Original Research by School Decision on River Islands High
River Islands High is a brand-new charter high school that opened in the 2024-25 school year as the anchor high school serving the fast-growing River Islands master-planned community in Lathrop. The school is small, currently serving only ninth and tenth graders, with enrollment concentrated in those two grades. It is part of the newly formed Banta Unified School District, created in 2021 to serve the River Islands area; before this district existed, families had to send students to high schools outside the community.
The student body is racially diverse, with Asian students making up the largest share, followed by Hispanic and white students. Roughly two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mix of socioeconomic backgrounds. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available.
On the 2024-25 state assessments, the school reported proficiency rates in English language arts at about midrange and in mathematics at just under one-third of students achieving proficiency. These are single-year results from a new school, and they reflect the student population served; readers should note that mathematical proficiency is notably lower than English language arts, which is a pattern worth following as the school matures. A graduation rate was not available because the school does not yet have students in grade twelve.
The school sits within the River Islands development, a master-planned community built on a large scale with extensive trails, lakes, and parks designed to support a walkable neighborhood within the broader car-dependent Lathrop setting. The locale itself is a residential hub in an industrial region, positioned at the convergence of major freeways and marked by very rapid residential growth. Tesla operates one of its largest facilities here, and the region has anchored job growth in manufacturing, logistics, and distribution. Housing values in the 95330 zip code are moderate relative to state benchmarks and have recently declined year-over-year.
One important cost consideration for families buying into River Islands: properties in the master-planned community carry a maxed-out Community Facilities District tax, effectively doubling the property tax rate from the standard rate. This is a permanent ongoing expense that prospective homebuyers need to understand before purchasing.
Comparisons of River Islands High to other high schools in San Joaquin County were not possible because the school is new and does not yet have the multi-year trend data needed for district-level positioning. The school serves grades nine and ten only for now, and it was designed to open in phases as the community grew. Program offerings, staffing details, discipline data, and attendance rates were not available in the data provided.
For families relocating to the River Islands community or considering it, this school offers the advantage of a new, locally controlled facility built to serve the neighborhood directly rather than busing students elsewhere. The academic performance data is early and should be read with that context in mind. A parent may want to discuss with the school how it plans to serve grades eleven and twelve as enrollment grows, and what academic supports are in place to raise proficiency, particularly in mathematics.
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