ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in

Public school district · California

Chico Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

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

Sierra View ElementaryPleasant Valley HighNord CountryChico HighParkview ElementaryInspire School of Arts and SciencesMarsh (Harry M.) Junior HighEmma Wilson ElementaryForest Ranch CharterChico Country DayMarigold ElementaryHooker Oak ElementaryShasta ElementaryAchieve Charter School of ChicoWildflower Open ClassroomSherwood MontessoriBidwell Junior HighChico Junior HighNeal Dow ElementaryLittle Chico Creek ElementaryRosedale ElementaryBlue Oak CharterCitrus Avenue ElementaryOak Bridge AcademyPivot Charter School North Valley IIMcManus (John A.) ElementaryChapman ElementaryFair View High (Continuation)OakdaleChico UnifiedN ↑
29 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary19 schools
avg 41.9/10010 Solid, 4 Developing, +5 more
Middle6 schools
avg 33.6/1003 Solid, 1 Strong, +2 more
High4 schools
avg 51.4/1002 Strong, 1 Solid, +1 more

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

48 points separate Sierra View Elementary (65) from Chapman Elementary (17) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

48 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 19 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.

The strength

Sierra View Elementary (65/100) holds the Strong band — 48.6% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 23.2%. 2 schools here meet the stronger cohort-gains threshold. These aggregate comparisons do not track individual children.

The catch

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

91st percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
Nord Country
Solid Base · Charter
91st percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
Parkview Elementary
Growth Engine
89th percentile · StrongScope Score 62/100

All 19 elementary schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 3

The middle years

41 points separate Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High (55) from Oakdale (15) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

0100

41 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 6 middle schools — the average hides more than it tells.

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

The strength

Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High (55/100) holds the Strong band — 25.7% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 12.2%. 1 school here meet the stronger cohort-gains threshold. These aggregate comparisons do not track individual children.

The catch

25.1% of students are chronically absent (state: 18.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.

85th percentile · StrongScope Score 55/100
Bidwell Junior High
No highlighted pattern
61st percentile · SolidScope Score 41/100
Chico Junior High
No highlighted pattern
60th percentile · SolidScope Score 41/100

All 6 middle schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 3 of 3

The high school years

50 points separate Pleasant Valley High (65) from Fair View High (Continuation) (15) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

0100

50 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 4 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.

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

The strength

Pleasant Valley High (65/100) holds the Strong band — 31.9% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 22.8%.

The catch

33.9% 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.

Pleasant Valley High
No highlighted pattern
80th percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
Chico High
No highlighted pattern
79th percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
Inspire School of Arts and Sciences
No highlighted pattern · Charter
75th percentile · SolidScope Score 62/100

All 4 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 Sierra View Elementary at 65/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.

If you already live here

9 of the 29 ranked schools are charters — enrollment paths that don't depend on your address. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, those lotteries and applications are the levers worth the paperwork.

If your kid is enrolled now

A band is a position, not a prophecy — 3 campuses here rank as Growth Engine, their aggregate cohort-change indices above the published threshold. 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:

Sierra View Elementary 91st percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High 85th percentile · StrongScope Score 55/100Pleasant Valley High 80th percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100

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.

Chico Unified has 29 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

19 comparable schools · average 41.9/100 · range 17.3–64.8

Middle schools

Explore middle →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

5 comparable schools · average 35.4/100 · range 14.6–55.4

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

3 comparable schools · average 63.7/100 · range 61.7–64.8

Explore Chico Unified by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
Chico Unifiedthis district43.1 / 10027Sierra View Elementary—
Durham Unified41.9 / 1003Durham High7.5 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 patterns appear 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 →

A school can appear in more than one count. Findings describe reported results, not school quality or fit; available evidence differs by level.

Schools in Chico Unified

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

Map ↗

Elementary schools in Chico Unified · 19 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Sierra View Elementary
Chico Unified Solid Base
48.6%91st percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
Nord Country
Chico Unified Solid Base
42.4%91st percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
Parkview Elementary
Chico Unified Growth Engine
33.6%89th percentile · StrongScope Score 62/100
Emma Wilson Elementary
Chico Unified Growth Engine
19.8%75th percentile · SolidScope Score 49/100
Forest Ranch Charter
Chico Unified Solid Base
25.0%73rd percentile · SolidScope Score 48/100
Chico Country Day
Chico Unified
27.4%73rd percentile · SolidScope Score 47/100

Middle schools in Chico Unified · 6 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High
Chico Unified Growth Engine
25.7%85th percentile · StrongScope Score 55/100
Bidwell Junior High
Chico Unified
17.2%61st percentile · SolidScope Score 41/100
Chico Junior High
Chico Unified
18.1%60th percentile · SolidScope Score 41/100
Oak Bridge Academy
Chico Unified
7.7%26th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 26/100
Pivot Charter School North Valley II
Chico Unified alternative school
4.5%68th percentile · SolidWithin its own school classScope Score 25/100
Oakdale
Chico Unified
0.0%4th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 15/100

High schools in Chico Unified · 4 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Pleasant Valley High
Chico Unified
31.9%80th percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
Chico High
Chico Unified
30.8%79th percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
Inspire School of Arts and Sciences
Chico Unified
28.5%75th percentile · SolidScope Score 62/100
Fair View High (Continuation)
Chico Unified continuation high school
0.0%11th percentile · Needs SupportWithin its own school classScope Score 15/100
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.

Chico Unified spent $17,653 per student in FY 2024–25 — $2,838 less than the median California district ($20,491), about 14% lower. About 62 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

  • Instruction62%
  • Instruction support9%
  • Student services13%
  • Administration6%
  • Buildings & maintenance10%
  • Other1%

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$56,997–$121,381
Teaching staff790 · FTE
District enrollment11,911 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 27.9% · White 52.8% · Black 2.5% · Asian 3.2% · Other 13.6%
Free/reduced lunch59% · 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 Chico 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 · 29 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in Chico Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 29 public schools in Chico 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 Chico Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: Sierra View Elementary (65/100). Middle: Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High (55/100). High: Pleasant Valley High (65/100). 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 Chico 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.