High reports proficiency results from the 2024-25 school year. In English language arts, about half of students reached proficiency. In mathematics, the proficiency rate drops to roughly one in five students. Science proficiency sits between those two. These are weak results and suggest that a student entering the district would encounter instruction where substantial numbers of peers are not meeting grade-level standards. State data from multiple years was not available, so it is unclear whether these reflect a recent shift or a longer pattern; a parent may want to ask the schools about trends and what support structures exist for students who are not proficient.

A graduation rate was not reported for the district. Chronic absenteeism is tracked: Sonora Union High sits below the midpoint among Tuolumne County's districts on this measure, meaning attendance is better than the county median. Per-pupil spending is in the middle-to-upper range for the county, so the district is investing substantially in its schools compared to some neighboring districts.

The physical landscape of the county shapes daily life here. Distance between towns means that reliable transportation is essential for families choosing where to live. In early January 2025, Sonora Union High launched a countywide bus partnership called Shared Services Tuolumne County, pooling drivers and coordinating routes with three elementary districts and staggering start times to address chronic cancellations. The program recorded zero canceled home-to-school routes in its initial months, a marked improvement that removes a real friction point for families. This kind of operational stability matters most in rural places where a canceled route can derail a family's work schedule.

All students at Sonora High receive free breakfast and lunch under California's Universal Meals Program, a permanent benefit that removes cost and stigma of school meals regardless of family income. This is a meaningful household budget item for families considering the area.

Housing in the district's communities is moderately priced compared to California overall, with most homes in the weighted mid-range and showing a slight year-over-year decline. The typical estimate of monthly mortgage payments, at current rates, is well below what it would be in the Bay Area or coastal California, making this area accessible to families on moderate incomes. The region's median household income is solid, though unemployment sits slightly above the national low.

A parent weighing Sonora Union High should expect schools in a rural setting with strong operational logistics around busing, universal free meals, and a commitment to attendance, set against state proficiency numbers that are well below grade-level standards. The schools appear to be stable and adequately resourced, but the academic baseline warrants direct conversation with counselors and teachers about how they support students who are not proficient and what advanced or specialized pathways exist for those who are.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

1,092

Grades

09–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 22%

Black 1%

White 65%

Asian 2%

Two+ 8%

Am. Indian / AK Native 2%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

44%

—

Gr 11

44%

—

Math

Gr ALL

16%

—

Gr 11

16%

—

Science

Gr ALL

17%

—

Gr 11

22%

—

Gr HS

22%

—

Gr UG_SEC

22%

—

Schools in this District

3 schools are officially reported under this district.

Sonora High

Dario Cassina High

Theodore Bird High

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$405,726

Year-over-year change-2.8%

Range across 7 ZIP codes$347K to $408K

vs. state typical0.52x

vs. national typical1.10x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (7 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
95327	Jamestown	$408K	-2.5%	46.3%
95370	Sonora	$408K	-3.3%	32.4%
95310	Columbia	$394K	-2.7%	12.8%
95329	La Grange	$400K	-2.5%	1.2%
95372	Soulsbyville	$393K	-0.8%	0.8%
95379	Tuolumne	$347K	-2.9%	0.0%
95383	Twain Harte	$403K	-3.1%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,047/mo

Home price / national median income4.8x

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Academic Performance
Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.