Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
One elementary school: Vista Colorado Elementary at 29/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.
One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.
Vista Colorado Elementary is the strongest option at 29/100 — 7.6% of its students exceed the state standard.
The level sits 9.7 points below the state line.
The middle years
One middle school: Needles Middle at 16/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.
One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.
Needles Middle is the strongest option at 16/100 — 3.1% of its students exceed the state standard.
1 of 1 middle schools sits in the Needs Support band — which campus you're zoned for carries real weight here.
The high school years
One high school: Needles High at 56/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.
One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.
Needles High is the strongest option at 56/100 — 10.8% of its students exceed the state standard.
27.4% 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 Vista Colorado Elementary at 29/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
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.
A band is a position, not a prophecy — a school's number can move without your kid's experience moving with it. 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:
Vista Colorado Elementary 32nd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 29/100Needles Middle 5th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 16/100Needles High 60th percentile · SolidScope Score 56/100
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.