Schools in Surprise Valley Joint Unified · Modoc County

Six public schools spread across three districts — that's the full scope of Modoc County's educational landscape, one of California's most remote corners stretching toward the Oregon border. Families in Alturas, Tulelake, and Cedarville aren't navigating crowded school fairs or weighing dozens of options; they're choosing from a compact set of schools where community ties run through every classroom. None of the county's schools rank in the top quartile statewide, but Modoc Middle in Alturas leads locally at the 40th percentile, followed by Surprise Valley Elementary in Cedarville. Families drawn to wide-open high desert country will find small schools with real relationships — and modest, honest academic expectations.