William & Marian Ghidotti High · Grass Valley

William & Marian Ghidotti High: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

William & Marian Ghidotti posts 79.2% exceeding the standard — versus 15.8% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.

250 Sierra College Drive, 95945·Nevada Joint Union High·Grass Valley·Grades 9-12·155 students·21% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 274-5270·Website

Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.

2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP

	Scope	% Exceeded	% Met+	Grad rate	College readiness	Absence	Suspension
This school	70	79%	94%	97.3%	6.1%	17.4%	1.1%
CA average · High School	44	16%	36%	87.6%	35.4%	30.2%	3.6%

This schoolCA avg

Scope7044

% Exceeded79%16%

% Met+94%36%

Grad rate97.3%87.6%

College readiness6.1%35.4%

Absence17.4%30.2%

Suspension1.1%3.6%

Scope Score

⭐ High Ceiling · Strong

ranked #111 statewide · #1 of 6 in Nevada Joint Union High

William & Marian Ghidotti High scores 70 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 95th 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 →

⭐ High Ceiling — Ask what happens for a kid who shows up behind — a high ceiling for the top can sit right next to thin support at the bottom, and the score alone won't show you which.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “94% proficient” and call it done. William & Marian Ghidotti deserves a closer read. It sits at the 95th percentile of 2,160 California high schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

The headline number: 79.2% of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 15.8%.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has held the 95th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard

ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 94% of students meet the standard today, above the 91% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade

Grade	2019	2022	2023	2024	2025
Grade 11	100%	97%	88%	100%	100%

Math — % met or exceeded, by grade

Grade	2019	2022	2023	2024	2025
Grade 11	81%	86%	61%	82%	89%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade

94%

State 36%

Graduate

97%

State 88%

Pass an AP exam

State 35%

Of 100 students here: 94 are proficient by 11th grade → 97 graduate → 6 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 6 things our score weighs

Graduation rate

97.3%

State 87.6%

9.7pp above state avg

Exceeded standard

79.2%

State 15.8%

63.3pp above state avg

College readiness

6.1%

State 35.4%

AP exam pass rate below state avg

Met or exceeded

94.5%

State 35.7%

58.7pp above state avg

Chronic absenteeism

17.4%

State 30.2%

12.8pp below state avg

Suspension rate

1.1%

State 3.6%

2.5pp 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

All students at this school: 94% met or exceeded

All Students94%

White93% · −1 vs school

Female92% · −3 vs school

Male97% · +3 vs school

Socioeconomically Disadvantaged91% · −4 vs school

Asian‹11

Hispanic/Latino‹11

Two or More Races‹11

Military-Connected‹11

this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeism17.4% · −12.8pp vs state

Suspension rate1.1% · −2.5pp vs state

Chronic absenteeism by grade band

Grades 9–1211.5%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score

Student : teacher39:1

Teaching staff7 teachers

Avg. experience10.4 years

Fully credentialed94%

First-year teachers14%

Salary Schedule

Teacher salary schedule$58,624 – $112,427

Principal salary$0 – $149,840

Superintendent salary$199,995

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth

AP courses offered0

AP exam qualifiers2 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spending$14,283 · spent at this school

These measure different things: this figure is spending attributed to this campus, while district-wide figures also include central administration, districtwide programs, and the state's pension contributions made on the district's behalf — costs that never get assigned to a single school. The district number runs higher at nearly every school, not just this one.

Federal share$115 per student

$115 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,072 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

Instruction51%

Instruction support10%

Student services14%

Administration9%

Buildings & maintenance12%

Other4%

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$16,445 per pupil

2019$15,655 per pupil

2018$15,562 per pupil

2017$13,353 per pupil

2016$12,128 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White75.5%

District 71.8% · CA 19.9%

Hispanic12.9%

District 17.6% · CA 56.1%

Other7.7%

District 9.1% · CA 9.0%

Asian3.2%

District 0.9% · CA 10.2%

Black0.7%

District 0.7% · CA 4.8%

GenderFemale 42.6%Male 55.5%Non-binary 1.9%

Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 21.3% (43pp below CA avg)

Neighborhood — American Community Survey

Median income$66K · CA $85K

Median home value$540K · CA $659K

Bachelor's degree+35% · CA 35%

ZIP population27,470

Median age50 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 155 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 92% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is William & Marian Ghidotti High a good high school?

William & Marian Ghidotti High has a Scope Score of 70 out of 100, placing it in the 95th percentile of California high schools and ranked #111 statewide. 79.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 63.3 percentage points above 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 William & Marian Ghidotti High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 94.5% of students at William & Marian Ghidotti High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 79.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 15.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 79.2% 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. 72 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does William & Marian Ghidotti High rank in California?

William & Marian Ghidotti High ranks #111 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 95th 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 William & Marian Ghidotti High?

17.4% of students at William & Marian Ghidotti 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 1.1%, 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 William & Marian Ghidotti High compare to other schools in Grass Valley?

William & Marian Ghidotti High scores 70/100 (95th 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 155 students. Use the schools in Grass Valley page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does William & Marian Ghidotti High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At William & Marian Ghidotti High in Grass Valley, 100.0% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 66.5% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. William & Marian Ghidotti High outperforms its district average for white students by 33.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (86.2% Math proficient). 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 High Schools

3 within ~3 mi · avg 45

Nevada Union High

Nevada Joint Union High · 0.5 mi

53Solid

North Point Academy

Nevada Joint Union High · 0.5 mi

47Developing

Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning

Nevada Joint Union High · 2.7 mi

36Developing

See more on map →

Nearby Elementary Schools

3 within ~3 mi · avg 39

Yuba River Charter

Nevada County Office of Education · 1.8 mi

40Developing

Grass Valley Charter

Grass Valley Elementary · 1.4 mi

40Developing

Union Hill Elementary

Union Hill Elementary · 2.1 mi

37Developing

See more on map →

Nearby Middle Schools

2 within ~3 mi · avg 39

Seven Hills Intermediate

Nevada City Elementary · 1.7 mi

45Developing

Lyman Gilmore Middle

Grass Valley Elementary · 1.5 mi

33Developing

See more on map →

All schools in Grass Valley →

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%

97.3%

↑ vs CA 87.6% · 62th pctile

Exceeded standard · 22%

79.2%

↑ vs CA 15.8% · 100th pctile

College readiness · 20%

6.1%

↓ vs CA 35.4% · 33th pctile

Met or exceeded · 18%

94.5%

↑ vs CA 35.7% · 92th pctile

Chronic absenteeism · 5%

17.4%

↑ vs CA 30.2% · 60th pctile

Suspension rate · 5%

1.1%

↑ vs CA 3.6% · 61th pctile

02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students

ELA	Tested	EXC	MET	NEAR	NOT	MET+	+/CA
Grade 11	36	89%	11%	0%	0%	100%	+53

Math	Tested	EXC	MET	NEAR	NOT	MET+	+/CA
Grade 11	36	69%	19%	11%	0%	89%	+66

Science (CAST)	Tested	EXC	MET	NEAR	NOT
Grade 5/8/11	36	58%	33%	8%	0%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELA	Tested	MET+	vs district	vs CA
White	29	100.0%	+33	+38

03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score

School	Dist	Scope	EXC	MET+	Growth	Susp
William & Marian Ghidotti High ←	—	70	79.2%	94.5%	—	1.1%
Nevada Union High	0.5 mi	53	24.5%	46.1%	—	3.9%
North Point Academy	0.5 mi	47	17.7%	38.7%	—	1.9%
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning	2.7 mi	36	13.6%	27.2%	—	10.0%
California average	—	44	15.8%	35.7%	—	3.6%

04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score

Graduation Rate

97.3%

AP Exam Prepared

6.1%

A-G Completion

97.2%

A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility

College-Going Rate

94.3%

Year	Scope	Pctile	Rank	Exc	Met+	Absent	Susp	Growth
2019	71	93	#142	65.9%	90.6%	13.9%	1.7%	—
2022	70	94	#120	75.7%	91.4%	21.9%	1.3%	—
2023	59	84	#352	38.5%	74.1%	18.9%	1.5%	—
2024	69	95	#114	62.0%	91.2%	19.1%	1.3%	—
2025	70	95	#111	79.2%	94.5%	17.4%	1.1%	—

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

Group	2019	2025	Δ
Female	13.4%	11.9%	-1.5pp
Male	1.4%	11.5%	+10.1pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged	9.2%	15.8%	+6.6pp
All Students	8.2%	11.5%	+3.3pp
Hispanic/Latino	—	15.0%	—
Two or More Races	—	9.1%	—

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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