School district · Madera County

Chawanakee Unified schools

Chawanakee Unified’s 4 public middle schools run from the 47th to the 78th percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Middle · 4 schools

from 47th to 78th · among 2,529 California middle schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • North Fork Elementary: 78th percentile, Strong
  • Hillside Elementary: 52nd percentile, Solid
  • Spring Valley Elementary: 48th percentile, Developing
  • Chawanakee Academy Charter: 47th percentile, Developing
0Needs Support
2Developing
1Solid
1Strong

One dot per school.

Elementary and high school pictures

Elementary · 3 schools

from 23rd to 57th · among 5,726 California elementary schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • Spring Valley Elementary: 57th percentile, Solid
  • Hillside Elementary: 47th percentile, Developing
  • North Fork Elementary: 23rd percentile, Needs Support
1Needs Support
1Developing
1Solid
0Strong

High · 2 schools

from 48th to 66th · among 1,498 California high schools we score · spring 2025 tests

  • Minarets Charter High: 66th percentile, Solid
  • Minarets High: 48th percentile, Developing
0Needs Support
1Developing
1Solid
0Strong

One dot per school. Each stage is placed only among California schools at its own level. 3 of the 6 ranked schools teach two levels, so they appear in more than one picture.

  • 6 ranked schools
  • 2 of 6 are charter schools
  • 1 school not ranked statewide

Schools around Chawanakee Unified

7 listed public schools with mapped locations.

Open full map →

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Percentile among California schools at the same level

  • Strong75th+
  • Solid50–74th
  • Developing25–49th
  • Needs Supportbelow 25th
  • Not scored

The school lists on this page are also available without the map.

Elementary schools

Which elementary schools in Chawanakee Unified score highest?

Spring Valley Elementary is highest, at the 57th percentile.

That’s higher than 57 in 100 of the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in Chawanakee Unified

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

Context

The average elementary school in Chawanakee Unified had 11 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once.

Middle schools

Which middle schools in Chawanakee Unified score highest?

North Fork Elementary is highest, at the 78th percentile.

That’s higher than 78 in 100 of the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in Chawanakee Unified

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

Show the other 1 middle school
Context

The average middle school in Chawanakee Unified had 9 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100.

1 middle school not ranked statewide
  • Manzanita Community DayCommunity day school: students are placed here by probation, district or voluntary referral, including after an expulsion, so we don’t rank it

High schools

Which high schools in Chawanakee Unified score highest?

Minarets Charter High is highest, at the 66th percentile.

That’s higher than 66 in 100 of the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests).

Highest in Chawanakee Unified

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

The district

Where does Chawanakee Unified’s money go, and what does it plan?

Chawanakee Unified spent $18,611 per student in the 2024–25 school year.

That’s close to the typical California district, which spent $20,491. About 45 cents of every Chawanakee Unified dollar went to classroom instruction.

Spending by function

Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus.

Share by function, 2024–25

  • Instruction45%
  • Instruction support12%
  • Student services13%
  • Administration10%
  • Buildings & maintenance15%
  • Other5%

Shares of the same spending total, by the report’s spending categories, rounded so they add up to 100. Names are simplified from the report’s own categories.

What the district plans

$10.7 million

planned in its 2026–27 plan for 25 funded actions in 4 goals. That’s 54% of its $19.8 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts; the district reports what it spent in a later plan.

The plan in short

Source: the district’s yearly spending plan (Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, 150 pages), as posted to the California School Dashboard.

Where the money goes

Three actions take 83% of the money. The plan itself puts 81% of it toward staff.

  • Hire and Retain Highly-Qualified Teachers $4.1 million
  • School Facilities Maintenance and Repairs $2.9 million
  • Special Education $1.7 million
  • 22 other actions
Reading, math and catch-up help

5 of the plan’s 25 funded actions name reading, math, catch-up help or English learners in their titles.

Actions whose titles name math or catch-up help
  • Math $8,500
  • Catch-up help $386,558

Largest of these

  • Intervention Services$279,515
  • Supplemental Intervention Materials$77,918
  • Student Information and Intervention Dashboard$21,000
For high-need students (English learners, low-income students and foster youth), what changed and what its goals measure
For high-need students

It plans $1.6 million in extra services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth. For 2025–26, it planned $1.5 million and estimates it spent $1.4 million, $0.1 million (4%) less than planned (our arithmetic).

What changed

The total is $3.4 million (24%) lower than in the 2025–26 plan. The biggest change in dollars is Hire and Retain Highly-Qualified Teachers, which went from $7.5 million to $4.1 million.

Largest cuts

  • Hire and Retain Highly-Qualified Teachers−⁠$3.4 million
  • School Facilities Maintenance and Repairs−⁠$143,285
  • Expanded Enrichment Opportunities−⁠$31,373

Largest increases

  • Enrichment Opportunities+⁠$262,728
  • Special Education+⁠$82,148
  • Behavior Supports+⁠$70,574

New in the 2026–27 plan

  • Curriculum and Instructional Alignment$82,292
  • Teacher Collaboration$74,496
  • Middle School Enrichment$60,648

Ask: What did Hire and Retain Highly-Qualified Teachers pay for, and what changes now that the 2026–27 plan gives it $3.4 million less?

What its goals measure

Read these state results for the district’s own schools as context for the goals they measure; results alone can’t show what the plan caused.

What its goals measure: state results, 2024–25 and 2025–26
Measure2024–252025–26Change
English, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goals 1, 2 and 347%49%up 2 pts
Math, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goals 1, 2 and 331%29%down 2 pts
Chronically absentCounted across all the district’s students, not averaged by schoolGoal 219 in 10015 in 1004 fewer in 100
Suspended at least onceGoal 23.4%4.2%up 0.8 pts

Goal 4 isn’t shown because it tracks named schools.

Figures from CDE’s state test, chronic absence and suspension files. Test figures cover every grade the district tests (California tests grades 3–8 and 11), so they differ from a profile’s rated grades. We combined the district’s schools ourselves, weighted by students and leaving out charter schools. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days.

The plan’s own titles and amounts
  • Hire and Retain Highly-Qualified Teachers · $4,147,252
  • School Facilities Maintenance and Repairs · $2,942,165
  • Special Education · $1,710,523
The full plan4 goals, 45 measures and where the money goes

We calculate each action’s share of the plan by dividing its planned amount by the total of the plan’s funded actions ($10.7 million).

Where does the money go?

68% to Goal 1. Each box is one action, sized by its planned dollars and coloured by its change since last year’s plan. Tap a box to open its goal.

G1
G2

Change since the 2025–26 plan, same title

  • fell 25% or more
  • fell 10–25%
  • fell 2–10%
  • within 2%
  • grew 2–10%
  • grew 10–25%
  • grew 25% or more
  • new or renamed title
  • not compared: unconfirmed, or repeated across goals

Every goal, in the plan’s order

Goal 1Chawanakee Unified School District will provide a collaborative educational environment that effectively…$7.3 million68% of action budgets

“Chawanakee Unified School District will provide a collaborative educational environment that effectively recruits, trains, supports, and retains highly effective teachers and support staff that provides all students, including the District's low-income students, and the services and materials needed to participate successfully in a 21st Century educational experience. This will be accomplished through actions related to professional development and teacher collaboration with the end goal of reducing turnover and improving employee satisfaction” p. 25 ↗

5 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $10.7 million (−⁠$3.4 million)

Largest funded actions

  1. Hire and Retain Highly-Qualified Teachers$4.1 millionaction 1.1 · p. 109 ↗
  2. School Facilities Maintenance and Repairs$2.9 millionaction 1.2 · p. 109 ↗
  3. Teacher Collaboration$0.1 millionaction 1.5 · p. 109 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  4. Professional Development$0.1 millionaction 1.4 · p. 109 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $14,396 is state funding counted toward those services
  5. Technology Integrationunder $0.1 millionaction 1.3 · p. 109 ↗

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Hire and Retain Highly-Qualified Teachers−⁠$3.4 million$7.5 million → $4.1 million · p. 109 ↗
  2. School Facilities Maintenance and Repairs−⁠$0.1 million$3.1 million → $2.9 million · p. 109 ↗
  3. Professional Development+⁠$33,433$33,810 → $67,243 · p. 109 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

  • Teacher Collaboration · $74,496 · p. 109 ↗new or renamed
  • Technology Integration · $23,900 → $26,730 · p. 109 ↗+⁠$2,830

A reworded title counts as new.

How the plan measures it · 12 measures

None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 25 ↗.

Goal 2Chawanakee Unified will provide opportunities to increase the level of participation from students, parents…$3.1 million29% of action budgets

“Chawanakee Unified will provide opportunities to increase the level of participation from students, parents, families, and staff so they are connected and engaged to their school to ensure student success. This goal will be accomplished through actions related to increasing parental participation, improving access to wrap services (including medical screenings), increasing student engagement through improved access to electives and enrichment, providing additional behavioral and mental health supports, and focusing on attendance. The combination of these actions will lead to increased levels of participation as evidenced through annual survey responses and attendance rates, as well as reductions in suspensions and expulsions and increases in graduation rates” p. 44 ↗

10 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $3.0 million (+⁠$94,181)

Largest funded actions

  1. Special Education$1.7 millionaction 2.10 · p. 110 ↗
  2. Behavior Supports$0.4 millionaction 2.9 · p. 110 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  3. Enrichment Opportunities$0.3 millionaction 2.4 · p. 110 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  4. Intervention Services$0.3 millionaction 2.6 · p. 110 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  5. Health Services$0.1 millionaction 2.2 · p. 109 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services

5 more funded actions in this goal

  • SEL Supports · action 2.7 · p. 110 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.1 million
  • Middle School Enrichment · action 2.3 · p. 110 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.1 million
  • Expansion of Co-Curricular Activities · action 2.5 · p. 110 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need servicesunder $0.1 million
  • Communication · action 2.1 · p. 109 ↗under $0.1 million
  • Attendance & Engagement · action 2.8 · p. 110 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need servicesunder $0.1 million

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Enrichment Opportunities+⁠$262,728$58,116 → $320,844 · p. 110 ↗
  2. Special Education+⁠$0.1 million$1.6 million → $1.7 million · p. 110 ↗
  3. Behavior Supports+⁠$70,574$363,335 → $433,909 · p. 110 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

  • Intervention Services · $262,884 → $279,515 · p. 110 ↗+⁠$16,631
  • Health Services · $124,141 → $109,076 · p. 109 ↗−⁠$15,065
  • SEL Supports · $24,375 → $74,250 · p. 110 ↗+⁠$49,875
  • Middle School Enrichment · $60,648 · p. 110 ↗new or renamed
  • Expansion of Co-Curricular Activities · $52,541 → $45,000 · p. 110 ↗−⁠$7,541
  • Communication · $35,575 → $35,574 · p. 109 ↗−⁠$1
  • Attendance & Engagement · $24,112 → $28,499 · p. 110 ↗+⁠$4,387

A reworded title counts as new.

How the plan measures it · 11 measures · 2 quoted

  • Attendance Rate p. 47 ↗
    Baseline
    94.4% ADA rate Data …
    Target for year 3
    95% ADA rate Data …
  • Middle School Dropout Rate p. 47 ↗
    Baseline
    0% Data …
    Target for year 3
    0% Data …

9 more measures in the plan’s table.

Goal 3Chawanakee Unified School District is a district of academic excellence that provides equity and access for…$256,7042% of action budgets

“Chawanakee Unified School District is a district of academic excellence that provides equity and access for all students in all student groups, utilizing academic rigor through best first instruction and systematic intervention to ensure that all students graduate college and career ready. This goal will be accomplished through actions including internal assessments, targeted intervention, reinforcing positive behaviors through PBIS rewards systems, and credit recovery options. These actions will collectively lead to increased academic achievement and reductions in negative behaviors and disciplinary proceedings” p. 58 ↗

7 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $207,430 (+⁠$49,274)

Largest funded actions

  1. Curriculum and Instructional Alignment$82,292action 3.6 · p. 111 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  2. Supplemental Intervention Materials$77,918action 3.3 · p. 110 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  3. Local Assessment Systems$54,445action 3.1 · p. 110 ↗
  4. Student Information and Intervention Dashboard$21,000action 3.2 · p. 110 ↗
  5. High School Math$8,500action 3.7 · p. 111 ↗

2 more funded actions in this goal

  • Credit Recovery · action 3.5 · p. 111 ↗$8,125
  • PBIS Rewards System · action 3.4 · p. 111 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$4,424

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Supplemental Intervention Materials+⁠$17,947$59,971 → $77,918 · p. 110 ↗
  2. Local Assessment Systems+⁠$13,735$40,710 → $54,445 · p. 110 ↗
  3. Student Information and Intervention Dashboard+⁠$6,000$15,000 → $21,000 · p. 110 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

  • Curriculum and Instructional Alignment · $82,292 · p. 111 ↗new or renamed
  • High School Math · $8,500 → $8,500 · p. 111 ↗unchanged
  • Credit Recovery · $8,125 → $8,125 · p. 111 ↗unchanged
  • PBIS Rewards System · $4,424 → $4,424 · p. 111 ↗unchanged

A reworded title counts as new.

How the plan measures it · 15 measures · 1 quoted

  • CAASPP Results (Points Above or Below Standard in ELA and Math) p. 64 ↗
    Baseline
    All Students: ELA: 12.4 points below standard …
    Target for year 3
    All Students: ELA: 10 points below standard …

14 more measures in the plan’s table.

Goal 4 · Equity Multiplier Focus GoalCedar Continuation High School received Equity Multiplier Funds from 2024-26 and is no longer eligible for…$51,697under 1% of action budgets

“Cedar Continuation High School received Equity Multiplier Funds from 2024-26 and is no longer eligible for this funding. The student population will continue to receive district support through integrating services at Chawanakee Academy Charter School, which is WASC-accredited. Mountain Oaks High School will receive Equity Multiplier Funds in 2026-27. This Equity Multiplier Focus Goal outlines specific objectives aimed at addressing disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes and leveraging equity multiplier funds to support initiatives that promote engagement for all students and enhance student stability and well-being by implementing targeted strategies to reduce student mobility rates and address the underlying factors contributing to instability. California Dashboard data identifies a continued need related to student behavior and engagement at Mountain Oaks High School. In the 2025 Dashboard, 4.8% of All Students were suspended for at least one day, compared with 5.3% of low-income students. However, due to the small student population at Mountain Oaks, performance colors are not assigned for these indicators and many student-group outcomes are not displayed because of privacy requirements. Instead of relying solely on California Dashboard data, the District uses local quantitative and qualitative measures, including attendance and chronic absenteeism rates, student surveys, NWEA achievement data, and student progress-monitoring tools, to further identify and monitor the needs of low-income students at Mountain Oaks High School. The principals met with school teachers multiple times to specifically discuss ideas on how to engage students and create course relevancy for them in the classroom. These discussions, in combination with feedback from students and parents, helped in the development of Goal 4 and its actions that specifically pertain to these funds. Based upon surveys and empathy interviews with students and parents, a primary barrier to engagement and relevancy in school is that traditional classes and learning goals are not universally appealing or motivating to students. The proposed actions for this goal will seek to address the need for additional enrichment and vocational skills to increase engagement and attendance, but more importantly, to provide students a relevant field of coursework and learning to prepare them for post-secondary educational pursuits. This goal will also focus on school climate, in tandem with social-emotional learning initiatives, to support the emotional and physical well-being of students while at school. This goal will address low-income student engagement and career readiness. The effectiveness of the actions in this goal will be measured through increases in the Average Daily Attendance rate (during the period of August 2026-June 2027). The actions listed below will focus on the classroom environment itself, social-emotional learning and supports, and increased enrichment and” p. 77 ↗

3 funded actions · reworded since the 2025–26 plan

Largest funded actions

  1. Expanded Enrichment Opportunities$45,697action 4.3 · p. 111 ↗
  2. School Climate$4,000action 4.1 · p. 111 ↗
  3. Social Emotional Learning$2,000action 4.2 · p. 111 ↗

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Expanded Enrichment Opportunities−⁠$31,373$77,070 → $45,697 · p. 111 ↗
  2. School Climate−⁠$10,000$14,000 → $4,000 · p. 111 ↗
  3. Social Emotional Learning−⁠$8,000$10,000 → $2,000 · p. 111 ↗

How the plan measures it · 7 measures

None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 77 ↗.

All amounts are planned. We read them from the PDF and added up each goal’s actions ourselves. Page links open the plan at that page.

Who goes to the district’s schools
Who attends

Student mix

2024–25 · October enrollment count, 1,409 students
1. White: 53%2. Hispanic or Latino: 28%3. Two or more races: 10%4. American Indian or Alaska Native: 6%5. Asian: 2%6. Black or African American: <1%7. Filipino: <1%8. Pacific Islander: <1%Student mix2024–25
  1. White53%
  2. Hispanic or Latino28%
  3. Two or more races10%
  4. American Indian or Alaska Native6%
  5. Asian2%
  6. Black or African American<1%
  7. Filipino<1%
  8. Pacific Islander<1%
  9. Not reported0%
Shares use the district's own October enrollment counts from the CDE, including its charter schools.

Free or reduced-price meals

52%

Across California, 63% of students qualify.

2024–25 · 738 of 1,407 students qualify, summed from the CDE’s meal counts for every school it lists under the district, charters included. It comes from a different CDE file than the student mix, so the two totals differ.

The district’s state records

Is the state giving the district extra help?

Chawanakee Unified isn’t getting extra state help in 2026, only the standard support every district gets.

How English learners moved up on the state’s English test

From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 40% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (6 of 15 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent.

Sources: District help (CDE) ↗ · English learner progress (CDE) ↗. State results from the 2026 California School Dashboard.

Which places nearby can you look at next?

Cities in the district

More places (2)

Districts nearby

Common questions

Which public schools in Chawanakee Unified rank highest?

Elementary: Spring Valley Elementary, 57th percentile (Solid). Middle: North Fork Elementary, 78th percentile (Strong). High: Minarets Charter High, 66th percentile (Solid). Each percentile is among the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.

Does living in the Chawanakee 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.
More questions (5)

Are the public schools in Chawanakee Unified good?

Chawanakee Unified’s 3 public elementary schools run from the 23rd to the 57th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 1 Solid, 1 Developing and 1 Needs Support. Chawanakee Unified’s 4 public middle schools run from the 47th to the 78th percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 1 Strong, 1 Solid and 2 Developing. Chawanakee Unified’s 2 public high schools run from the 48th to the 66th percentile among the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests). By band: 1 Solid and 1 Developing. A percentile compares a school with California public schools at the same level that we score. How we score schools.

How does chronic absence in Chawanakee Unified compare with California?

The average elementary school in Chawanakee Unified had 11 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once. The average middle school in Chawanakee Unified had 9 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100. These are averages of school rates: each school counts once, whatever its size.

How much does Chawanakee Unified spend per student?

Chawanakee Unified spent $18,611 per student in the 2024–25 school year. That’s close to the typical California district, which spent $20,491. About 45 cents of every Chawanakee 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 Chawanakee Unified’s 2026–27 spending plan?

The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $10.7 million into 25 funded actions in 4 goals, 54% of its $19.8 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $7.3 million, 68% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.

Where do these results come from?

California’s state tests (CAASPP): spring 2026 for elementary and middle schools, spring 2025 for high schools, and chronic-absence rates for 2025–26, published by the California Department of Education. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.

Sources and methodology

This page lists the public schools governed and funded by Chawanakee Unified, with the district’s spending and state accountability 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.

View CDE data ↗ (opens in a new tab)How Scope Scores work →

Download these schools (CSV)Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.