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Justin Garza High · Fresno

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

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

4100 North Grantland Avenue, 93723 (opens in new tab)·Central Unified·Fresno·Grades 9-12·2,095 students·73% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(559) 274-4700·Website
2023–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4644
% Exceeded14%16%
% Met+39%36%
Grad rate94.8%87.6%
College readiness32.5%35.4%
Absence21.9%30.2%
Suspension5.4%3.6%
Scope Score
46
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,047 statewide · #2 of 6 in Central Unified

Justin Garza High scores 46 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 52nd 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. Justin Garza deserves a closer read. The school sits in Fresno, where two-thirds of 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 65th to the 52nd percentile since 2023.

CA Dashboard
ELARed(Declined Significantly)MathGreen(Maintained)
ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade202320242025
Grade 1166%64%53%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade202320242025
Grade 1127%23%25%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
39%
State 36%
Graduate
95%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
33%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 39 are proficient by 11th grade → 95 graduate → 33 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
94.8%
State 87.6%
7.2pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
14.3%
State 15.8%
1.6pp below state avg
College readiness
32.5%
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
21.9%
State 30.2%
8.3pp below state avg
Suspension rate
5.4%
State 3.6%
1.8pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
15.2%
State 18.0%
2.7pp 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 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 Justin Garza High in Fresno, 46.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Justin Garza High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (20.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (53.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 50.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 303 students tested.

All students at this school: 39% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 39%, district —, state 36%39%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 33%, district 34%, state 32%33% · −6 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 37%, district 33%, state 32%37% · −2 vs school
MaleMale: this school 35%, district 36%, state 42%35% · −4 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 44%, district 39%, state 44%44% · +5 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 40%, district 47%, state 72%40% · +1 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 34%, district 33%, state 46%34% · −5 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 45%, district 49%, state 56%45% · +6 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 4%, district 7%, state 15%4% · −35 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 25%, district 26%, state 26%25% · −14 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 2%, district 9%, state 11%2% · −37 vs school

6 of 17 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 21.9%, district 24.4%, state 30.2%21.9% · −8.3pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 5.4%, district —, state 3.6%5.4% · +1.8pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1221.5%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
Justin Garza High
46/100
This school

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 23:1, district 24:123:1
Teaching staff95 teachers
Avg. experience11.3 years
Fully credentialed85%
First-year teachers2%
Intern / emergency permit2.0%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$59,013 – $119,880
Principal salary$130,684 – $142,700
Superintendent salary$270,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered20
AP exam qualifiers86 students
CTE pathway completers10 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,165, CA average $14,815$18,165 · spent at this school
Federal share$70 per student

$70 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$19,767 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 support12%
Student services12%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance11%
Other2%

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$12,844 per pupil
2019$12,002 per pupil
2018$11,995 per pupil
2017$11,136 per pupil
2016$10,390 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic58.8%
District 61.2% · CA 56.1%
Asian17.6%
District 17.8% · CA 10.2%
White12.8%
District 10.4% · CA 19.9%
Black7.6%
District 7.1% · CA 4.8%
Other3.2%
District 3.5% · CA 9.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 72.9% (9pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$129K · CA $85K
Median home value$492K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+28% · CA 35%
ZIP population14,726
Median age32 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 24% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Justin Garza High a good high school?

Justin Garza High has a Scope Score of 46 out of 100, placing it in the 52nd percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,047 statewide. 14.3% 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 Justin Garza High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 39.1% of students at Justin Garza High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 14.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.8% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 14.3% 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. 836 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Justin Garza High rank in California?

Justin Garza High ranks #1,047 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 52nd 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 Justin Garza High?

21.9% of students at Justin Garza 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 5.4%. 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 Justin Garza High compare to other schools in Fresno?

Justin Garza High scores 46/100 (52nd 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 2,095 students. Use the schools in Fresno page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Justin Garza High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Justin Garza High in Fresno, 46.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Justin Garza High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (20.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (53.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 50.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 303 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 Fresno →

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%
94.8%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 59th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
14.3%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 48th pctile
College readiness · 20%
32.5%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 48th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
39.1%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 52th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
21.9%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 57th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
5.4%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 42th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
15.2%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 48th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1141620%33%19%27%53%+6
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 114208%16%28%47%25%+1
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/114054%20%67%9%

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 Disadvantaged30346.9%+6+9
Hispanic/Latino23653.4%+13+15
Asian7753.3%−1−21
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Justin Garza High ←—4614.3%39.1%—5.4%
Central East High2.1 mi439.0%31.3%—2.4%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
94.8%
AP Exam Prepared
32.5%
A-G Completion
58.9%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20234965#75018.0%46.6%23.8%4.6%—
20244761#83816.2%43.5%22.2%5.6%—
20254652#104714.3%39.1%21.9%5.4%—
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female—23.3%—
Male—20.0%—
Asian—19.9%—
Black/African American—26.0%—
White—12.5%—
Hispanic/Latino—21.8%—
American Indian/Alaska Native—18.2%—
Two or More Races—24.2%—
Students with Disabilities—26.1%—
English Learners—27.4%—
Foster Youth—26.1%—
Homeless—42.1%—
Military-Connected—25.0%—
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged—23.9%—
All Students—21.5%—
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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