Mr. Mark Greenfield, Superintendent

A person has to have experienced life fully to appreciate and enjoy Siskiyou County. With a County population density of around seven people per square mile, Siskiyou County defines rural living. But rural does not, as some urban folks may think, equate to small or poor.

Our community has a history that is rich and deep, based in the very foundation of California itself. With the discovery of gold in 1851, the City of Yreka and Siskiyou County quickly found a permanent place on the map. Yreka, growing from a gold boom town, was incorporated in 1857. While much has changed since 1857, there is much that remains the same. It is endearing for those that take the time to walk up and down Miner and 4th Streets and simply enjoy the businesses and homes that date back to this founding, and in many cases have a rich history all their own.

As with any community, by 1898 there was a need for a permanent high school and Yreka High School was founded.  While basic realities of schools and districts are the same everywhere, the expanse of Siskiyou County offers unique experiences.  Students attending YHS come from schools that vary in size from a traditional middle school of approximately 500 students, to single room schools of fewer than 12 students.  This diverse population comes together to form a comprehensive high school that is constantly rated one of the finest in California.

Yreka Union High School District offers everything an urban high school of 2,500 students without the anonymity and with all the care and concern that comes from a small school.  Our students can choose from AP courses, woodshop, technology, agricultural courses (FFA), drama, music, and art.  We have the support of a full special education department as well.  We offer athletic teams for boys and girls and compete with schools often twice our size.  Athletics is one area where our rural nature really comes to light.  While some schools complain about playing teams an hour 's drive away from the school campus, Yreka's closest league opponent is more than an 1-1/2 hours away; a price that goes along with the traditional setting in which we live.

Staff and families share a love for all that Siskiyou County has to offer, working where the rest of the state only gets to visit on vacation.  At our district and schools, a visitor will find a staff that loves where they are and the kids they work with.  It is a setting that many folks believe no longer exists, or they only dream of such a place.   To those people, I say, "Take a look at our site, a look at our District, and a look at our Schools.  We're here. . . Welcome!"