Schools
7
listed public schools. We score three middle and one high.
School district · San Bernardino County
Barstow Unified schools
Barstow Unified’s 3 public middle schools have Scope Scores from 62 to 68. Its high school has a Scope Score of 71.
75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state.
Students
6,128
in the October 2024–25 enrollment count.
Spending
$20,973
per student in 2024–25. The typical California district spent $20,491.
The path
What is the path through the district?
Barstow Unified has three middle schools and one high school that we score.
Middle · 3 schools
- Barstow STEM AcademyScope Score 68
- Independent Study ProgramScope Score 64
- Barstow Junior HighScope Score 62
High · grades 9–12
Barstow High
Scope Score 71
Developing · 28th percentile
Each score compares a school with California schools at its own level. The levels are not one ranking. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
Elementary schools
Which elementary schools are in Barstow Unified?
No public elementary school we score has an address in Barstow Unified.
1 elementary school not ranked statewide
Students are placed here by probation, district or voluntary referral, including after an expulsion, so we don’t rank it.
- Challenges Community DayCommunity day school
Middle schools
Which middle schools in Barstow Unified score highest?
Barstow STEM Academy is highest, with a Scope Score of 68. That is higher than 9 in 100 California middle schools we score.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Barstow STEM Academy
Barstow · Grades 5–8 · 454 students · Check how it admits students.
1678% below the standard
Scope Score 68Needs Support · 9th percentile
Rank 2
Independent Study Program
Barstow · Grades 5–12 · Check how it admits students.
98% below the standard
Scope Score 64Needs Support · bottom 1%
Rank 3
Barstow Junior High
Barstow · Grades 5–8 · 646 students
95% below the standard
Scope Score 62Needs Support · bottom 1%
The average middle school in Barstow Unified had 50 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California middle school we score had 18 in 100.
Each score compares a school with the 2,529 California middle schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days. Each figure is an average of school rates. Each school counts once.
High schools
Where does the high school we score in Barstow Unified stand?
Barstow High has a Scope Score of 71. That is higher than 28 in 100 California high schools we score. It is the only public high school we score in Barstow Unified.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Barstow High
Barstow · Grades 9–12 · 1,558 students
1973% below the standard
Scope Score 71Developing · 28th percentile
2 high schools not ranked statewide
Continuation schools and court and community schools enroll students differently from a regular school, so each is compared only with its own kind or not ranked.
- Central High (Continuation)Continuation high school
- BUSD School of OpportunityCommunity day school
Each score compares a school with the 1,498 California high schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2025. The state called the top two levels Exceeded and Met in spring 2025.
Against California
How does the district compare with California?
50 in 100 students at the average middle school here were chronically absent. The California figure is 18 in 100.
Students who miss a lot of school
Average middle school, students in 100
Barstow Unified50 in 100
California18 in 100
Students from low-income families
Qualify for free or reduced-price meals
Barstow Unified76%
California63%
Spending per student
Day-to-day spending, 2024–25
Barstow Unified$20,973
Typical district$20,491
English learners who moved up a level
On the state’s English test (ELPAC)
Barstow Unified44%
California47%
Absence: averages of school rates, each middle school counted once, 2025–26. Meals: 4,678 of 6,118 students, 2024–25, summed from the state’s meal counts for every school listed under the district, charters included. Spending: day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, 2024–25. The typical district is the middle one when California districts are put in order. English learners: From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 44% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (180 of 412 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent. Source: California Department of Education, English learner progress files.
The district
Where does Barstow Unified’s money go?
About 62 cents of every Barstow Unified dollar went to classroom instruction.
$20,973
spent per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491.
Every dollar, by what it paid for
62¢11¢10¢10¢7¢
- Instruction62%
- Instruction support11%
- Student services10%
- Administration10%
- Buildings & maintenance7%
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $44.9 million into 85 funded actions in 14 goals. That is 34% of its $132.7 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts. The district reports what it spent in a later plan.
Spending is day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education, 2024–25. It covers the whole district, including central administration. Shares are rounded so they add up to 100. Planned amounts are from the yearly spending plan (LCAP) as posted to the California School Dashboard.
State records
Who attends, and is the state giving extra help?
6,128 students were enrolled in the October 2024–25 count. The state is giving Barstow Unified extra help in 2026.
Who goes to the district’s schools
- Hispanic or Latino 59%
- Black or African American 18%
- White 14%
- Two or more races 7%
- Other or not reported 2%
Is the state giving the district extra help?
The state is giving Barstow Unified extra help in 2026. A student group had the Dashboard’s lowest results (red) on two or more measures three years in a row. It also qualified the year before.
Which students, on which measures
- Homeless studentsEnglish, graduation and suspensions
- Low-income studentsmath and suspensions
4 schools getting state support, 2025–26
- Barstow Junior HighExtra targeted support: Black or African American students, homeless students and White students
- Cameron ElementaryExtra targeted support: homeless students and students of two or more races
- Central High (Continuation)Most intensive support, graduation rate
- Henderson ElementaryExtra targeted support: students with disabilities
Common questions
What do parents ask about this district?
Are the public schools in Barstow Unified good?
Barstow Unified’s 3 public middle schools have Scope Scores from 62 to 68. Of those, 3 are Needs Support. Barstow Unified has one public high school we score. Barstow High has a Scope Score of 71. It is Developing, at the 28th percentile. 75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How we score schools.
Which public schools in Barstow Unified rank highest?
Barstow STEM Academy is the highest middle school, with a Scope Score of 68. It is Needs Support, at the 9th percentile. Barstow High is the only high school we score here. It has a Scope Score of 71. It is Developing, at the 28th percentile. Each score compares a school with the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.
How does chronic absence in Barstow Unified compare with California?
The average middle school in Barstow Unified had 50 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California middle school we score had 18 in 100. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days. Each figure is an average of school rates. Each school counts once.
How much does Barstow Unified spend per student?
Barstow Unified spent $20,973 per student in the 2024–25 school year. That’s close to the typical California district, which spent $20,491. About 62 cents of every Barstow Unified dollar went to classroom instruction. Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from its annual financial report to the California Department of Education. The district’s spending, by function.
What is in Barstow Unified’s 2026–27 spending plan?
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $44.9 million into 85 funded actions in 14 goals. That is 34% of its $132.7 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $19.6 million, 44% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.
Does living in the Barstow Unified district 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?
The test results are from California’s state tests (CAASPP). They are from spring 2026 for elementary and middle schools. The results are from spring 2025 for high schools. Chronic-absence rates are for 2025–26. The California Department of Education publishes both. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.
Next
Which places nearby can you look at next?
Schools in Barstow
Every public school with a Barstow address.
Compare schoolsSee the same numbers for each school.
Open the mapSee these schools on the map.
Cities in the district
Sources and methodology
This page lists the public schools governed and funded by Barstow Unified, with the district’s spending and state records.
Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2025–26 elementary and middle school; 2024–25 high school
Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s own calculations from these state files.
State tests are the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), springs 2025 and 2026.
Download these schools (CSV) Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.