Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
One elementary school: Laurel Tree Charter at 23/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.
One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.
Laurel Tree Charter is the strongest option at 23/100 — 5.9% of its students exceed the state standard.
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.
The high school years
The high schools sit at the state line (53.7 vs 54.0) — the 23-point school-to-school spread is where the choice lives.
4 high schools span 23 points around an average of 53.7.
1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.
Arcata High (62/100) holds the Strong band — 23.4% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 17.6%.
34.1% 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.
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.
2 of the 5 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:
Laurel Tree Charter 18th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 23/100Arcata High 75th percentile · StrongScope Score 62/100
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.