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Public school district · California

Del Norte County Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

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

Del Norte HighRedwood ElementaryUncharted Shores AcademySunset HighMary Peacock ElementarySmith River ElementaryJoe Hamilton ElementaryPine Grove ElementaryCrescent Elk MiddleBess Maxwell ElementaryMargaret Keating ElementaryDel Norte County UnifiedN ↑
11 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary8 schools
avg 23.3/1005 Needs Support, 2 Developing, +1 more
Middle1 school
avg 17.4/1001 Needs Support
High2 schools
avg 38.0/1001 Strong, 1 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

33 points separate Redwood Elementary (39) from Margaret Keating Elementary (6) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

33 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 8 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.

The strength

1 of the 3 elementary schools with measurable cohort evidence meet the stronger cohort-gains threshold — aggregate cohort-change indices above the published threshold.

The catch

24.6% of students are chronically absent (state: 17.9%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.

Redwood Elementary
Growth Engine
57th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100
Uncharted Shores Academy
No highlighted pattern · Charter
44th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 33/100
Mary Peacock Elementary
No highlighted pattern
32nd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 29/100

All 8 elementary schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 3

The middle years

One middle school: Crescent Elk Middle at 17/100 — 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

Crescent Elk Middle is the strongest option at 17/100 — 7.5% of its students exceed the state standard.

The catch

28.2% 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.

Crescent Elk Middle
No highlighted pattern
7th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 17/100

Middle school detail in the appendix →

Stage 3 of 3

The high school years

The high schools average 38.0/100 — 16.0 points below the state average. Here is what that number does and doesn't say.

0100

2 high schools span 13 points around an average of 38.0.

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

The strength

Del Norte High is the strongest option at 44/100 — 11.5% of its students exceed the state standard.

The catch

48.1% 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.

Del Norte High
No highlighted pattern
23rd percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 44/100
Sunset High
No highlighted pattern
87th percentile · StrongWithin its own school classScope Score 32/100

High school detail 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 Redwood Elementary at 39/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.

If you already live here

1 of the 11 ranked schools is a charter — 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 — 1 campus here ranks as Growth Engine, its 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:

Redwood Elementary 57th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100Crescent Elk Middle 7th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 17/100Del Norte High 23rd percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 44/100

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.

Del Norte County Unified has 11 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

8 comparable schools · average 23.3/100 · range 6.0–38.5

Middle schools

Explore middle →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

1 comparable schools · average 17.4/100 · range 17.4–17.4

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

1 comparable schools · average 44.3/100 · range 44.3–44.3

Explore Del Norte County Unified by place.

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 Del Norte County Unified

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

Map ↗

Elementary schools in Del Norte County Unified · 8 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Redwood Elementary
Del Norte County Unified Growth Engine
13.9%57th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100
Uncharted Shores Academy
Del Norte County Unified
11.2%44th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 33/100
Mary Peacock Elementary
Del Norte County Unified
9.6%32nd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 29/100
Smith River Elementary
Del Norte County Unified
7.7%24th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 26/100
Joe Hamilton Elementary
Del Norte County Unified
5.2%12th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 21/100
Pine Grove Elementary
Del Norte County Unified
2.6%8th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 19/100

Middle schools in Del Norte County Unified · 1 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Crescent Elk Middle
Del Norte County Unified
7.5%7th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 17/100

High schools in Del Norte County Unified · 2 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Del Norte High
Del Norte County Unified
11.5%23rd percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 44/100
Sunset High
Del Norte County Unified continuation high school
4.3%87th percentile · StrongWithin its own school classScope Score 32/100
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.

Del Norte County Unified spent $23,171 per student in FY 2024–25 — $2,679 more than the median California district ($20,491), about 13% higher. 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 services10%
  • Administration7%
  • Buildings & maintenance11%

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
District enrollment3,564 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 24.2% · White 46.6% · Black 0.3% · Asian 2.7% · Other 26.3%
Free/reduced lunch70% · economic need indicator

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 Del Norte County 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 · 11 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in Del Norte County Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 11 public schools in Del Norte County 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 Del Norte County Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: Redwood Elementary (39/100). Middle: Crescent Elk Middle (17/100). High: Del Norte High (44/100). 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 Del Norte County 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.