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Durham High · Durham

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

Durham posts 39% meeting the standard against 36% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

9455 Putney Drive, 95938 (opens in new tab)·Durham Unified·Durham·Grades 9-12·320 students·39% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 895-4685·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4644
% Exceeded15%16%
% Met+39%36%
Grad rate97.2%87.6%
College readiness0.0%35.4%
Absence19.6%30.2%
Suspension3.7%3.6%
Scope Score
46
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,048 statewide

Durham High scores 46 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 51st 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 “39% proficient” and call it done. Durham deserves a closer read. The school sits in Durham, 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

Has stayed near the 51st percentile since 2019.

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

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 39% meet the standard today, versus 51% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1161%68%61%58%50%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1141%46%39%41%28%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
39%
State 36%
Graduate
97%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
0%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 39 are proficient by 11th grade → 97 graduate → 0 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
97.2%
State 87.6%
9.6pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
14.6%
State 15.8%
1.3pp below state avg
College readiness
0.0%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
39.1%
State 35.7%
3.4pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
19.6%
State 30.2%
10.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.7%
State 3.6%
0.1pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
50.0%
State 18.0%
32.0pp above 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 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 Durham High in Durham, 31.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Durham High trails its district average for low-income students by 3.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (18.5% Math proficient); White students (58.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 22.7 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 29 students tested.

All students at this school: 39% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 39%, district —, state 36%39%
WhiteWhite: this school 46%, district 52%, state 56%46% · +7 vs school
MaleMale: this school 41%, district 42%, state 42%41% · +2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 36%, district 46%, state 44%36% · −4 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 25%, district 29%, state 32%25% · −14 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 19%, district 24%, state 32%19% · −20 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 9%, district 15%, state 15%9% · −30 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: too few students to report‹11
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: too few students to report‹11
English LearnersEnglish Learners: 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 19.6%, district 16.2%, state 30.2%19.6% · −10.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.7%, district —, state 3.6%3.7% · +0.1pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1217.3%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
Durham High
46/100
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 17:1, district 21:117:1
Teaching staff27 teachers
Avg. experience15.0 years
Fully credentialed90%
First-year teachers4%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$50,892 – $107,146
Principal salary$106,121 – $128,968
Superintendent salary$175,011

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered1
CTE pathway completers35 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $17,481, CA average $14,815$17,481 · spent at this school
Federal share$278 per student

$278 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$14,273 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
Instruction57%
Instruction support10%
Student services12%
Administration9%
Buildings & maintenance11%
Other1%

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$11,877 per pupil
2019$10,947 per pupil
2018$11,501 per pupil
2017$10,785 per pupil
2016$10,894 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White66.6%
District 68.6% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic24.1%
District 22.3% · CA 56.1%
Other8.4%
District 8.2% · CA 9.0%
Black0.6%
District 0.3% · CA 4.8%
Asian0.3%
District 0.6% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 38.8% (25pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$83K · CA $85K
Median home value$612K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+44% · CA 35%
ZIP population3,943
Median age44 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 320 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 38% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Durham High a good high school?

Durham High has a Scope Score of 46 out of 100, placing it in the 51st percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,048 statewide. 14.6% 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 Durham High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 39.1% of students at Durham High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 14.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 14.6% 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. 158 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Durham High rank in California?

Durham High ranks #1,048 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 51st 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 Durham High?

19.6% of students at Durham 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 3.7%. 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 Durham High compare to other schools in Durham?

Durham High scores 46/100 (51st 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 320 students. Use the schools in Durham page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At Durham High in Durham, 31.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Durham High trails its district average for low-income students by 3.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (18.5% Math proficient); White students (58.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 22.7 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 29 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

Nearby Elementary Schools

1 within ~3 mi · avg 46

Durham Elementary
Durham Unified · 0 mi
46Developing
See more on map →
All schools in Durham →

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%
97.2%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 62th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
14.6%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 49th pctile
College readiness · 20%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 29th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
39.1%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 52th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
19.6%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 59th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.7%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 50th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
50.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 98th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 118014%36%24%26%50%+3
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 117815%13%24%47%28%+5
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11809%29%59%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 Disadvantaged2931.0%−4−7
White5358.5%−0−3
Hispanic/Latino2227.3%−4−12
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Durham High ←—4614.6%39.1%—3.7%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
97.2%
AP Exam Prepared
Not offered
This school may not offer AP courses
A-G Completion
47.8%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
71.0%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194954#93121.5%51.2%16.5%3.7%—
20225068#67623.9%57.3%19.9%1.0%—
20234658#90419.8%49.6%18.8%2.9%—
20244348#110615.1%49.3%19.4%8.0%—
20254651#104814.6%39.1%19.6%3.7%—
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
Female16.9%18.2%+1.3pp
Male12.2%16.7%+4.5pp
Hispanic/Latino21.1%23.1%+2.0pp
Two or More Races21.4%20.0%-1.4pp
Students with Disabilities29.8%36.1%+6.3pp
English Learners9.1%15.4%+6.3pp
Homeless10.7%——
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged18.6%25.4%+6.8pp
All Students14.3%17.3%+3.0pp
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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