Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
56 points separate Natomas Charter (64) from Bannon Creek (8) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
56 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 13 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.
Natomas Charter (64/100) holds the Strong band — 37.0% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 16.3%. 1 school here ranks as a Growth Engine — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.
6 of 13 elementary schools sit in the Needs Support band — which campus you're zoned for carries real weight here.
The middle years
One school defines the top: Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep Middle sits 23 points clear of the field — the other 2 middle schools are a different conversation.
34 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 3 middle schools — the average hides more than it tells.
Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep Middle (54/100) holds the Strong band — 27.7% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 14.6%.
1 of 3 middle schools sits in the Needs Support band — which campus you're zoned for carries real weight here.
The high school years
43 points separate Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep (66) from Discovery High (23) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
43 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.
Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep (66/100) holds the Strong band — 32.4% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 14.0%. 1 school classifies as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.
29.0% 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.
What it means for your family
Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Heron at 46/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
6 of the 20 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.
A band is a position, not a prophecy — 6 campuses here rank as On the Rise (5) 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:
Natomas Charter 90th percentile · StrongScope Score 64/100Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep Middle 84th percentile · StrongScope Score 54/100Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep 82nd percentile · StrongScope Score 66/100
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.