Original Research by School Decision on Redwood Continuation High
Redwood Continuation High is an alternative school serving grades nine through twelve in Castro Valley, located in unincorporated Alameda County. It serves students who do not thrive in a traditional comprehensive high school setting, and its enrollment is small, concentrated heavily in grade twelve.
The school's academic results are substantially below proficiency across all tested subjects. Statewide assessment data from the most recent year shows proficiency rates in English language arts in the single digits, mathematics in the low single digits, and science at an even lower level. These outcomes align with what continuation schools typically experience: they enroll students who have struggled academically or behaviorally elsewhere, and proficiency measures do not capture the school's actual mission or success in keeping these students engaged and on track toward graduation. A parent should ask the school directly about its completion and graduation rates, its support structure for re-engagement, and how it defines student success beyond state testing, since the state's academic metrics are not the primary lens through which to evaluate a continuation program.
The student body is small, under one hundred twenty students, with a substantial majority in their senior year. A solid majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating economically vulnerable families. The enrollment is diverse, with Hispanic students making up just over half the population, followed by students who identify as two or more races, white, Asian, Black, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students in smaller numbers. One student is identified as American Indian or Alaska Native. Data on special education and English learner populations was not available.
Castro Valley itself is a quiet, primarily residential East Bay community that never incorporated, so Alameda County provides municipal services. The area evolved from ranches into a suburban bedroom community and retains distinct neighborhoods and a strong sense of place. Castro Valley Boulevard runs through the center as a commercial corridor of banks, dental offices, and taquerias rather than a polished downtown, though it functions as the community's commercial heart, home to the Castro Village shopping complex. The community is diverse, with a substantial share of residents born outside the United States and an unusually high concentration of workers in computer and math fields, many of whom work from home. The area benefits from abundant regional open space, including Lake Chabot Regional Park minutes away, and from the Castro Valley BART station, which opened in the mid-2010s and provides rapid transit to San Francisco and connections to local bus routes.
Housing in the Castro Valley area is expensive. Home values are substantially above state benchmarks, and monthly rental costs are modest compared to many Bay Area locations but still consume a significant share of household income. A family earning the median household income for the region would spend roughly half their income on rent. Mortgage payments for entry-level homes are steep, reflecting the overall affordability challenge families face.
The district itself is navigating significant questions about facilities. In June 2026, voters rejected a facilities bond that would have funded repairs and upgrades across the district's aging schools, meaning major maintenance needs remain unfunded. The district has also launched a districtwide Spanish Dual Language Immersion program beginning in the earliest grades and continuing through high school, offering families an opt-in pathway to bilingual education. The district transitioned to by-trustee-area school board elections in 2024, so voters now elect board members who represent their geographic area rather than voting at large.
Redwood Continuation High is designed for a specific population: students whose needs are not met by traditional high schools. Its low state proficiency results reflect that mission rather than a program failure. Parents and students considering this school should view it as a structured re-engagement pathway and should investigate closely with the school how it supports completion, what support services it offers, how it defines progress, and what outcomes it tracks beyond state testing.
See more original research from School Decision →