Chrysalis Charter, Palo Cedro CA

Original Research by School Decision on Chrysalis Charter

Chrysalis Charter is a small K-8 charter school in Palo Cedro, serving a rural community in Shasta County where most residents own their homes and depend on cars for daily travel. The school itself is intentionally small, with enrollment across nine grades that keeps individual class sizes modest and allows for a close-knit environment.

The school's academic profile is mixed. In English-language arts, students show broad performance ranging from low in the middle grades to solid in eighth grade, with overall proficiency near the midpoint across the county's tested schools. Mathematics is a softer area, with proficiency rates dropping notably in fifth grade and staying low through much of the upper elementary and middle grades. Science proficiency is similarly uneven, performing well in eighth grade but very low in fifth. The school sits above the midpoint overall when proficiency rates are averaged across all tested subjects and grades, placing it in the middle range of comparable schools in Shasta County.

About a third of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students identifying as Hispanic or as multiracial. The school does not have publicly reported data on students with individualized education plans or English learners, a gap common in small schools and charters.

Chrysalis Charter operates under teacher-powered governance and emphasizes science and nature as part of its educational approach. The school is authorized by the Shasta County Office of Education and functions as a traditional charter rather than a district-run school. It offers both classroom and homeschool options for families. As a charter, the school does not have access to local property tax revenue and operates within the state's charter funding structure.

The surrounding community of Palo Cedro is quiet and spread out. Families here typically commute to Redding for work, and community life centers on chamber-organized events like the Honeybee Festival and Country Christmas. The school is located outside the small downtown area. Housing values in the zip code are below the state average, making the area more affordable than much of California, though home prices have dipped slightly in recent years. A regional bus route offers express service to Redding for those who use transit, though most residents drive.

For a family considering this school, the fit depends on what you prioritize. If you value a small, teacher-led charter with a nature focus and rural setting, and you are comfortable with academic performance in the middle range, this could work well. Parents whose children need intensive math or science support may want to discuss how the school addresses those gaps. The school's size and governance model appeal to families seeking an alternative to traditional district schools, though the trade-offs in academic intensity compared to larger schools are worth weighing honestly.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 368%

School 68% · district not reported

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 448%

School 48% · district not reported

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 514%

School 14% · district not reported

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 646%

School 46% · district not reported

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 732%

School 32% · district not reported

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 837%

School 37% · district not reported

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 359%

School 59% · district not reported

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 448%

School 48% · district not reported

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 532%

School 32% · district not reported

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 654%

School 54% · district not reported

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 741%

School 41% · district not reported

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 857%

School 57% · district not reported

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Science

Grade 525%

School 25% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 847%

School 47% · district not reported

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

This schoolDistrict average, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income33%Higher-income31%2 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income55%Higher-income53%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income17%Higher-income13%4 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income46%Higher-income47%2 pp gap