School district · Kern County

Bakersfield City schools

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Schools around Bakersfield City

39 listed public schools with mapped locations

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School locations, not attendance boundaries. Confirm eligibility with the district.

2025 · school stage

Elementary schools

Bakersfield City’s 33 public elementary schools run from the bottom 1% to the 64th percentile among the 5,721 California elementary schools we score (spring 2025 tests).

See how these schools sit across California
Needs Support25 in 100Developing25 in 100Solid25 in 100Strong25 in 100
Needs Support25 in 100Developing25 in 100Solid25 in 100Strong25 in 100
25Needs Support
5Developing
3Solid
0Strong
Top row: one dot per Bakersfield City school, in its band colour. Bottom: each dot is 1 in 100 of the 5,721 California public elementary schools we score. All placed by Scope Score on spring 2025 tests.

Highest in Bakersfield City

Statewide percentile

Bessie E. Owens and Downtown are 1 percentile apart; treat that as a tie.

Context

The average Bakersfield City elementary school had 18 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2024–25; the average California elementary school had 18 in 100.

Show the other 23 elementary schools

The other 23 elementary schools

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level.

2025 · school stage

Middle schools

Bakersfield City’s 7 public middle schools run from the 2nd to the 84th percentile among the 2,177 California middle schools we score (spring 2025 tests).

See how these schools sit across California
Needs Support25 in 100Developing25 in 100Solid25 in 100Strong25 in 100
Needs Support25 in 100Developing25 in 100Solid25 in 100Strong25 in 100
5Needs Support
0Developing
1Solid
1Strong
Top row: one dot per Bakersfield City school, in its band colour. Bottom: each dot is 1 in 100 of the 2,177 California public middle schools we score. All placed by Scope Score on spring 2025 tests.

Middle schools in Bakersfield City

Statewide percentile
Context

The average Bakersfield City middle school had 19 in 100 students chronically absent in 2024–25; the average California middle school had 18 in 100.

District context

Understand the system around the school

The district behind the schools

Spending, FY 2024–25

District finance · FY 2024–25

Where the district's dollars go.

Bakersfield City spent $22,638 per student in FY 2024–25 — $2,147 more than the median California district ($20,491), about 10% higher. About 65 cents of every dollar goes to classroom instruction.

Current expense per student

Current expense of education per unit of average daily attendance, from the district's annual SACS filing to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus. Spending is context, not a measure of school quality.

Share by function

  • Instruction65%
  • Instruction support11%
  • Student services10%
  • Administration5%
  • Buildings & maintenance9%

Shares of the same current-expense total, by SACS function. Names are simplified from the filing's own categories.

Students, staff and money

The system behind the schools

The people behind the classrooms — district-grain context that never enters a school's score.

People
Teacher salary range$59,232–$118,012
Teaching staff1,677 · FTE
District enrollment29,307 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 82.2% · White 7.6% · Black 7.8% · Asian 0.6% · Other 1.8%
Free/reduced lunch88% · economic need indicator

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule 2024–25 · CDE enrollment (district averages)

More places to look

Cities in the district

Districts nearby

A district outline or ZIP code doesn’t decide which school a child attends. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district. See these schools on the map ›

Common questions

Are the public schools in Bakersfield City good?
Bakersfield City’s 33 public elementary schools run from the bottom 1% to the 64th percentile among the 5,721 California elementary schools we score (spring 2025 tests). By band: 3 Solid, 5 Developing and 25 Needs Support. Bakersfield City’s 7 public middle schools run from the 2nd to the 84th percentile among the 2,177 California middle schools we score (spring 2025 tests). By band: 1 Strong, 1 Solid and 5 Needs Support. A percentile compares a school with California public schools at the same level that we score; it isn’t a grade. How we score schools.
Which public schools in Bakersfield City rank highest?
Elementary: Bessie E. Owens Elementary, 64th percentile statewide (Solid). Middle: Downtown Elementary, 84th percentile statewide (Strong). Each level is ranked separately, and a few percentiles apart is a tie. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.
How does chronic absence in Bakersfield City compare with California?
The average Bakersfield City elementary school had 18 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2024–25; the average California elementary school had 18 in 100. The average Bakersfield City middle school had 19 in 100 students chronically absent in 2024–25; the average California middle school had 18 in 100. These are averages of school rates: each school counts once, whatever its size.
Does living in Bakersfield City decide which school my child attends?
Not by itself. Attendance boundaries, programs, transfers and space all matter. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
Where do these results come from?
California’s state tests (CAASPP) from spring 2025 and chronic-absence rates for 2024–25, both published by the California Department of Education. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations, not official state ratings. Private schools don’t take the state tests, so we don’t score them. Methodology and limitations.

Sources & methodology

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

Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations, not official state ratings. Use them alongside school visits and questions about your child’s needs.

View CDE data ↗How Scope Scores work →

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