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Maxwell Sr High · Maxwell

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

Maxwell Sr posts 27% meeting the standard and 2.9% exceeding it, against 36% and 15.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

515 Oak Street, 95955 (opens in new tab)·Maxwell Unified·Maxwell·Grades 9-12·117 students·72% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 438-2291·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3844
% Exceeded3%16%
% Met+27%36%
Grad rate100.0%87.6%
College readiness0.0%35.4%
Absence12.4%30.2%
Suspension3.4%3.6%
Scope Score
38
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,420 statewide

Maxwell Sr High scores 38 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 34th 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 “27% proficient” and call it done. Maxwell Sr deserves a closer read. The school sits in Maxwell, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 12.4% chronic absenteeism — versus 30.2% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 34th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELARed(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 27% meet the standard today, versus 31% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1146%33%32%46%37%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1116%21%5%23%17%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
27%
State 36%
Graduate
100%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
0%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 27 are proficient by 11th grade → 100 graduate → 0 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
100.0%
State 87.6%
12.4pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
2.9%
State 15.8%
13.0pp below state avg
College readiness
0.0%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
27.1%
State 35.7%
8.6pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
12.4%
State 30.2%
17.8pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.4%
State 3.6%
0.2pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
14.3%
State 18.0%
3.7pp 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 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 Maxwell Sr High in Maxwell, 31.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 28.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Maxwell Sr High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 2.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (36.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 6.1 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 29 students tested.

All students at this school: 27% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 27%, district —, state 36%27%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 22%, district 24%, state 32%22% · −5 vs school
MaleMale: this school 34%, district 41%, state 42%34% · +7 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 25%, district 25%, state 32%25% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 15%, district 15%, state 44%15% · −12 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 31%, district 30%, state 56%31% · +4 vs school
HomelessHomeless: too few students to report‹11
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: too few students to report‹11
English LearnersEnglish Learners: 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 12.4%, district 11.8%, state 30.2%12.4% · −17.8pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.4%, district —, state 3.6%3.4% · −0.2pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–124.2%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
Maxwell Sr High
38/100
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 12:1, district 17:112:1
Teaching staff12 teachers
Avg. experience12.9 years
Fully credentialed67%
First-year teachers17%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$56,377 – $105,615
Principal salary$129,032 – $0
Superintendent salary$161,942

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered0
CTE pathway completers1 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $23,266, CA average $14,815$23,266 · spent at this school
District current expense · FY 2024–25$19,562 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 services6%
Administration11%
Buildings & maintenance12%
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$14,594 per pupil
2019$12,971 per pupil
2018$13,424 per pupil
2017$12,410 per pupil
2016$12,914 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic61.5%
District 57.1% · CA 56.1%
White36.8%
District 38.1% · CA 19.9%
Other1.7%
District 3.6% · CA 9.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 71.8% (8pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median home value$405K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+17% · CA 35%
ZIP population1,405
Median age32 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 117 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 40% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Maxwell Sr High a good high school?

Maxwell Sr High has a Scope Score of 38 out of 100, placing it in the 34th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,420 statewide. 2.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 13.0 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 Maxwell Sr High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 27.1% of students at Maxwell Sr High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 2.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 2.9% 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. 70 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Maxwell Sr High rank in California?

Maxwell Sr High ranks #1,420 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 34th 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 Maxwell Sr High?

12.4% of students at Maxwell Sr 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 3.4%. 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 Maxwell Sr High compare to other schools in Maxwell?

Maxwell Sr High scores 38/100 (34th 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 117 students. Use the schools in Maxwell page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Maxwell Sr High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Maxwell Sr High in Maxwell, 31.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 28.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Maxwell Sr High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 2.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (36.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 6.1 percentage points for low-income 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

All schools in Maxwell →

A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means

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%
100.0%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 65th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
2.9%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 36th pctile
College readiness · 20%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 29th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
27.1%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 44th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
12.4%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 65th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.4%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 51th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
14.3%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 48th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 11353%34%40%23%37%−10
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 11353%14%34%49%17%−6
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11254%36%60%0%

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%+2−7
Hispanic/Latino2236.4%+5−2
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Maxwell Sr High ←—382.9%27.1%—3.4%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
100.0%
AP Exam Prepared
Not offered
This school may not offer AP courses
A-G Completion
44.4%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
59.1%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194037#12906.3%30.9%14.2%7.3%—
20223939#12696.3%27.1%20.2%2.2%—
20233633#14412.3%18.4%21.3%3.5%—
20244142#12459.6%34.6%19.6%4.7%—
20253834#14202.9%27.1%12.4%3.4%—
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
Female8.2%5.7%-2.5pp
Male5.4%3.0%-2.4pp
Hispanic/Latino1.6%4.2%+2.6pp
Students with Disabilities11.8%10.0%-1.8pp
English Learners3.8%6.5%+2.7pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged6.5%4.4%-2.1pp
All Students6.7%4.2%-2.5pp
Homeless—8.8%—
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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