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Argonaut High · Jackson

Argonaut High: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Argonaut posts 33% meeting the standard and 12.6% exceeding it, against 36% and 15.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

501 Argonaut Lane, 95642 (opens in new tab)·Amador County Unified·Jackson·Grades 9-12·593 students·34% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(209) 257-7700
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5144
% Exceeded13%16%
% Met+33%36%
Grad rate98.4%87.6%
College readiness72.9%35.4%
Absence31.3%30.2%
Suspension7.5%3.6%
Scope Score
51
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #725 statewide · #1 of 4 in Amador County Unified

Argonaut High scores 51 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 66th percentile of 2,160 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “33% proficient” and call it done. Argonaut deserves a closer read. The school sits in Jackson, where one in three students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Slipped from the 78th to the 66th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELARed(Declined Significantly)MathRed(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 33% meet the standard today, versus 49% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1166%63%55%64%50%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1131%21%18%20%15%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
33%
State 36%
Graduate
98%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
73%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 33 are proficient by 11th grade → 98 graduate → 73 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 6 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
98.4%
State 87.6%
10.8pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
12.6%
State 15.8%
3.2pp below state avg
College readiness
72.9%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
32.7%
State 35.7%
3.0pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
31.3%
State 30.2%
1.1pp above state avg
Suspension rate
7.5%
State 3.6%
3.8pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • Ask what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Argonaut High in Jackson, 34.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 28.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Argonaut High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (5.6% Math proficient); White students (53.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 27.1 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 35 students tested.

All students at this school: 33% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 33%, district —, state 36%33%
MaleMale: this school 32%, district 27%, state 42%32% · −1 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 34%, district 32%, state 56%34% · +1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 33%, district 32%, state 44%33% · +1 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 20%, district 23%, state 32%20% · −13 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 13%, district 13%, state 15%13% · −19 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 26%, district 24%, state 32%26% · −6 vs school

9 of 16 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 31.3%, district 27.0%, state 30.2%31.3% · +1.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 7.5%, district —, state 3.6%7.5% · +3.8pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1231.2%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
Argonaut High
51/100
This school

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 19:1, district 23:119:1
Teaching staff38 teachers
Avg. experience14.8 years
Fully credentialed89%
Intern / emergency permit3.5%
Course Breadth
AP courses offered14
AP exam qualifiers43 students
CTE pathway completers26 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $21,222, CA average $14,815$21,222 · spent at this school
Federal share$44 per student

$44 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$15,715 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction51%
Instruction support14%
Student services11%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance13%
Other3%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$11,146 per pupil
2019$9,176 per pupil
2018$9,890 per pupil
2017$9,411 per pupil
2016$9,154 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White61.2%
District 62.4% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic26.6%
District 25.6% · CA 56.1%
Other10.5%
District 10.8% · CA 9.0%
Black1.0%
District 0.5% · CA 4.8%
Asian0.7%
District 0.6% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 34.4% (29pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$81K · CA $85K
Median home value$456K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+25% · CA 35%
ZIP population7,135
Median age51 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

At 593 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 26% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Argonaut High a good high school?

Argonaut High has a Scope Score of 51 out of 100, placing it in the 66th percentile of California high schools and ranked #725 statewide. 12.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 3.2 percentage points below the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights 7 dimensions for high schools: graduation rate (25%), exceeded standard (22%), college/career readiness (20%), met or exceeded (proficient) (18%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Argonaut High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 32.7% of students at Argonaut High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 20.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.6% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 214 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Argonaut High rank in California?

Argonaut High ranks #725 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 66th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Argonaut High?

31.3% of students at Argonaut High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 7.5%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.

How does Argonaut High compare to other schools in Jackson?

Argonaut High scores 51/100 (66th percentile) among California high schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 593 students. Use the schools in Jackson page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Argonaut High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Argonaut High in Jackson, 34.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 28.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Argonaut High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (5.6% Math proficient); White students (53.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 27.1 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 35 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

Your other options

All schools in Jackson →
For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Graduation rate · 25%
98.4%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 63th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
12.6%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 47th pctile
College readiness · 20%
72.9%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 72th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
32.7%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 48th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
31.3%
↓ vs CA 30.2% · 49th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
7.5%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 33th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1110718%33%31%19%50%+3
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 111077%7%13%72%15%−8
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111074%22%66%7%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged3534.3%+6−4
White6053.3%+15−8
Students with Disabilities3023.3%+10+6
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Argonaut High ←—5112.6%32.7%—7.5%
Independence High (Continuation)1.9 mi220.0%0.0%—5.2%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
98.4%
AP Exam Prepared
72.9%
A-G Completion
32.5%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
58.8%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195978#44218.7%48.6%15.2%9.4%—
20225679#43720.6%42.1%32.1%8.2%—
20235374#56813.6%36.7%28.2%7.3%—
20245475#52917.3%42.0%31.7%8.7%—
20255166#72512.6%32.7%31.3%7.5%—
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female12.4%29.9%+17.5pp
Male14.2%32.0%+17.8pp
Hispanic/Latino12.8%37.2%+24.4pp
American Indian/Alaska Native9.1%56.3%+47.2pp
Two or More Races16.1%23.1%+7.0pp
Students with Disabilities25.3%38.8%+13.5pp
Homeless10.0%64.3%+54.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged22.4%41.7%+19.3pp
All Students13.4%31.2%+17.8pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction

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