Original Research by School Decision on Santa Susana High
Santa Susana High is a mid-sized regular public high school in Simi Valley serving grades nine through twelve. It has a diverse enrollment and offers Advanced Placement coursework.
The most recent state testing data shows reading proficiency near four in five students, a strength across the cohort. Mathematics proficiency stands at roughly six in ten students, and science proficiency at similar levels. Reading is the clearest area of demonstrated strength. Data on prior-year trends was not available, so it is unclear whether these results represent improvement, stability, or decline. A parent may want to ask the school directly about longitudinal performance and about support structures in mathematics, where proficiency trails reading by a meaningful margin.
The school's graduation rate and chronic absenteeism rate were not available; state reporting requirements do not apply to schools at this grade level in the way those metrics are published at the district level. This is normal for individual high schools in California's accountability system.
The student body is roughly two-fifths white, one-third Hispanic, and one-fifth Asian. Close to one-third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is evenly spread across the four high school grades, with roughly a quarter of the student body in each class. Special education enrollment and English learner counts were not reported.
Simi Valley itself is a mature residential suburb without a traditional downtown, functioning largely as a bedroom community for workers commuting to Los Angeles County. The housing market is moderately priced relative to California, with median home values in the area and rental costs that reflect a suburban, established community. Employment centers locally include health care, manufacturing, aerospace, and retail; the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library draws regional visitors. Transit includes Metrolink service to downtown Los Angeles and bus routes within the city.
The Simi Valley Unified School District has made recent changes parents should know about. Beginning in 2024-25, all sixth graders moved from elementary schools to middle school campuses, ending a prior option to keep sixth graders in elementary settings. The district also launched a Spanish/English Dual Language Immersion program at Arroyo Elementary, starting in kindergarten and building up one grade per year, with a cohort path intended through middle and high school. The district is pursuing a new facilities bond for the November 2026 ballot, which would be added to property taxes alongside two existing bonds residents are already paying.
Comparison data positioning Santa Susana against other Ventura County districts' schools was not available, so the school's standing relative to peers in the county cannot be assessed here. A parent seeking that context could ask the district or consult the district's public accountability documents.
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