Summary:
Two public high schools serve students in grades 9-12 within the 92860 zip code of Norco, California, both operating under the Corona-Norco Unified district, with one school demonstrating exceptional statewide performance.
John F. Kennedy High stands out as a top-tier school, consistently ranking in the top 3% of all California high schools. It boasts a near-perfect 99.4% graduation rate with zero dropouts and excels academically, particularly in English and Science where over 95% and 76% of students are proficient, respectively. In contrast, Norco High is a much larger school serving over 2,000 students and shows solid performance, with graduation rates above 96% and ratings placing it above the state average, though its academic proficiency rates are significantly lower than Kennedy's across all subjects.
An interesting finding is that Kennedy High achieves its outstanding results while spending less per student and having a higher student-to-teacher ratio than Norco High, suggesting factors beyond simple resource allocation drive success. Both schools serve a substantial population of economically disadvantaged students, yet Kennedy maintains remarkably low chronic absenteeism at 6.6%, compared to the state average of 19.4% matched by Norco High. For parents, this area offers a choice between a smaller, highly selective school with exceptional outcomes and a larger comprehensive high school with reliable, above-average performance within the same supportive district.
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