Schools
5
listed public schools. We score one elementary, one middle and two high.
School district · Humboldt County
Northern Humboldt Union High schools
The Northern Humboldt Union High district has one public elementary school we score. Laurel Tree Charter has a Scope Score of 69. Its middle school has a Scope Score of 76. Its 2 high schools have Scope Scores from 72 to 79.
75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state.
Students
1,937
in the October 2024–25 enrollment count.
Spending
$22,308
per student in 2024–25. The typical California district spent $20,491.
The path
What is the path through the district?
Northern Humboldt Union High has one elementary school, one middle school and two high schools that we score.
Elementary · grades k–12
Laurel Tree Charter
Scope Score 69
Needs Support · 13th percentile
Middle · grades k–12
Laurel Tree Charter
Scope Score 76
Solid · 55th percentile
High · 2 schools
- Arcata HighScope Score 79
- McKinleyville HighScope Score 72
Each score compares a school with California schools at its own level. The levels are not one ranking. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
Elementary schools
Where does the elementary school we score in the Northern Humboldt Union High district stand?
Laurel Tree Charter has a Scope Score of 69. That is higher than 13 in 100 California elementary schools we score. It is the only public elementary school we score in the Northern Humboldt Union High district.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Laurel Tree CharterCharter
Arcata · Grades K–12 · 197 students · Check how it admits students.
1776% below the standard
Scope Score 69Needs Support · 13th percentile
Each score compares a school with the 5,726 California elementary schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026.
Middle schools
Where does the middle school we score in the Northern Humboldt Union High district stand?
Laurel Tree Charter has a Scope Score of 76. That is higher than 55 in 100 California middle schools we score. It is the only public middle school we score in the Northern Humboldt Union High district.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Laurel Tree CharterCharter
Arcata · Grades K–12 · 197 students · Check how it admits students.
143452% below the standard
Scope Score 76Solid · 55th percentile
Each score compares a school with the 2,529 California middle schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026.
High schools
Which high schools in the Northern Humboldt Union High district score highest?
Arcata High is highest, with a Scope Score of 79. That is higher than 67 in 100 California high schools we score.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Arcata High
Arcata · Grades 9–12 · 1,007 students
232849% below the standard
Scope Score 79Solid · 67th percentile
Rank 2
McKinleyville High
McKinleyville · Grades 9–12 · 566 students
122266% below the standard
Scope Score 72Developing · 33rd percentile
2 high schools not ranked statewide
Continuation schools enroll students differently from a regular school, so each is compared only with schools of its kind. The others have no statewide percentile this year.
- Pacific Coast High (Continuation)Continuation high school
- Six Rivers Charter High
Each score compares a school with the 1,498 California high schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2025. The state called the top two levels Exceeded and Met in spring 2025.
Against California
How does the district compare with California?
Students from low-income families: 44% here. California: 63%.
Students from low-income families
Qualify for free or reduced-price meals
Northern Humboldt Union High44%
California63%
Spending per student
Day-to-day spending, 2024–25
Northern Humboldt Union High$22,308
Typical district$20,491
English learners who moved up a level
On the state’s English test (ELPAC)
Northern Humboldt Union High53%
California47%
Meals: 843 of 1,935 students, 2024–25, summed from the state’s meal counts for every school listed under the district, charters included. Spending: day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, 2024–25. The typical district is the middle one when California districts are put in order. English learners: From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 53% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (16 of 30 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent. Source: California Department of Education, English learner progress files.
The district
Where does Northern Humboldt Union High’s money go?
About 54 cents of every Northern Humboldt Union High dollar went to classroom instruction.
$22,308
spent per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491.
Every dollar, by what it paid for
54¢16¢14¢8¢7¢
- Instruction54%
- Instruction support16%
- Student services14%
- Buildings & maintenance8%
- Administration7%
- Other1%
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $32.5 million into 12 funded actions in 4 goals. That is 91% of its $35.8 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts. The district reports what it spent in a later plan.
Spending is day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education, 2024–25. It covers the whole district, including central administration. Shares are rounded so they add up to 100. Planned amounts are from the yearly spending plan (LCAP) as posted to the California School Dashboard.
State records
Who attends, and is the state giving extra help?
1,937 students were enrolled in the October 2024–25 count. The state is giving Northern Humboldt Union High extra help in 2026, the second year after it qualified on the 2025 Dashboard.
Who goes to the district’s schools
- White 60%
- Hispanic or Latino 17%
- Two or more races 11%
- American Indian or Alaska Native 5%
- Other or not reported 7%
Is the state giving the district extra help?
The state is giving Northern Humboldt Union High extra help in 2026, the second year after it qualified on the 2025 Dashboard.
State results from the 2026 California School Dashboard. Source: District help (CDE).Common questions
What do parents ask about this district?
Are the public schools in the Northern Humboldt Union High district good?
The Northern Humboldt Union High district has one public elementary school we score. Laurel Tree Charter has a Scope Score of 69. It is Needs Support, at the 13th percentile. The Northern Humboldt Union High district has one public middle school we score. Laurel Tree Charter has a Scope Score of 76. It is Solid, at the 55th percentile. Northern Humboldt Union High’s 2 public high schools have Scope Scores from 72 to 79. Of those, 1 is Solid and 1 is Developing. 75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How we score schools.
Which public schools in the Northern Humboldt Union High district rank highest?
Laurel Tree Charter is the only elementary school we score here. It has a Scope Score of 69. It is Needs Support, at the 13th percentile. Laurel Tree Charter is the only middle school we score here. It has a Scope Score of 76. It is Solid, at the 55th percentile. Arcata High is the highest high school, with a Scope Score of 79. It is Solid, at the 67th percentile. Each score compares a school with the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.
How much does the Northern Humboldt Union High district spend per student?
The Northern Humboldt Union High district spent $22,308 per student in the 2024–25 school year. That’s close to the typical California district, which spent $20,491. About 54 cents of every Northern Humboldt Union High dollar went to classroom instruction. Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from its annual financial report to the California Department of Education. The district’s spending, by function.
What is in the Northern Humboldt Union High district’s 2026–27 spending plan?
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $32.5 million into 12 funded actions in 4 goals. That is 91% of its $35.8 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $21.0 million, 65% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.
Does living in the Northern Humboldt Union High district decide which school my child attends?
Not by itself. Attendance boundaries, programs, transfers and space all matter. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
Where do these results come from?
The test results are from California’s state tests (CAASPP). They are from spring 2026 for elementary and middle schools. The results are from spring 2025 for high schools. Chronic-absence rates are for 2025–26. The California Department of Education publishes both. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.
Next
Which places nearby can you look at next?
Schools in Arcata
Every public school with a Arcata address.
Compare schoolsSee the same numbers for each school.
Open the mapSee these schools on the map.
Cities in the district
Districts nearby
Sources and methodology
This page lists the public schools governed and funded by the Northern Humboldt Union High district, with the district’s spending and state records.
Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2025–26 elementary and middle school; 2024–25 high school
Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s own calculations from these state files.
State tests are the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), springs 2025 and 2026.
Download these schools (CSV) Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.