Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
The elementary schools average 31.7/100 — 7.2 points below the state average. Here is what that number does and doesn't say.
4 elementary schools span 19 points around an average of 31.7.
Students are showing up: chronic absenteeism runs 12.4% against a state average of 17.9%.
2 of 4 elementary schools sit in the Needs Support band — which campus you're zoned for carries real weight here.
The high school years
The path ends on a single bet: Bitney Prep High at 35, then a 27-point drop to the next of 2 high schools.
2 high schools span 27 points around an average of 21.3.
1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.
Bitney Prep High is the strongest option at 35/100 — 15.9% of its students exceed the state standard.
55.8% 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. Every ranked elementary school here is a charter or magnet, so the application matters more than the address — see the next card.
6 of the 6 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 — 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:
Nevada City School of the Arts 68th percentile · SolidScope Score 44/100Bitney Prep High 7th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 35/100
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.