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Willits High · Willits

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

Willits 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.

299 North Main Street, 95490 (opens in new tab)·Willits Unified·Willits·Grades 9-12·397 students·51% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(707) 459-7700
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope2744
% Exceeded2%16%
% Met+12%36%
Grad rate88.8%87.6%
College readiness3.7%35.4%
Absence41.1%30.2%
Suspension10.3%3.6%
Scope Score
27
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,744 statewide · #2 of 3 in Willits Unified

Willits High scores 27 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 19th 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.

Most rating sites would stop at “12% proficient” and call it done. Willits deserves a closer read. The school sits in Willits, where more than half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

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.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Slipped from the 32nd to the 19th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELARed(Declined Significantly)MathRed(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 12% meet the standard today, versus 29% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1142%33%34%25%20%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1115%11%15%10%5%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
12%
State 36%
Graduate
89%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
4%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 12 are proficient by 11th grade → 89 graduate → 4 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
88.8%
State 87.6%
1.2pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
1.8%
State 15.8%
14.1pp below state avg
College readiness
3.7%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
12.2%
State 35.7%
23.5pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
41.1%
State 30.2%
10.9pp above state avg
Suspension rate
10.3%
State 3.6%
6.7pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
11.5%
State 18.0%
6.4pp below 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 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.

How every group of students does here

At Willits High in Willits, 11.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 17.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Willits High trails its district average for low-income students by 5.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (2.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (12.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 7.9 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 42 students tested.

All students at this school: 12% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 12%, district —, state 36%12%
FemaleFemale: this school 12%, district 17%, state 44%12% · +0 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 7%, district 13%, state 32%7% · −5 vs school
MaleMale: this school 10%, district 13%, state 42%10% · −2 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 8%, district 13%, state 32%8% · −4 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 16%, district 15%, state 56%16% · +3 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 21%, district 19%, state 56%21% · +9 vs school
American Indian/Alaska NativeAmerican Indian/Alaska Native: this school 9%, district 8%, state 29%9% · −3 vs school

5 of 13 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 41.1%, district 36.2%, state 30.2%41.1% · +10.9pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 10.3%, district —, state 3.6%10.3% · +6.7pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1242.7%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

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 14:1, district 18:114:1
Teaching staff31 teachers
Avg. experience9.8 years
Fully credentialed85%
First-year teachers3%
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.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered4
AP exam qualifiers2 students
CTE pathway completers42 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $25,686, CA average $14,815$25,686 · spent at this school
Federal share$365 per student

$365 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

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

White37.5%
District 36.4% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic36.0%
District 32.8% · CA 56.1%
Other23.7%
District 29.6% · CA 9.0%
Black1.5%
District 0.6% · CA 4.8%
Asian1.3%
District 0.6% · CA 10.2%
GenderFemale 45.3%Male 53.1%Non-binary 1.5%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 50.6% (13pp below CA avg)
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

At 397 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Willits High a good high school?

Willits High has a Scope Score of 27 out of 100, placing it in the 19th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,744 statewide. 1.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 14.1 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 Willits High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 12.2% of students at Willits High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 1.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 10.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 1.8% 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. 172 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Willits High rank in California?

Willits High ranks #1,744 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 19th 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 Willits High?

41.1% of students at Willits High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 10.3%. 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 High compare to other schools in Willits?

Willits High scores 27/100 (19th 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 397 students. Use the schools in Willits page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At Willits High in Willits, 11.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 17.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Willits High trails its district average for low-income students by 5.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (2.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (12.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 7.9 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 42 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


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%
88.8%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 51th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
1.8%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 35th pctile
College readiness · 20%
3.7%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 32th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
12.2%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 33th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
41.1%
↓ vs CA 30.2% · 41th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
10.3%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 20th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
11.5%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 43th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 11861%19%31%49%20%−27
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 11862%2%16%79%5%−19
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11871%3%75%21%

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 Disadvantaged4211.9%−6−26
Hispanic/Latino3212.5%−4−26
White2927.6%+6−34
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Willits High ←271.8%12.2%10.3%
Sanhedrin Alternative0.2 mi240.0%9.3%2.1%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
88.8%
AP Exam Prepared
3.7%
A-G Completion
45.1%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
51.9%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193732#13859.7%28.8%20.8%6.6%
20223125#15765.8%22.4%50.4%7.9%
20233025#16154.7%24.2%39.1%11.6%
20242923#16513.7%17.4%36.8%9.6%
20252719#17441.8%12.2%41.1%10.3%
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 26 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female19.8%41.6%+21.8pp
Male19.8%43.0%+23.2pp
Filipino20.6%50.0%+29.4pp
Hispanic/Latino13.2%39.7%+26.5pp
American Indian/Alaska Native39.1%35.3%-3.8pp
Two or More Races25.0%52.9%+27.9pp
Students with Disabilities30.2%62.5%+32.3pp
English Learners9.5%47.2%+37.7pp
Foster Youth55.6%
Homeless30.0%
Military-Connected7.9%34.9%+27.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged22.5%49.0%+26.5pp
All Students19.8%42.7%+22.9pp
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