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Vista Preparatory Academy

Public Grades 6-8

2638^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 4% of California middle schools

Summary

Vista Preparatory Academy is a public middle school serving 541 students in grades 6-8 in Red Bluff, California, which has experienced a significant and concerning decline in its academic performance over the past several years.

The school's current academic results are among the lowest in the area, with only 17% of students proficient in English and 6.76% proficient in math, far below both state averages and nearby schools like Berrendos Middle and Lassen-Antelope Volcanic Academy (LAVA). It also struggles with a high chronic absenteeism rate of 26.4% and the largest average class size among local comparison schools. Notably, despite having the highest per-student spending locally at over $19,000, these resources have not translated into better outcomes for students, raising questions about how funds are being used.

Performance has declined across all grade levels during a student's time at the school, and the school is part of the Red Bluff Union Elementary district, which ranks in the bottom 15% in the state. While the school has shown some effectiveness with English Learners, it faces significant challenges in supporting other student groups. The proximity of higher-performing schools suggests these difficulties are not inevitable for the community, indicating a need for focused intervention and change at Vista Preparatory Academy.

541

Students ?

22.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,004

Per pupil spending ?

71.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1770 South Jackson St.
Red Bluff, CA 96080-4505

(530) 527-7840

District: Red Bluff Union Elementary

Students who attend Vista Preparatory Academy usually attend:

High:

Red Bluff High

Feeder schools for Vista Preparatory Academy:

Elementary:	Bidwell Elementary
	Jackson Heights Elementary
	William M. Metteer Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

44.5%

White:

42.9%

Two or more races:

3.9%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Vista Preparatory Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 28th percentile in 2015 → 4th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (12% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (4th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (26% vs 19% California)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school12%

District avg20%

California avg41%

2,638^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 4%▼ down 23 pts since 2015

From bottom 28% (2015) to bottom 4% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1317^th of 1,543Red Bluff Union Elementary 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
2025	9.3	2638 of 2761	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.0	2551 of 2783	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.7	2378 of 2781	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.2	2161 of 2740	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.9	654 of 894	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.2	1551 of 2715	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.6	1340 of 2480	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	29.6	1681 of 2508	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	32.9	1553 of 2497	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	25.8	1790 of 2477	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	25.7	1852 of 2379	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	33.5	1543 of 2259	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	42.4	1296 of 2236	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	43.6	1218 of 2179	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	50.5	955 of 2063	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	51.1	903 of 2005	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	53.4	826 of 1999	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	36.8	1096 of 1804	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	35.4	1102 of 1777	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2004	45.1	876 of 1769	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	20.4	1438 of 1531	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	29.9	261 of 354	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	44.7	644 of 1491	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	36.4	773 of 1369	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	48.2	482 of 1478	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.6	708 of 1521	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.4	706 of 1540	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.4	206 of 363	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	72.3	193 of 1442	86.6%	★★★★☆
2018	71.0	204 of 1364	85.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	8.7	2464 of 2533	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.4	2352 of 2551	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.0	2256 of 2531	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.6	2051 of 2509	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.6	540 of 738	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.2	1252 of 2380	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.5	1337 of 2262	40.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	11.1	2277 of 2395	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.3	2236 of 2388	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.4	2142 of 2374	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	22.7	1911 of 2359	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.0	1161 of 2213	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.8	1044 of 2072	49.6%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	23.5	333 of 394	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	11.2	2414 of 2542	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.4	2344 of 2579	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.5	2180 of 2531	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.5	1919 of 2458	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.2	472 of 721	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.1	1267 of 2369	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.5	1095 of 2230	50.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	10.4	2412 of 2534	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	2352 of 2552	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.2	2078 of 2538	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.8	1949 of 2527	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.6	527 of 763	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.9	1576 of 2407	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.7	1207 of 2273	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	38.4	369 of 554	33.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	15.8	1553 of 1566	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.4	1450 of 1552	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.1	1436 of 1531	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	2.8	1506 of 1520	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.0	1495 of 1537	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.8	1450 of 1543	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.5	1456 of 1555	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.1	1305 of 1602	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.1	1175 of 1496	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)67th percentile+59 vs school

Multi-racial (2019)33rd percentile-9 vs school

Homeless (2024)15th percentile+7 vs school

Disabled (2022)6th percentile-15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)5th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)5th percentile~ school

Male (2025)5th percentile~ school

Female (2025)3rd percentile~ school

White (2025)1st percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2025)1st percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy17%-32 vs state

Science9%-23 vs state

Mathematics7%-31 vs state

★

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Schools Near Vista Preparatory Academy

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)					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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Vista Preparatory Academy	Public	6-8	1770 South Jackson St.	Red Bluff	96080	Tehama County	Red Bluff Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 527-7840	541	24	22.1	71.2%	232 (42.9%)	13 (2.4%)	241 (44.5%)	10 (1.8%)	18 (3.3%)	5 (0.9%)	21 (3.9%)	9.3	2638^th of 2761 public middle schools	4.5%		13	2551^st of 2783 public middle schools	8.3%	87		9.3	9.3		18.8	18.1	14.4	17.0		6.5	8.8	5.0	6.8	$18,004	$17,058	$946
Lassen-Antelope Volcanic Academy (LAVA)	Public, Charter	5-8	1660 Monroe St.	Red Bluff	96080	Tehama County	Antelope Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 727-9495	97	5	18.6	64.9%	79 (81.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.1%)	32.5	1738^th of 2761 public middle schools	37.1%		31.3	1757^th of 2783 public middle schools	36.9%	19	47.8	30.0	39.5	52.2	36.0	37.0	35.0	40.0	34.8	28.0	22.2	15.0	25.3	$24,759	$23,450	$1,309
Berrendos Middle	Public	6-8	401 Chestnut Ave.	Red Bluff	96080	Tehama County	Antelope Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 527-6700	229	12	18.8	52.0%	147 (64.2%)	2 (0.9%)	65 (28.4%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.9%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.7%)	55.3	1023^rd of 2761 public middle schools	62.9%		59.4	901^st of 2783 public middle schools	67.6%	122		24.3	24.3		41.3	40.7	57.1	45.9		45.0	34.6	49.3	42.7	$27,357	$25,968	$1,389
Evergreen Middle	Public	5-8	19500 Learning Way	Cottonwood	96022	Tehama County	Evergreen Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 347-3411	399	19	20.9	55.9%	292 (73.2%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (18.3%)	7 (1.8%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.8%)	59.1	927^th of 2761 public middle schools	66.4%		72	652^nd of 2783 public middle schools	76.6%	275	43.4	35.8	40.1	55.7	49.5	47.4	45.7	49.9	48.1	46.7	37.1	39.5	43.1	$20,516	$17,854	$2,662
Evergreen Community Day School (5-8)	Public	5-8	19500 Learning Way	Cottonwood	96022	Tehama County	Evergreen Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 347-3411	3	1	6.0		2 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (33.3%)								(n/a)														$82,144	$82,144	$00
West Cottonwood Junior High	Public	5-8	20512 West First St.	Cottonwood	96022	Shasta County	Cottonwood Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 347-3123	419	21	19.5	50.6%	273 (65.2%)	2 (0.5%)	86 (20.5%)	5 (1.2%)	24 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.9%)	56.6	984^th of 2761 public middle schools	64.4%		58.3	927^th of 2783 public middle schools	66.7%	57	37.7	21.5	30.8	53.8	48.4	57.3	45.6	51.8	27.4	41.9	43.6	29.1	35.8	$17,894	$17,680	$214
Maywood Middle	Public	6-8	1666 Marguerite Ave.	Corning	96021	Tehama County	Corning Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 824-7730	515	29	17.9	91.7%	91 (17.7%)	2 (0.4%)	407 (79.0%)	3 (0.6%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	16.9	2361^st of 2761 public middle schools	14.5%		17.1	2388^th of 2783 public middle schools	14.2%	27		10.1	10.1		34.4	29.8	13.7	24.4		24.7	12.6	12.6	14.9	$17,231	$15,872	$1,359

Frequently Asked Questions about Vista Preparatory Academy

Is Vista Preparatory Academy a good school?

Vista Preparatory Academy ranks in the bottom 4.5% of California middle schools.

What district is Vista Preparatory Academy in?

Red Bluff Union Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Vista Preparatory Academy?

Students at Vista Preparatory Academy are 45% Hispanic, 43% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% American Indian, 2% African American, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Vista Preparatory Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 541 students attended Vista Preparatory Academy.

What high school do graduates of Vista Preparatory Academy attend?

Students who attend Vista Preparatory Academy usually go on to attend Red Bluff High

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.