Schools
3
listed public schools. We score one elementary, one middle and one high.
School district · Colusa County
Pierce Joint Unified schools
Pierce Joint Unified has one public elementary school we score. Arbuckle Elementary has a Scope Score of 72. Its middle school has a Scope Score of 70. Its high school has a Scope Score of 78.
75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state.
Students
1,447
in the October 2024–25 enrollment count.
Spending
$16,077
per student in 2024–25. The typical California district spent $20,491.
The path
What is the path through the district?
Pierce Joint Unified has one elementary school, one middle school and one high school that we score.
Elementary · grades k–5
Arbuckle Elementary
Scope Score 72
Developing · 32nd percentile
Middle · grades 6–8
Lloyd G. Johnson Junior High
Scope Score 70
Needs Support · 17th percentile
High · grades 9–12
Pierce High
Scope Score 78
Solid · 61st percentile
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 Pierce Joint Unified stand?
Arbuckle Elementary has a Scope Score of 72. That is higher than 32 in 100 California elementary schools we score. It is the only public elementary school we score in Pierce Joint Unified.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Arbuckle Elementary
Grades K–5 · 604 students
132067% below the standard
Scope Score 72Developing · 32nd 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 Pierce Joint Unified stand?
Lloyd G. Johnson Junior High has a Scope Score of 70. That is higher than 17 in 100 California middle schools we score. It is the only public middle school we score in Pierce Joint Unified.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Lloyd G. Johnson Junior High
Grades 6–8 · 321 students
2270% below the standard
Scope Score 70Needs Support · 17th 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
Where does the high school we score in Pierce Joint Unified stand?
Pierce High has a Scope Score of 78. That is higher than 61 in 100 California high schools we score. It is the only public high school we score in Pierce Joint Unified.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Pierce High
Grades 9–12 · 463 students
182458% below the standard
Scope Score 78Solid · 61st percentile
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: 74% here. California: 63%.
Students from low-income families
Qualify for free or reduced-price meals
Pierce Joint Unified74%
California63%
Spending per student
Day-to-day spending, 2024–25
Pierce Joint Unified$16,077
Typical district$20,491
English learners who moved up a level
On the state’s English test (ELPAC)
Pierce Joint Unified50%
California47%
Meals: 1,065 of 1,447 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, 50% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (124 of 247 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 Pierce Joint Unified’s money go?
About 60 cents of every Pierce Joint Unified dollar went to classroom instruction.
$16,077
spent per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491.
Every dollar, by what it paid for
60¢11¢10¢9¢8¢
- Instruction60%
- Buildings & maintenance11%
- Administration10%
- Instruction support9%
- Student services8%
- Other2%
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $12.0 million into 48 funded actions in 4 goals. That is 43% of its $27.8 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?
1,447 students were enrolled in the October 2024–25 count. The state is giving Pierce Joint Unified extra help in 2026, the second year after it qualified on the 2025 Dashboard.
Who goes to the district’s schools
- Hispanic or Latino 81%
- White 16%
- Other or not reported 3%
Is the state giving the district extra help?
The state is giving Pierce Joint Unified 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).1 school getting state support, 2025–26
- Arbuckle ElementaryTargeted support: homeless students
Common questions
What do parents ask about this district?
Are the public schools in Pierce Joint Unified good?
Pierce Joint Unified has one public elementary school we score. Arbuckle Elementary has a Scope Score of 72. It is Developing, at the 32nd percentile. Pierce Joint Unified has one public middle school we score. Lloyd G. Johnson Junior High has a Scope Score of 70. It is Needs Support, at the 17th percentile. Pierce Joint Unified has one public high school we score. Pierce High has a Scope Score of 78. It is Solid, at the 61st percentile. 75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How we score schools.
Which public schools in Pierce Joint Unified rank highest?
Arbuckle Elementary is the only elementary school we score here. It has a Scope Score of 72. It is Developing, at the 32nd percentile. Lloyd G. Johnson Junior High is the only middle school we score here. It has a Scope Score of 70. It is Needs Support, at the 17th percentile. Pierce High is the only high school we score here. It has a Scope Score of 78. It is Solid, at the 61st 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 Pierce Joint Unified spend per student?
Pierce Joint Unified spent $16,077 per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491. About 60 cents of every Pierce Joint Unified 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 Pierce Joint Unified’s 2026–27 spending plan?
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $12.0 million into 48 funded actions in 4 goals. That is 43% of its $27.8 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $7.5 million, 63% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.
Does living in the Pierce Joint Unified 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?
Sources and methodology
This page lists the public schools governed and funded by Pierce Joint Unified, 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.