Summary:
Zip code 95490 in Willits, California, contains one public middle school, Baechtel Grove Middle, which serves grades 6 through 8 in the Willits Unified district.
Parents should be aware that Baechtel Grove Middle faces significant academic challenges, consistently ranking in the bottom 6% of all California middle schools for the last three years. Student proficiency in core subjects is far below state averages, with only 7.24% of students proficient in mathematics and 19.02% in English Language Arts during the 2024-2025 school year. The school's chronic absenteeism rate is a major concern, at 46.4%, which is more than double the state average and severely impacts learning.
Despite these struggles, the school's per-student spending of $16,040 is above the state average, indicating that funding alone is not addressing the core issues. The broader Willits Unified district is also low-performing, ranking in the bottom 4% of districts statewide. For families, this suggests a need for comprehensive support, focusing on improving attendance and targeted academic interventions, particularly in mathematics, to help students succeed.
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