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Amador County Unified: Amador County Unified schools score 9.7 points below the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 3.7 points.

Below Average2024–25 data11 schools · avg 35.1/100

Amador County Unified has 11 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 35.1/100 — 9.7 points below the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Argonaut High at 51/100, where 12.6% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $11,146 per student (below the state average of $14,815). Chronic absenteeism averages 27.0%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.

Avg Scope Score
35.1
State avg: 44.8
SchoolScope composite
Score Range
29.9
21.1 – 51.0
Avg Exceeded %
10.5%
State avg: 21.3%
Chronic Absenteeism
27.0%
State avg: 17.9%
Schools Ranked
11
With Scope Scores
LevelAvg ScoreSchoolsExceededAbsent
ElementaryDeveloping
34.2/100
711.7%21.0%
MiddleNeeds Support
23.4/100
15.0%29.4%
HighDeveloping
41.1/100
39.5%40.3%

Amador County Unified's high schools average 41.1/100 — 2.6 points below the state average.

K–12 pipeline

The typical school path in Amador County Unified, top-scoring shown first.

Elementary
34.2
avg score · 7 schools
Sutter Creek Elementary
Developing
44/100
Jackson Elementary
Developing
41/100
+4 more elementary schools
Middle
23.4
avg score · 1 school
Ione Junior High
Needs Support
23/100
High
41.1
avg score · 3 schools
Argonaut High
Solid
51/100
Amador High
Developing
50/100

District Analysis

Amador County Unified has 11 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 35.1/100 — 9.7 points below the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Strongest level: Amador County Unified's high schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 41.1.

District-wide elementary growth averages -3.7pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.

Score range of 29.9 points — showing notable variation between schools.

District chronic absenteeism averages 27.0%, 9.1pp above the state average of 17.9%.

District suspension rate averages 6.4%, above the state average of 1.6%.

Argonaut High leads the district at 51 with 12.6% exceeding standard.

How we score · Scope Score methodology

School archetypes in Amador County Unified

3 On the Rise8 Building Momentum

Hidden gems: 3 schools in Amador County Unified are classified as On the Rise (3) — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.

Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more

Student demographics

Hispanic
25.9%
White
62.4%
Asian
0.6%
Black
0.7%
Other
10.4%
Free/Reduced Lunch
42%
Economic need indicator · district avg

District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data

District Funding

Amador County Unified spends $11,146 per student in current expenditures — $3,669 below the state average of $14,815.

Per-Pupil Spending
$11,146
State avg: $14,815
District Enrollment
3,889
Students for funding calc
2016–2020 Trend
↑ 21.8%
$9,154 → $11,146
Spending Efficiency
3.15
Scope Score per $1K spent
Spending Breakdown
Instruction 57%Support 40%Other 3%
NCES F-33 Finance · District-level data — not school-specific

Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020

For the data nerds

Every school in Amador County Unified

ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP

Elementary Schools (7)

Amador County Unified has 7 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 34.2 — 10.6 points below the state average of 44.8.

Growth averages -3.7pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.

The highest-scoring elementary school is Sutter Creek Elementary with a Scope Score of 44 and 21.2% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Sutter Creek Elementary
Amador County Unified Building Momentum
21.2%Developing
44/100
2Pioneer Magnet School for the Visual and Performin
Amador County Unified Building Momentum
17.8%Developing
42/100
3Jackson Elementary
Amador County Unified On the Rise
9.0%Developing
41/100
4North Star Academy
Amador County Unified Building Momentum
10.0%Developing
40/100
5Ione Elementary
Amador County Unified Building Momentum
5.4%Needs Support
28/100
6Pine Grove Elementary STEM Magnet
Amador County Unified On the Rise
7.9%Needs Support
24/100
7Plymouth Elementary
Amador County Unified Building Momentum
10.7%Needs Support
21/100

Middle Schools (1)

Amador County Unified has 1 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 23.4 — 19.2 points below the state average of 42.6.

Grade-to-grade growth averages +10.8pp — schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.

The highest-scoring middle school is Ione Junior High with a Scope Score of 23 and 5.0% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Ione Junior High
Amador County Unified On the Rise
5.0%Needs Support
23/100

High Schools (3)

Amador County Unified has 3 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 41.1 — 2.6 points below the state average of 43.7.

The highest-scoring high school is Argonaut High with a Scope Score of 51 and 12.6% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Argonaut High
Amador County Unified Building Momentum
12.6%Solid
51/100
2Amador High
Amador County Unified Building Momentum
15.7%Developing
50/100
3Independence High (Continuation)
Amador County Unified Building Momentum
0.0%Needs Support
22/100
Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 11 schoolsMethodology · Explore all schools

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology

Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.

What Scope Scores can't tell you about Amador County Unified

Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology

Frequently asked questions

Is Amador County Unified a good school district?
Amador County Unified has 11 ranked schools averaging a Scope Score of 35.1/100, which is 9.7 points below the state average. 10.5% of students exceed the state standard on average. The Scope Score measures academic performance and school climate across seven dimensions. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What is the best school in Amador County Unified?
The highest-scoring school in Amador County Unified is Argonaut High with a Scope Score of 51/100 and 12.6% exceeding standard. See methodology.
How much does Amador County Unified spend per student?
Amador County Unified spends $11,146 per student in current expenditures. The state average is $14,815. Spending data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data Fiscal Survey (F-33). Higher spending does not automatically mean better outcomes — the Scope Score measures what happens in the classroom regardless of budget.
What does the Scope Score measure?
The Scope Score is SchoolScope's proprietary composite rating (0–100) based on seven dimensions of publicly available California school data: the exceeded-vs-met standard split, overall proficiency, grade-level growth, chronic absenteeism, suspension rate, ELPAC English Learner proficiency, and baseline proficiency. Full methodology and weights.