ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in
Willits Charter · Willits

Willits Charter: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Willits Charter posts low test scores — and test scores are one lens among several. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

1431 South Main Street, 95490 (opens in new tab)·Willits Unified·Willits·Grades 6-12·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(707) 459-5506·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope2743
% Exceeded6%17%
% Met+26%39%
Growth-3.9+1.5
Absence36.7%18.5%
Suspension8.1%3.7%
Scope Score
27
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,913 statewide · #1 of 3 in Willits Unified

Willits Charter scores 27 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 15th percentile of 2,238 California middle 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 “26% proficient” and call it done. Willits Charter deserves a closer read. It sits at the 15th percentile of 2,238 California middle schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.

As a charter, Willits Charter enrolls by application rather than address. That changes how you get in, but it doesn't change the score.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Slipped from the 38th to the 15th percentile since 2019.

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 26% meet the standard today, versus 30% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 635%31%27%38%36%
Grade 742%57%25%8%52%
Grade 857%24%32%25%20%
Grade 11——55%—50%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 64%27%32%20%7%
Grade 727%39%7%8%29%
Grade 817%19%29%7%15%
Grade 11——18%—17%

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

32%
64%
Grade 6 · 36% proficient
45%
48%
Grade 7 · 52% proficient
10%
10%
80%
Grade 8 · 20% proficient

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
6.3%
State 16.8%
10.6pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-3.9pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
26.4%
State 39.3%
12.9pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
36.7%
State 18.5%
18.2pp above state avg
Suspension rate
8.1%
State 3.7%
4.5pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.

  • Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
  • Ask what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
  • Ask what changes between grade 6 and grade 8 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • 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.

How every group of students does here

At Willits Charter in Willits, 25.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 17.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Willits Charter outperforms its district average for low-income students by 8.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (12.1% Math proficient); White students (36.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 14.4 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 51 students tested.

All students at this school: 28% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 28%, district —, state 39%28%
WhiteWhite: this school 28%, district 15%, state 56%28% · −1 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 19%, district 13%, state 32%19% · −9 vs school
MaleMale: this school 31%, district 13%, state 42%31% · +2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 17%, district 17%, state 44%17% · −12 vs school

7 of 12 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 11.0pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +2.7pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 36.7%, district 36.2%, state 18.5%36.7% · +18.2pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 8.1%, district —, state 3.7%8.1% · +4.5pp vs state

Where the path goes

Willits Charter serves grades 6-12 — students can complete middle and high school here, without a separate middle-to-high transition.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Teaching staff12 teachers
Avg. experience10.0 years
Fully credentialed32%
First-year teachers25%
Intern / emergency permit6.6%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$57,887 – $114,866
Principal salary$131,878 – $152,799
Superintendent salary$200,416

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $13,882, CA average $14,815$13,882 · district average
District current expense · FY 2024–25$22,689 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
Instruction58%
Instruction support11%
Student services10%
Administration8%
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$13,882 per pupil
2019$13,132 per pupil
2018$14,219 per pupil
2017$11,286 per pupil
2016$10,756 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White64.2%
District 36.4% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic21.1%
District 32.8% · CA 56.1%
Other13.8%
District 29.6% · CA 9.0%
Asian0.8%
District 0.6% · CA 10.2%
GenderFemale 43.9%Male 52.0%Non-binary 4.1%
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$80K · CA $85K
Median home value$393K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+25% · CA 35%
ZIP population14,677
Median age44 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 36% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Willits Charter a good middle school?

Willits Charter has a Scope Score of 27 out of 100, placing it in the 15th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,913 statewide. 6.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 10.6 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 6-to-8 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), 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 Willits Charter's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 26.4% of students at Willits Charter met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 6.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 20.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 6.3% 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. 153 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Willits Charter rank in California?

Willits Charter ranks #1,913 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 15th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 growth), 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.

Is Willits Charter getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Willits Charter decreases by 3.9 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the middle Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Willits Charter?

36.7% of students at Willits Charter are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 8.1%. 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 Willits Charter compare to other schools in Willits?

Willits Charter scores 27/100 (15th percentile) among California middle schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. Use the schools in Willits page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Willits Charter serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Willits Charter in Willits, 25.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 17.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Willits Charter outperforms its district average for low-income students by 8.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (12.1% Math proficient); White students (36.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 14.4 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 51 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 Willits →

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

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

How to get into a charter school in LA →
For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 38%
6.3%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 38th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-3.9pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 41th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
26.4%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 40th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
36.7%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 25th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
8.1%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 32th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 6284%32%36%29%36%−11
Grade 7297%45%24%24%52%+4
Grade 82010%10%35%45%20%−26
Grade 111217%33%17%33%50%+3
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 6280%7%32%61%7%−28
Grade 7287%21%29%43%29%−5
Grade 82010%5%30%55%15%−17
Grade 11120%17%25%58%17%−7
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11366%31%58%6%

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 Disadvantaged5125.5%+8−13
White6036.7%+15−25
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Willits Charter ←—276.3%26.4%−3.98.1%
Baechtel Grove Middle0.3 mi222.4%12.8%+2.817.6%
California average—4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193438#12516.3%30.4%22.2%3.0%+17.4pp
20222622#16946.9%32.8%27.8%3.4%-7.4pp
20233741#12816.4%25.4%40.6%1.7%+0.8pp
2024199#20126.7%17.6%40.9%13.1%-12.8pp
20252715#19136.3%26.4%36.7%8.1%-3.9pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Scored here as a middle school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 13 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle 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