Chaparral High School is the main continuation high school located in El Cajon, California for the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD). Currently GUHSD serves 24,456 students at 12 high schools. Located in the city of El Cajon, it provides an alternative educational setting for an average of 300 students, eighty of which are designated Special Education, in grades nine through twelve. Students at Chaparral are referred by the eleven comprehensive high schools in the District for reasons involving poor attendance, lack of academic success or behavioral issues. In addition, students may voluntarily elect to attend Chaparral. The student population changes as students are returned to their school of residence upon completion of their remediation and/or academic goals. Chaparral offers programs and services to supplement the basic education program.