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Kern County Special Education

Q: Is Kern County Special Education a good school?

Kern County Special Education ranks in the bottom 0.7% of California alternative schools.

Q: How many students attend Kern County Special Education?

In the 2024-25 school year, 387 students attended Kern County Special Education.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Kern County Special Education?

Students at Kern County Special Education are 64% Hispanic, 24% White, 6% African American, 5% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

Public, Alternative Grades K-12

5817^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Alternative Schools

Better than 1% of California alternative schools

Summary

Kern County Special Education is a public K-12 school serving 387 students in downtown Bakersfield, operated by the Kern County Office of Education with a very low student-teacher ratio of 6.8-to-1 to support its high-need population.

The school provides intensive support, spending significantly more per student than nearby schools, but its students face substantial challenges, with academic proficiency rates far below state averages and a chronic absenteeism rate of over 53%, which is more than double the district average. Unlike other local alternative schools like Valley Oaks Charter or Central Academy of Arts and Technology, which show higher academic performance and lower absenteeism, the mission here is focused on serving students with significant disabilities, where standardized test scores may not fully reflect student progress on individualized educational or life-skills goals.

This comparison highlights that student needs at Kern County Special Education are particularly acute, similar to other high-need schools in the county office like Kern County Community and Kern County Juvenile Court. The critical takeaway for parents is that this school is heavily resourced to address complex needs, but its success is better measured by individual student growth rather than standard test scores, with reducing chronic absenteeism being a key area for improvement.

387

Students ?

6.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$70,166

Per pupil spending ?

74.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1300 17th St. City Centre
Bakersfield, CA 93301-4533

(661) 636-4788

District: Kern County Office of Education

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

63.8%

White:

23.8%

African American:

5.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Kern County Special Education to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 2nd percentile in 2018 → 1st in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 7 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (5% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (54% vs 19% California)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school5%

District avg23%

California avg41%

5,817^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Alternative Schools in the Kern County Office of Education

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

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	5.8	5817 of 5857	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.2	5848 of 5859	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.0	5812 of 5883	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.1	5619 of 5789	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.2	5570 of 5662	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	5.0	5666 of 5692	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	5.8	5585 of 5614	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	7.2	5583 of 5611	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	1.1	5522 of 5530	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	1.6	5306 of 5314	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	0.4	5192 of 5193	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	1.3	5109 of 5113	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	1.5	5110 of 5113	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	1.7	4816 of 4818	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	2.5	4819 of 4822	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	4.0	4799 of 4809	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	34.6	1552 of 2585	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.9	926 of 2128	56.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2018	7.7	5023 of 5084	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2018	6.8	5380 of 5431	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	27.7	1763 of 2420	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	5.6	2760 of 2783	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.7	2732 of 2781	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.0	2667 of 2740	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.2	2643 of 2715	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.0	2451 of 2480	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	3.0	2508 of 2508	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	3.2	2477 of 2497	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	5.0	2441 of 2477	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	3.2	2156 of 2179	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	8.0	1953 of 2063	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	2.0	2005 of 2005	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	4.2	1994 of 1999	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	5.5	1776 of 1804	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	3.3	1776 of 1777	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	3.6	1768 of 1769	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	43.5	674 of 1531	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	32.3	960 of 1491	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.5	819 of 1369	40.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	4.2	2203 of 2213	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	11.8	2424 of 2531	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	2310 of 2458	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.4	2281 of 2369	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.7	2215 of 2230	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	7.3	2507 of 2527	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.5	2401 of 2407	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.3	2259 of 2273	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	25.2	1271 of 1552	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.3	844 of 1531	44.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Disabled (2019)40th percentile+37 vs school

Special Education (2023)27th percentile+27 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2018)1st percentile~ school

Male (2018)1st percentile~ school

Middle school

Disabled (2022)56th percentile+53 vs school

Special Education (2024)18th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)4th percentile~ school

Male (2022)1st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2019)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Science10%-23 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy6%-43 vs state

Mathematics2%-35 vs state

★

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Schools Near Kern County Special Education

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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 Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				CAST Science (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)								Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)								% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	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 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	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 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kern County Special Education	Public, Alternative	K-12	1300 17th St. City Centre	Bakersfield	93301	Kern County	Kern County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 636-4788	387	57	6.8	74.7%	92 (23.8%)	23 (5.9%)	247 (63.8%)	19 (4.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)								(n/a)	9.1				9.5				0.0				5.9				0.0				2.0	50.0	83.3	73.3	76.7	83.3	76.7	$70,166	$69,934	$232
Kern County Community	Public, Alternative	K-12	1300 17th St. City Centre	Bakersfield	93301	Kern County	Kern County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 852-5570	325	23	14.1	91.7%	50 (15.4%)	40 (12.3%)	227 (69.8%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)								(n/a)		2.9		6.1	4.4					0.0	2.8	16.5	10.0					0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0							$71,931	$66,710	$5,221
Kern County Juvenile Court	Public, Alternative	K-12	1300 17th St.	Bakersfield	93301	Kern County	Kern County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 852-5570	191	22	8.8	98.4%	26 (13.6%)	45 (23.6%)	116 (60.7%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)				0.0	0.0							0.0	0.0							0.0	0.0							$71,883	$66,666	$5,217
Central Academy of Arts and Technology	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1701 18th St.	Bakersfield	93301	Kern County	Central Academy of Arts and Technology District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 885-0023	179	11	16.2	65.9%	42 (23.5%)	8 (4.5%)	101 (56.4%)	3 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (12.8%)								(n/a)	32.0	25.0			29.3	23.8	54.2	44.0	52.0	52.6	68.8		48.5	33.3	37.5	13.6	40.0	42.1	18.8		31.5							$49,979	$47,382	$2,597
Valley Oaks Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	3501 Chester Ave.	Bakersfield	93301	Kern County	Kern County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 852-6700	1,087	52	21.0	40.2%	533 (49.0%)	12 (1.1%)	407 (37.4%)	16 (1.5%)	12 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	104 (9.6%)								(n/a)	26.3	27.1	41.2		31.1	32.9	32.8	38.3	40.8	40.0	45.8	65.8	42.9	31.4	20.7	19.8	19.7	24.0	19.8	32.5	23.8	70.2	70.2	70.2	70.2	70.2	70.2	$23,000	$23,000	$00

Frequently Asked Questions about Kern County Special Education

How many students attend Kern County Special Education?

In the 2024-25 school year, 387 students attended Kern County Special Education.

What is the racial makeup of Kern County Special Education?

Students at Kern County Special Education are 64% Hispanic, 24% White, 6% African American, 5% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Kern County Special Education in?

Kern County Office of Education

Is Kern County Special Education a good school?

Kern County Special Education ranks in the bottom 0.7% of California alternative schools.

Rate Kern County Special Education!

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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.