ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in
Caruthers High · Caruthers

Caruthers High: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Caruthers posts 36% meeting the standard against 36% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

2580 West Tahoe Avenue, 93609 (opens in new tab)·Caruthers Unified·Caruthers·Grades 9-12·682 students·89% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(559) 864-6500·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4944
% Exceeded14%16%
% Met+36%36%
Grad rate96.4%87.6%
College readiness52.6%35.4%
Absence20.3%30.2%
Suspension4.2%3.6%
Scope Score
49
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #811 statewide

Caruthers High scores 49 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 62nd 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 “36% proficient” and call it done. Caruthers deserves a closer read. The school sits in Caruthers, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Caruthers's low-income kids hit 57.0% 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 62nd percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathRed(Declined Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 36% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1152%38%61%62%59%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1122%10%13%13%14%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
36%
State 36%
Graduate
96%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
53%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 36 are proficient by 11th grade → 96 graduate → 53 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

57.0%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Caruthers's most underrated number

57.0% 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.

Caruthers low-income: 57.0%State low-income: 38.2%Caruthers EL: 5.9%State EL: 10.4%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
96.4%
State 87.6%
8.8pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
14.1%
State 15.8%
1.7pp below state avg
College readiness
52.6%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
36.3%
State 35.7%
0.6pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
20.3%
State 30.2%
9.9pp below state avg
Suspension rate
4.2%
State 3.6%
0.5pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
17.5%
State 18.0%
0.5pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • 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 Caruthers High in Caruthers, 57.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 44.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Caruthers High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 12.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (11.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (58.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 53.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 142 students tested.

All students at this school: 36% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 36%, district —, state 36%36%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 35%, district 38%, state 32%35% · −1 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 34%, district 37%, state 32%34% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 35%, district 40%, state 44%35% · −1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 37%, district 40%, state 42%37% · +1 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 3%, district 16%, state 11%3% · −33 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 8%, district 9%, state 15%8% · −28 vs school
WhiteWhite: too few students to report‹11
AsianAsian: too few students to report‹11
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: too few students to report‹11
HomelessHomeless: too few students to report‹11
this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 20.3%, district 14.7%, state 30.2%20.3% · −9.9pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 4.2%, district —, state 3.6%4.2% · +0.5pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1219.2%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
Caruthers High
49/100
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 21:1, district 19:121:1
Teaching staff35 teachers
Avg. experience10.7 years
Fully credentialed72%
First-year teachers17%
Intern / emergency permit9.6%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$59,770 – $121,971
Principal salary$147,690 – $155,348
Superintendent salary$225,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered12
AP exam qualifiers51 students
CTE pathway completers33 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $20,860, CA average $14,815$20,860 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,788 per student

$1,788 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,502 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
Instruction53%
Instruction support13%
Student services10%
Administration9%
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$15,441 per pupil
2019$13,918 per pupil
2018$13,779 per pupil
2017$13,392 per pupil
2016$13,195 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic88.4%
District 87.7% · CA 56.1%
White7.6%
District 8.3% · CA 19.9%
Asian2.6%
District 2.5% · CA 10.2%
Other1.2%
District 1.1% · CA 9.0%
Black0.1%
District 0.4% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 89.2% (25pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$79K · CA $85K
Median home value$333K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+15% · CA 35%
ZIP population4,740
Median age32 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 682 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 29% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Caruthers High a good high school?

Caruthers High has a Scope Score of 49 out of 100, placing it in the 62nd percentile of California high schools and ranked #811 statewide. 14.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near 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 Caruthers High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 36.3% of students at Caruthers High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 14.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 14.1% 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. 322 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Caruthers High rank in California?

Caruthers High ranks #811 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 62nd 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 Caruthers High?

20.3% of students at Caruthers 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 4.2%. 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 Caruthers High compare to other schools in Caruthers?

Caruthers High scores 49/100 (62nd 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 682 students. Use the schools in Caruthers page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At Caruthers High in Caruthers, 57.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 44.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Caruthers High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 12.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (11.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (58.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 53.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 142 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 Caruthers →
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%
96.4%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 61th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
14.1%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 48th pctile
College readiness · 20%
52.6%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 60th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
36.3%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 50th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
20.3%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 58th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
4.2%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 48th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
17.5%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 52th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1115924%35%20%21%59%+12
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 111634%9%17%69%14%−10
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111684%25%67%4%

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 Disadvantaged14257.0%+12+19
Hispanic/Latino15058.7%+13+20
English Learners175.9%−10−5
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Caruthers High ←—4914.1%36.3%—4.2%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
96.4%
AP Exam Prepared
52.6%
A-G Completion
56.3%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
70.3%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195160#8169.9%37.1%10.2%5.2%—
20224452#10005.7%23.9%25.0%5.6%—
20235067#70715.3%37.3%21.7%6.9%—
20245065#74012.4%37.5%17.5%4.5%—
20254962#81114.1%36.3%20.3%4.2%—
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
Female12.5%20.4%+7.9pp
Male5.2%18.1%+12.9pp
Asian2.6%10.0%+7.4pp
Hispanic/Latino8.0%18.7%+10.7pp
Students with Disabilities16.7%30.4%+13.7pp
English Learners9.2%29.6%+20.4pp
Military-Connected8.0%13.8%+5.8pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged8.8%19.9%+11.1pp
All Students8.6%19.2%+10.6pp
Homeless—26.3%—
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

← Browse all schools