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Porterville Unified: Porterville Unified schools score 5.7 points below the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 9.2 points.

Below Average2024–25 data19 schools · avg 39.2/100

Porterville Unified has 19 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 39.2/100 — 5.7 points below the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Harmony Magnet Academy at 66/100, where 39.5% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $13,250 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 1 school shows positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 20.3%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.

Avg Scope Score
39.2
State avg: 44.8
SchoolScope composite
Score Range
50.7
15.2 – 65.9
Avg Exceeded %
13.3%
State avg: 21.3%
Chronic Absenteeism
20.3%
State avg: 17.9%
Schools Ranked
19
With Scope Scores
Charter Schools
3
of 19 ranked
LevelAvg ScoreSchoolsExceededAbsent
ElementaryDeveloping
36.1/100
1112.1%17.7%
MiddleDeveloping
43.4/100
19.6%16.3%
HighDeveloping
43.5/100
715.7%24.9%

Porterville Unified's high schools average 43.5/100 — within 0.3 points of the state average.

K–12 pipeline

The typical school path in Porterville Unified, top-scoring shown first.

Elementary
36.1
avg score · 11 schools
John J. Doyle Elementary
Developing
49/100
Westfield Elementary
Developing
45/100
+8 more elementary schools
Middle
43.4
avg score · 1 school
Pioneer Middle
Developing
43/100
High
43.5
avg score · 7 schools
Monache High
Developing
49/100
Porterville High
Developing
45/100
+4 more high schools

District Analysis

Porterville Unified has 19 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 39.2/100 — 5.7 points below the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Strongest level: Porterville Unified's high schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 43.5.

District-wide elementary growth averages -9.2pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.

Score range of 50.7 points — showing significant variation between schools.

District chronic absenteeism averages 20.3%, 2.4pp above the state average of 17.9%.

District suspension rate averages 1.8%, near the state average of 1.6%.

Harmony Magnet Academy leads the district at 66 with 39.5% exceeding standard.

How we score · Scope Score methodology

School archetypes in Porterville Unified

4 Culture First1 Strong All-Around1 Growth Engine1 On the Rise12 Building Momentum

Hidden gems: 2 schools in Porterville Unified are classified as Growth Engine or On the Rise — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.

Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more

Student demographics

Hispanic
85.9%
White
8.7%
Asian
0.9%
Black
0.3%
Other
4.2%
Free/Reduced Lunch
92%
Economic need indicator · district avg

District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data

District Funding

Porterville Unified spends $13,250 per student in current expenditures — $1,564 below the state average of $14,815.

Per-Pupil Spending
$13,250
State avg: $14,815
District Enrollment
14,372
Students for funding calc
2016–2020 Trend
↑ 11.8%
$11,848 → $13,250
Spending Efficiency
2.96
Scope Score per $1K spent
Spending Breakdown
Instruction 61%Support 34%Other 5%
NCES F-33 Finance · District-level data — not school-specific

Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020

Teacher compensation

Salary Range
$67,408–$131,482
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
Teaching Staff
747
Full-time equivalent teachers

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25

For the data nerds

Every school in Porterville Unified

ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP

Elementary Schools (11)

Porterville Unified has 11 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 36.1 — 8.8 points below the state average of 44.8.

Growth averages -9.2pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.

The highest-scoring elementary school is Santa Fe Elementary with a Scope Score of 53 and 26.4% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Santa Fe Elementary
Porterville Unified Culture First
26.4%Solid
53/100
2John J. Doyle Elementary
Porterville Unified Culture First
9.5%Developing
49/100
3Westfield Elementary
Porterville Unified Growth Engine
13.4%Developing
45/100
4Vandalia Elementary
Porterville Unified Building Momentum
15.3%Developing
42/100
5Olive Street Elementary
Porterville Unified Culture First
19.4%Developing
37/100
6Monte Vista Elementary
Porterville Unified Building Momentum
9.2%Developing
35/100
7Roche Elementary
Porterville Unified Building Momentum
9.1%Developing
34/100
8Los Robles Elementary
Porterville Unified Building Momentum
9.2%Developing
34/100
9West Putnam Elementary
Porterville Unified Culture First
9.7%Needs Support
28/100
10Butterfield Charter
Porterville Unified Building Momentum
2.9%Needs Support
21/100
11Belleview Elementary
Porterville Unified Building Momentum
8.4%Needs Support
20/100

Middle Schools (1)

Porterville Unified has 1 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 43.4 — within 0.7 points of the state average of 42.6.

Grade-to-grade growth averages +12.2pp — schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.

The highest-scoring middle school is Pioneer Middle with a Scope Score of 43 and 9.6% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Pioneer Middle
Porterville Unified On the Rise
9.6%Developing
43/100

High Schools (7)

Porterville Unified has 7 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 43.5 — within 0.3 points of the state average of 43.7.

The highest-scoring high school is Harmony Magnet Academy with a Scope Score of 66 and 39.5% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Harmony Magnet Academy
Porterville Unified Strong All-Around
39.5%Solid
66/100
2Monache High
Porterville Unified Building Momentum
16.1%Developing
49/100
3Porterville High
Porterville Unified Building Momentum
15.8%Developing
45/100
4Porterville Military Academy
Porterville Unified Building Momentum
17.1%Developing
45/100
5Granite Hills High
Porterville Unified Building Momentum
11.1%Developing
43/100
6Strathmore High
Porterville Unified Building Momentum
9.0%Developing
41/100
7Citrus High
Porterville Unified Building Momentum
1.0%Needs Support
15/100
Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 19 schoolsMethodology · Explore all schools

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology

Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.

What Scope Scores can't tell you about Porterville Unified

Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology

Frequently asked questions

Is Porterville Unified a good school district?
Porterville Unified has 19 ranked schools averaging a Scope Score of 39.2/100, which is 5.7 points below the state average. 13.3% of students exceed the state standard on average. The Scope Score measures academic performance and school climate across seven dimensions. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What is the best school in Porterville Unified?
The highest-scoring school in Porterville Unified is Harmony Magnet Academy with a Scope Score of 66/100 and 39.5% exceeding standard. See methodology.
How much does Porterville Unified spend per student?
Porterville Unified spends $13,250 per student in current expenditures. The state average is $14,815. Spending data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data Fiscal Survey (F-33). Higher spending does not automatically mean better outcomes — the Scope Score measures what happens in the classroom regardless of budget.
What is the teacher salary range in Porterville Unified?
Teacher salaries in Porterville Unified range from $67,408–$131,482 based on the district's salary schedule (CDE Form J-90). The California statewide median teacher salary is approximately $98,000.
What does the Scope Score measure?
The Scope Score is SchoolScope's proprietary composite rating (0–100) based on seven dimensions of publicly available California school data: the exceeded-vs-met standard split, overall proficiency, grade-level growth, chronic absenteeism, suspension rate, ELPAC English Learner proficiency, and baseline proficiency. Full methodology and weights.