Summary:
The Baker Valley Unified district operates three small, rural schools—Baker Elementary (K-5), Baker Junior High (6-8), and Baker High (9-12)—on a single campus, serving 125 total students with a high rate of economic need across all grade levels.
Academic performance varies significantly between the schools. Baker High stands out as the strongest, with English proficiency well above the district average, a very low student-teacher ratio, and a solid recent graduation rate of 85.7%. In contrast, Baker Junior High shows severe struggles, particularly in mathematics where proficiency is below 3%, and its statewide ranking has fallen dramatically in recent years. Baker Elementary also faces academic challenges, with proficiency rates far below state averages.
Notable strengths for the district include chronic absenteeism rates that are better than the state average at all three schools, suggesting a strong attendance culture. However, key areas for improvement include addressing the middle school mathematics crisis, understanding the large disparities in per-student spending between schools, and building on the high school's relative success to help raise performance at the elementary and junior high levels.
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