Best High Schools in Zip Code 96020

Zip code 96020 contains one high school, Chester Junior/Senior High, a grades 7-12 school serving 124 students in the rural Plumas Unified district.

This school presents a mixed picture for parents. On the positive side, it boasts a very high graduation rate of 91.3%, significantly above both district and state averages, and benefits from a low student-teacher ratio of 10-to-1, suggesting more individual attention. However, academic proficiency in core subjects like English, math, and science is below average, and the school has experienced a dramatic drop in its statewide ranking from the 76th percentile to the 33rd percentile in just one year. Chronic absenteeism, at 33.8%, is a notable concern and is much higher than the state average.

Despite higher-than-average per-student spending, the school struggles with academic outcomes, though it shows pockets of strength, such as in 11th-grade math. The extreme volatility in its annual ranking suggests parents should look at multiple years of data and may want to investigate the reasons behind the recent decline. The school's ability to successfully graduate students at a high rate, even with lower test scores, is a key strength to consider.