Summary:
Del Norte County Unified School District has one middle school, Crescent Elk Middle, serving grades 6-8 for the entire county, which faces significant academic challenges despite higher-than-average per-student funding.
This school consistently performs well below state averages, with only 29% of students proficient in English and 18% in math, and a particularly low 10% proficiency in science. Academic performance generally declines as students advance grades, and the school struggles with a chronic absenteeism rate of 28.5%, which is much higher than the state average and is a major concern for student success. While the district as a whole performs below state standards, Crescent Elk Middle's scores are also lower than the Del Norte County Unified district averages in every core subject.
With over three-quarters of its students coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the school's low 1-star rating and consistent position in the bottom 20% of state schools highlight a need for targeted interventions. The notable gap between substantial resources and student outcomes suggests that families and the district should focus on improving attendance, reviewing the science curriculum, and understanding how to better support students through their middle school years to reverse the declining performance trends.
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