The 25,000-student district, which covers Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario and Montclair, and is one the largest high school districts in the state, has a one year drop-out rate of 3 percent, or 759 students.
In San Bernardino County, which has more than 137,000 students, has drop out rate of 17.2 percent, or 5,995, compared to the state's 15.3 percent.
(Chaffey is) "lower than the county and state average, which is where we want to be, and for a high school district that is significant," said Jeff Ellingsen, Chaffey's director of research/assessment.
"But we can all agree that even one dropout or one non-grad is one too many."
As districts continue move into the last year of determining a true dropout rate, districts are using their resources to keep students in the classroom and engaged.
There have been three years of calculating student graduation and dropout rates by collecting student-level enrollment and exit data. When the process is completed, the state Department of Education will have the data necessary to produce more accurate student graduation and dropout rates.
Locally, districts like Chaffey, Rialto and Pomona offer a credit recovery program, which allows the students who are behind in classes or failing a core course the opportunity to take the class online or during school hours.
"We had 100 seniors who were in the credit recovery program just this past spring who if they weren't enrolled probably wouldn't have finished high school or walked with their class," said Richard Martinez, interim superintendent of Pomona Unified School District.
Martinez said when the district received its data from the previous year, it implemented the credit recovery program.
Pomona's one-year dropout total for 2007-08 school year is 524, down from 547 the previous year.
With the trend in technology, the Chaffey district's credit recovery course can be used online.
"It provides flexibility to the student and it allows them to work on their studies while at home with the supervision of a teacher who they check in with," said Bill Bertrand, Chaffey's assistant superintendent of alternative education.
The district also provides a form of the credit recovery program during school hours, called the distance learning program.
At Rialto Unified, students in the credit recovery program can take the classes they need on Saturday, said Tonia Causey-Bush, director of research evaluation and accountability.
"We try to always say, `Hey if you're behind, this is a way you can make up those credits,"' said Causey-Bush.
The district has been using the program for four years, she said.
Rialto's one-year dropout total for 2007-08 school year is 554, up from 534 for the previous year.
Amid the budget problems, educators say they still have to do everything they can to keep children attending class.
"Can't let state dictate what we do or do not do for our students, and regardless of what the budget situation is, we're going to find a way to do it because it's the right thing to do," said Ellingsen. "Does it make things more difficult? Of course it does, but we can't let that get in the way of what's best for kids."
