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Buhach Colony High · Atwater

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

Buhach Colony posts 34% meeting the standard and 12.7% exceeding it, against 36% and 15.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

1800 Buhach Road, 95301 (opens in new tab)·Merced Union High·Atwater·Grades 9-12·1,704 students·78% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(209) 325-1400·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4744
% Exceeded13%16%
% Met+34%36%
Grad rate96.5%87.6%
College readiness37.6%35.4%
Absence22.7%30.2%
Suspension0.7%3.6%
Scope Score
47
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #978 statewide · #2 of 8 in Merced Union High

Buhach Colony High scores 47 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 55th 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 “34% proficient” and call it done. Buhach Colony deserves a closer read. The school sits in Atwater, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Buhach Colony's low-income kids hit 49.7% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 55th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 34% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1150%44%42%46%53%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1120%12%9%9%15%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
34%
State 36%
Graduate
97%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
38%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 34 are proficient by 11th grade → 97 graduate → 38 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

49.7%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Buhach Colony's most underrated number

49.7% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.

Buhach Colony low-income: 49.7%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
96.5%
State 87.6%
8.9pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
12.7%
State 15.8%
3.2pp below state avg
College readiness
37.6%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
34.2%
State 35.7%
1.5pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
22.7%
State 30.2%
7.5pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.7%
State 3.6%
2.9pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
12.7%
State 18.0%
5.3pp below 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 whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • Ask what share of students complete the full college-prep course sequence, and who gets steered into it.
  • 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 Buhach Colony High in Atwater, 49.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Buhach Colony High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 11.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (48.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 41.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 296 students tested.

All students at this school: 34% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 34%, district —, state 36%34%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 30%, district 24%, state 32%30% · −4 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 31%, district 25%, state 32%31% · −3 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 35%, district 30%, state 44%35% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 33%, district 26%, state 42%33% · −1 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 43%, district 38%, state 56%43% · +9 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 8%, district 7%, state 11%8% · −26 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 43%, district 44%, state 72%43% · +9 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 9%, district 6%, state 15%9% · −25 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 46%, district 36%, state 56%46% · +12 vs school

6 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 22.7%, district 32.9%, state 30.2%22.7% · −7.5pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.7%, district —, state 3.6%0.7% · −2.9pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1222.3%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 23:1, district 21:123:1
Teaching staff75 teachers
Avg. experience14.5 years
Fully credentialed79%
First-year teachers3%
Intern / emergency permit3.2%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$69,345 – $131,810
Principal salary$0 – $183,586
Superintendent salary$301,880

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered16
AP exam qualifiers100 students
CTE pathway completers196 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,947, CA average $14,815$19,947 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,307 per student

$1,307 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$19,638 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
Instruction54%
Instruction support13%
Student services13%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance9%
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$13,809 per pupil
2019$13,274 per pupil
2018$14,146 per pupil
2017$12,554 per pupil
2016$12,581 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic69.7%
District 73.4% · CA 56.1%
White15.4%
District 11.8% · CA 19.9%
Asian9.2%
District 7.5% · CA 10.2%
Other3.7%
District 3.8% · CA 9.0%
Black2.1%
District 3.6% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 78.5% (15pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$68K · CA $85K
Median home value$391K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+15% · CA 35%
ZIP population43,009
Median age34 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 32% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Buhach Colony High a good high school?

Buhach Colony High has a Scope Score of 47 out of 100, placing it in the 55th percentile of California high schools and ranked #978 statewide. 12.7% 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 Buhach Colony High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 34.2% of students at Buhach Colony High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 21.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.7% 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. 757 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Buhach Colony High rank in California?

Buhach Colony High ranks #978 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 55th 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 Buhach Colony High?

22.7% of students at Buhach Colony High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 0.7%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. 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 Buhach Colony High compare to other schools in Atwater?

Buhach Colony High scores 47/100 (55th 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 1,704 students. Use the schools in Atwater page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Buhach Colony High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Buhach Colony High in Atwater, 49.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Buhach Colony High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 11.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (48.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 41.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 296 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 Atwater →

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

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%
96.5%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 61th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
12.7%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 47th pctile
College readiness · 20%
37.6%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 51th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
34.2%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 49th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
22.7%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 56th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.7%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 63th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
12.7%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 44th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1137921%32%27%20%53%+6
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 113784%11%22%63%15%−8
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/113896%26%61%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 Disadvantaged29649.7%+11+11
Hispanic/Latino26648.9%+10+10
White5364.2%+9+2
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Buhach Colony High ←—4712.7%34.2%—0.7%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
96.5%
AP Exam Prepared
37.6%
A-G Completion
38.0%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
41.8%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194956#90213.2%35.3%14.0%4.4%—
20224553#9949.0%28.1%31.3%2.2%—
20234451#10549.4%25.6%25.0%2.4%—
20244552#10368.3%27.4%22.6%1.2%—
20254755#97812.7%34.2%22.7%0.7%—
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
Female14.4%25.4%+11.0pp
Male12.9%19.5%+6.6pp
Asian9.2%9.6%+0.4pp
Black/African American18.0%18.9%+0.9pp
Filipino19.2%——
White5.9%30.8%+24.9pp
Hispanic/Latino13.9%22.8%+8.9pp
American Indian/Alaska Native0.0%28.6%+28.6pp
Students with Disabilities18.1%30.7%+12.6pp
English Learners19.9%28.7%+8.8pp
Foster Youth30.8%14.3%-16.5pp
Homeless15.3%59.2%+43.9pp
Military-Connected10.0%32.5%+22.5pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged15.0%24.2%+9.2pp
All Students13.6%22.3%+8.7pp
Two or More Races—15.4%—
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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