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William J. (Pete) Knight High

Q: Is William J. (Pete) Knight High a good school?

William J. (Pete) Knight High ranks 1374 th of 2135 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

1374^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,135 California High Schools

Better than 36% of California high schools

Summary

William J. (Pete) Knight High is a public high school serving grades 9–12 in Palmdale, an Antelope Valley community, with 2,349 students in the Antelope Valley Union High district. Its results show a meaningful contrast: graduation is strong, at 94% in 2025–2026 compared with 85% districtwide and 88% statewide, while test scores remain below state proficiency in all three subjects. The most important finding is that Knight is below the state in ELA, math and science, even though it scores above nearby same-district peers in all three.

Knight’s strongest local subject is science: its 17% score was the highest among the seven same-district schools, compared with a peer average of 9%; its score was 3 points above the district’s 14% and 19 points below the state’s 36%. In math, Knight scored 17%, 8 points above the peer average of 9% and 1 point above the district, but 22 points below the state. ELA is its least favorable local comparison: Knight scored 40%, ahead of the peer average of 32% but behind Highland High, Palmdale High and Littlerock High. ELA is also 9 points below the state’s 49%. Knight’s 3% dropout rate is lower than the district’s 9% and state’s 8%, while chronic absenteeism—23%—is below the district’s 28% but above the state’s 18%.

Over the four reported test years, math improved from 10% to 17%, narrowing its state gap by 3 points; science rose from 13% to 17%, but its gap widened by 1 point. ELA was nearly flat at about 40%, and its state gap widened by 2 points. SchoolDigger gives Knight a 36th-percentile statewide ranking and 2 stars for 2025–2026, the second-highest ranking among the seven same-district schools. Its student–teacher ratio is 23.0, matching the peer average. The reported free/reduced lunch eligible measure was 58% in 2024–2025; all students have access to free school meals, so this figure does not indicate who can receive meals. SchoolDigger’s statewide ranking points to weaker results in serving Multi-racial Students: the group ranked at the 8th percentile in 2025–2026, down from the 18th percentile the prior year, compared with Knight’s overall 36th percentile. White Students ranked at the 19th percentile, also below the overall ranking.

2,349

Students ?

23.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,616

Per pupil spending ?

58.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

37423 70th St. East
Palmdale, CA 93552-4800

(661) 533-9000

District: Antelope Valley Union High

Feeder schools for William J. (Pete) Knight High:

Elementary:	Alpine Elementary
	Buena Vista Elementary
	Chaparral Prep Academy
	Cimarron Elementary
	More...
	Golden Poppy Elementary
	Manzanita Elementary
	Mesquite Elementary
	Quail Valley Elementary
Middle:	Shadow Hills Engineering and Design Magnet Academy

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

78.9%

African American:

13.2%

White:

3.2%

See top rated California high schools

Compare William J. (Pete) Knight High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 37th percentile in 2015 → 36th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (28% vs 42% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Mathematics scores 22 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg27%

California avg42%

1,374^th of 2,135

California public high schools ?

Bottom 36%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 43% (2016) to bottom 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 12High Schools in the Antelope Valley Union High

1003^rd of 1,530Antelope Valley Union High among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	34.9	1374 of 2135	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.8	1430 of 2162	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.4	1332 of 2159	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.6	1412 of 2170	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.5	1391 of 2123	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.1	1311 of 2133	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.0	1165 of 2017	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.3	1295 of 2021	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	41.8	1160 of 2039	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	35.7	1255 of 1994	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	34.7	1188 of 2426	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	35.2	1176 of 2354	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	37.8	1106 of 2367	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	36.2	1101 of 2281	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	37.8	1099 of 2238	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	33.5	1079 of 2117	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	36.4	970 of 2063	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	30.1	1089 of 1968	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2005	29.8	1056 of 1901	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2004	25.3	1067 of 1653	35.5%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	27.1	372 of 492	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.2	404 of 523	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.2	374 of 517	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.2	331 of 521	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.4	321 of 522	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.8	380 of 592	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.2	409 of 582	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	25.2	972 of 1161	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.6	839 of 1117	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.5	936 of 1052	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	34.2	739 of 1085	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.8	661 of 1064	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.3	661 of 1044	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.2	412 of 941	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	31.0	613 of 938	34.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	29.6	1334 of 1864	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.7	1340 of 1906	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.5	1238 of 1915	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.8	1323 of 1915	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.8	1229 of 1858	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.5	1201 of 1833	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.4	1161 of 1760	34.0%	★★☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	43.3	2 of 8	75.0%	★★★★☆
2023	89.4	1 of 8	87.5%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	42.1	1103 of 1880	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.0	1121 of 1900	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.2	953 of 1902	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.2	1132 of 1917	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.8	1052 of 1861	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.0	929 of 1814	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.3	835 of 1742	52.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	34.5	1334 of 1997	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.5	1294 of 2013	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.5	1193 of 2026	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.2	1291 of 2030	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.9	1269 of 1943	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.6	1113 of 1937	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.1	956 of 1862	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	34.4	1253 of 1930	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.8	1266 of 1942	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.0	1220 of 1948	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.3	1322 of 1963	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.6	1300 of 1916	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.3	1172 of 1880	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.9	1055 of 1834	42.5%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	8.5	541 of 588	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	19.5	473 of 577	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.9	418 of 541	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.9	434 of 515	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.3	332 of 422	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	7.3	342 of 366	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	27.5	917 of 1235	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.4	868 of 1252	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.2	1058 of 1216	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.8	1065 of 1197	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	22.7	911 of 1130	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.9	916 of 1155	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.2	934 of 1173	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.5	882 of 1193	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.1	700 of 1204	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	16.8	1028 of 1222	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.0	848 of 1173	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Foster Care (2024)75th percentile+37 vs school

Hispanic (2026)41st percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)35th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)33rd percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2024)32nd percentile-6 vs school

Female (2026)28th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2026)26th percentile-10 vs school

African American (2026)24th percentile-11 vs school

White (2026)19th percentile-16 vs school

Disabled (2022)16th percentile-18 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)8th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy40%-9 vs state

Science17%-19 vs state

Mathematics17%-22 vs state

★

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Schools Near William J. (Pete) Knight High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
William J. (Pete) Knight High	Public	9-12	37423 70th St. East	Palmdale	93552	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 533-9000	2,349	102	23.0	58.1%	76 (3.2%)	309 (13.2%)	1,854 (78.9%)	41 (1.7%)	3 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	65 (2.8%)	34.9	1374^th of 2135 public high schools	35.6%		32.8	1430^th of 2162 public high schools	33.9%	56		20.6	14.6	17.1				39.9	39.9				16.8	16.8	$19,616	$969	$18,647
Littlerock High	Public	9-12	10833 East Avenue R	Littlerock	93543	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 944-5209	1,507	68	22.2	66.3%	97 (6.4%)	56 (3.7%)	1,304 (86.5%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (2.9%)	32.2	1441^st of 2135 public high schools	32.5%		21.9	1653^rd of 2162 public high schools	23.5%	212		8.3	0.0	4.2				41.4	41.4				13.8	13.8	$20,770	$811	$19,959
Palmdale High	Public	9-12	2137 East Avenue R	Palmdale	93550	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 273-3181	2,208	101	21.8	68.5%	64 (2.9%)	317 (14.4%)	1,766 (80.0%)	22 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (1.8%)	28	1525^th of 2135 public high schools	28.6%		21.3	1667^th of 2162 public high schools	22.9%	142		11.1	16.7	13.6				41.5	41.5				6.3	6.3	$20,332	$1,861	$18,471
Antelope Valley Regional Occupational Program	Public	9-12	1156 East Ave. S	Palmdale	93550	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(661) 575-1026	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
R. Rex Parris High	Public	9-12	38801 Clock Tower Plaza Dr.	Palmdale	93550	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 274-1230	469	21	21.9	83.6%	14 (3.0%)	67 (14.3%)	369 (78.7%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	11 (2.3%)	9.9	1957^th of 2135 public high schools	8.3%		11.3	1952^nd of 2162 public high schools	9.7%	5		2.7	2.9	2.8				10.1	10.1				3.0	3.0	$17,610	$994	$16,616
Eastside High	Public	9-12	3200 East Ave. J-8	Lancaster	93535	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 946-3800	2,631	105	25.1	68.5%	98 (3.7%)	582 (22.1%)	1,809 (68.8%)	32 (1.2%)	3 (0.1%)	4 (0.2%)	103 (3.9%)	24.1	1593^rd of 2135 public high schools	25.4%		27.7	1534^th of 2162 public high schools	29.0%	59		14.3	5.0	9.3				35.6	35.6				7.5	7.5	$18,320	$817	$17,503
Highland High	Public	9-12	39055 25th St. West	Palmdale	93551	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 538-0304	2,706	107	25.2	63.9%	196 (7.2%)	443 (16.4%)	1,837 (67.9%)	89 (3.3%)	9 (0.3%)	8 (0.3%)	124 (4.6%)	43.8	1174^th of 2135 public high schools	45.0%		32.4	1439^th of 2162 public high schools	33.4%	265		18.9	9.1	13.6				48.9	48.9				19.6	19.6	$18,370	$1,485	$16,885
Mission Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-12	43141 Business Center Pkwy Ste. 102	Lancaster	93535	Los Angeles County	Mission Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(844) 788-3965	694	34	20.2	78.2%	142 (20.5%)	51 (7.3%)	420 (60.5%)	17 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	48 (6.9%)	56.9	885^th of 2135 public high schools	58.5%		54	948^th of 2162 public high schools	56.2%	63	24.4		38.9	28.6	27.3	24.2	20.9	40.6	32.5	22.7	24.2	31.9	37.0	32.8	$21,304	$72	$21,232
Assurance Learning Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	43145 Business Center Ste. 102-103	Lancaster	93535	Los Angeles County	Assurance Learning Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 272-1225	3,014	115	26.1	84.3%	310 (10.3%)	202 (6.7%)	2,308 (76.6%)	27 (0.9%)	10 (0.3%)	4 (0.1%)	139 (4.6%)	18.5	1678^th of 2135 public high schools	21.4%		18	1726^th of 2162 public high schools	20.2%	48			14.2	14.2				23.0	23.0				4.1	4.1	$23,152	$508	$22,644
Desert Winds Continuation High	Public	9-12	415 East Kettering St.	Lancaster	93535	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 948-7555	605	28	21.8	74.4%	33 (5.5%)	191 (31.6%)	345 (57.0%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.0%)	11.9	1850^th of 2135 public high schools	13.3%		11.7	1929^th of 2162 public high schools	10.8%	79		8.1	9.7	8.8				13.3	13.3				3.9	3.9	$15,716	$937	$14,779

Frequently Asked Questions about William J. (Pete) Knight High

What is the racial makeup of William J. (Pete) Knight High?

Students at William J. (Pete) Knight High are 79% Hispanic, 13% African American, 3% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is William J. (Pete) Knight High a good school?

William J. (Pete) Knight High ranks 1374^th of 2135 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend William J. (Pete) Knight High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,349 students attended William J. (Pete) Knight High.

What schools feed into William J. (Pete) Knight High?

William J. (Pete) Knight High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Alpine Elementary
Elementary : Buena Vista Elementary
Elementary : Chaparral Prep Academy
Elementary : Cimarron Elementary
Elementary : Golden Poppy Elementary
Elementary : Manzanita Elementary
Elementary : Mesquite Elementary
Elementary : Quail Valley Elementary
Middle : Shadow Hills Engineering and Design Magnet Academy

What district is William J. (Pete) Knight High in?

Antelope Valley Union High

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresOct 15, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.