Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
The elementary schools sit at the state line (37.9 vs 38.9) — the 18-point school-to-school spread is where the choice lives.
5 elementary schools span 18 points around an average of 37.9.
1 of the 5 elementary schools with measurable cohort evidence rank as Growth Engines — returning cohorts gaining more, grade to grade, than at most schools statewide.
What these numbers can't see: class sizes, arts, teacher turnover, how a hallway feels at 8 a.m. Strong scores are the start of the question, not the answer.
The high school years
The high schools average 45.7/100 — 8.3 points below the state average. Here is what that number does and doesn't say.
2 high schools span 27 points around an average of 45.7.
1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.
Vanden High is the strongest option at 59/100 — 19.2% of its students exceed the state standard.
35.3% 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. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Travis Elementary at 46/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
No charters or magnets among the ranked schools here, so the main lever is an intra-district transfer — California districts run them on their own windows and criteria. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, ask the district office for this year's dates.
A band is a position, not a prophecy — 1 campus here ranks as Growth Engine, its returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. 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:
Travis Elementary 72nd percentile · SolidScope Score 46/100Vanden High 68th percentile · SolidScope Score 59/100
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.