Original Research by School Decision on Highlands Community Charter
Highlands Community Charter, located in Sacramento, is a charter school that currently serves adult students in grades 1, 2, and 12. The school has experienced profound instability over the past year, and prospective families need to understand the circumstances before enrolling.
In June 2025, the California State Auditor released a report finding that Highlands Community Charter and its affiliated technical schools had improperly collected substantial sums in K-12 funding for which they were ineligible. The audit identified uncredentialed teachers assigned to classes they were not qualified to teach, wasteful spending, and other financial irregularities. The district, which at its peak operated more than fifty sites, responded by closing most of its locations and dramatically shrinking enrollment. This contraction left many families displaced and created waiting lists.
The closure proceedings triggered a charter revocation vote by Twin Rivers Unified in January 2026, the authorizer under which Highlands operates. However, in a reversal, the Sacramento County Board of Education blocked that decision, allowing the school to remain open while it pursues a new charter authorization. The current agreement with Twin Rivers extends through June 2027, leaving the district's long-term status uncertain. Highlands has filed an application for a fresh charter with Yuba City Unified School District. For families considering enrollment, this ongoing instability and unresolved legal status represent a genuine risk to school continuity.
In response to the credentialing violations, the district restructured its academic program. It eliminated 11th grade, partly to sidestep standardized testing requirements, and now concentrates on first, second, and 12th grade instruction. The school serves primarily adult learners. The district has proposed restoring 11th grade and introducing seven career technical education programs, but these changes remain in the planning phase.
Science proficiency data from the most recent school year shows performance substantially below state benchmarks. State testing data for other subjects, graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, and other outcome measures were either not reported or not available in the data accessed. The school's enrollment consists largely of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds; nearly all students in the enrollment pool qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is roughly evenly split between White and Asian students, with smaller shares of Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and other racial and ethnic groups.
The school's location in Sacramento sits in a housing market where median home values and rental costs have declined slightly over the past year. Mortgage rates and unemployment remain in moderate ranges for the region.
A parent or resident considering Highlands Community Charter should weigh the school's recovery trajectory against the documented history of mismanagement and the unresolved charter status. The drastically narrowed program—currently limited to early elementary and 12th grade—means the school does not serve full K-12 pathways. The district's stated plans to expand and restore course offerings remain contingent on successful charter authorization. This is an enrollment decision that requires direct, current conversation with the school about its specific programs, timeline for program restoration, and operational stability.
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