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Public school district · California

Central Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

Compare elementary, middle, and high schools across Central Unified—and look beyond a single district average.

River Bluff ElementaryJustin Garza HighNorman Liddell ElementaryHerndon-Barstow ElementaryCentral East HighCentral HighHarvest ElementaryTeague ElementaryBiola-Pershing ElementaryCentral ElementaryMadison ElementaryHanh Phan Tilley ElementaryCentral Online HomeJohn Steinbeck ElementaryHoughton-Kearney ElementaryWilliam Saroyan ElementaryMcKinley ElementaryCentral Unified Alternative/OpportunityRoosevelt ElementaryPershing Continuation HighCentral UnifiedN ↑
20 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary14 schools
avg 36.9/1007 Solid, 4 Developing, +3 more
Middle1 school
avg 33.9/1001 Developing
High5 schools
avg 36.8/1003 Developing, 2 Needs Support

Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.

Stage 1 of 3

The elementary years

32 points separate River Bluff Elementary (54) from Roosevelt Elementary (22) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

32 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 14 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.

The strength

River Bluff Elementary (54/100) holds the Strong band — 28.8% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 16.5%. 1 school here ranks as a Growth Engine — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.

The catch

32 points separate the top and bottom elementary schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.

82nd percentile · StrongScope Score 54/100
74th percentile · SolidScope Score 48/100
73rd percentile · SolidScope Score 47/100

All 14 elementary schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 3

The middle years

One middle school: Central Online Home at 34/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.

0100

One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.

The strength

Students are showing up: chronic absenteeism runs 10.9% against a state average of 18.1%.

The catch

The level sits 4.7 points below the state line.

Central Online Home
Culture First
44th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 34/100

Middle school detail in the appendix →

Stage 3 of 3

The high school years

30 points separate Justin Garza High (49) from Pershing Continuation High (20) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

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5 high schools span 30 points around an average of 36.8.

1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.

The strength

Justin Garza High is the strongest option at 49/100 — 14.3% of its students exceed the state standard.

The catch

38.5% of students are chronically absent (state: 23.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.

Justin Garza High
Building Momentum
39th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100
Central East High
Building Momentum
27th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 46/100
Central High
Building Momentum
22nd percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 44/100

All 5 high schools, ranked, in the appendix →

What it means for your family

If you're choosing a neighborhood

Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is River Bluff Elementary at 54/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.

If you already live here

No charters or magnets among the ranked schools here, so the main lever is an intra-district transfer — California districts run them on their own windows and criteria. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, ask the district office for this year's dates.

If your kid is enrolled now

A band is a position, not a prophecy — 7 campuses here rank as On the Rise (6) or Growth Engine (1), their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.

The strongest-scoring run through the district:

River Bluff Elementary 82nd percentile · StrongScope Score 54/100Central Online Home 44th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 34/100Justin Garza High 39th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100

Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.

What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.

Central Unified has 20 public schools in this SchoolScope results directory. Compare schools by their primary reporting level below.

2024–25 CAASPP reporting · SchoolScope analysis. Directory coverage, not a complete inventory of every campus. Each school appears at its primary reporting level; K–8 and K–12 campuses can serve additional grades. Sources and methodology →

One district, three stages

The average changes with the journey.

Elementary schools

Explore elementary →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

14 comparable schools · average 36.9/100 · range 22.0–54.4

Middle schools

Explore middle →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

1 comparable schools · average 33.9/100 · range 33.9–33.9

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

4 comparable schools · average 41.0/100 · range 25.2–49.3

Explore Central Unified by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
Central Unifiedthis district37.6 / 10019River Bluff Elementary—
Fresno Unified34.0 / 10069University High5.7 mi
Fresno County Office of Education40.5 / 1003Career Technical Education Charter6.3 mi
Clovis Unified53.2 / 1009Clovis West High8.8 mi
Washington Unified30.9 / 1003Washington High9.3 mi
Golden Valley Unified45.4 / 1004Liberty High9.8 mi

Averages blend every school level in a district and carry no score band. Compare a level at a time in the spreads above, then open the schools. Distances run between school-location centers.

Cities served

City pages include schools from other districts too. Check the district named on each school profile.

Patterns across the district

What kinds of schools are here?

Patterns worth exploring.

Choose a pattern to find matching schools in the lists below. Open a profile to see the underlying measures and questions to ask on a visit.

How patterns are defined →

Archetypes describe reported patterns, not school quality or fit. Available measures differ by school level.

Schools in Central Unified

Browse by level, then compare the evidence behind each profile.

Map ↗

Elementary schools in Central Unified · 14 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
River Bluff Elementary
Central Unified Growth Engine
28.8%82nd percentile · StrongScope Score 54/100
Norman Liddell Elementary
Central Unified On the Rise
27.4%74th percentile · SolidScope Score 48/100
Herndon-Barstow Elementary
Central Unified On the Rise
26.6%73rd percentile · SolidScope Score 47/100
Harvest Elementary
Central Unified On the Rise
15.7%61st percentile · SolidScope Score 41/100
Teague Elementary
Central Unified On the Rise
10.3%59th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100
Biola-Pershing Elementary
Central Unified Building Momentum
14.4%56th percentile · SolidScope Score 38/100

Middle schools in Central Unified · 1 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Central Online Home
Central Unified Culture First
10.7%44th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 34/100

High schools in Central Unified · 5 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Justin Garza High
Central Unified Building Momentum
14.3%39th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100
Central East High
Central Unified Building Momentum
9.0%27th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 46/100
Central High
Central Unified Building Momentum
12.8%22nd percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 44/100
Central Unified Alternative/Opportunity
Central Unified Building Momentum
3.5%1st percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 25/100
Pershing Continuation High
Central Unified continuation high school
0.0%27th percentile · DevelopingWithin its own school classScope Score 20/100
Compare selected schools

Select two to four schools at the same level. Rankings and score bands compare each school with its own enrollment group.

District finance · FY 2024–25

Where the district's dollars go.

Central Unified spent $19,767 per student in FY 2024–25 — close to the median California district ($20,491). About 57 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

  • Instruction57%
  • Instruction support12%
  • Student services12%
  • Administration5%
  • Buildings & maintenance11%
  • Other2%

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

The system behind the schools

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

People
Teacher salary range$59,013–$119,880
Teaching staff700 · FTE
District enrollment15,742 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 63.4% · White 10.6% · Black 6.4% · Asian 16.0% · Other 3.6%
Free/reduced lunch80% · economic need indicator

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

See how the school years fit together.

Explore the next stage, then verify the schools available for your address.

These are browsing links, not a feeder path. Assignments vary by residence, program, permits, and available space.

Looking beyond Central Unified?

Explore public, private, and early-learning options.

Know what you’re comparing.

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.

Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 20 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in Central Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 20 public schools in Central Unified with 2024–25 reporting records. This is directory coverage, not a complete campus inventory. Each school appears under its primary reporting level; a K–8 or K–12 campus may serve additional grades.
Which schools have the highest scores in Central Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: River Bluff Elementary (54/100). Middle: Central Online Home (34/100). High: Justin Garza High (49/100). These are separate level rankings, not a single cross-level league table. A score does not establish fit or enrollment eligibility. See the methodology.
Can I compare elementary, middle, and high schools directly?
Compare schools at the same level and within the same enrollment group. Scope Score formulas and available measures differ by level. The plots show comprehensive public schools separately for each level; individual profiles explain their comparison group.
Does living in Central Unified guarantee a particular school?
A district outline does not establish assignment to an individual school. Attendance boundaries, programs, permits, and available space can affect enrollment. Confirm the requirements directly with the district.
What does a SchoolScope pattern mean?
Archetypes summarize patterns in publicly reported academic and school-climate measures. They describe reported results, not a school’s quality or a child’s fit. Open the school profile for reporting years, missing measures, and questions to ask. Read how the patterns are defined.
Where do these results come from?
The underlying public data comes from the California Department of Education, including CAASPP reporting for 2024–25. Scope Scores and archetypes are SchoolScope calculations, not official CDE ratings. View CDE data and SchoolScope’s methodology and limitations.