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Bakersfield City School District

1300 Baker St.
Bakersfield, CA 93305-4326
(District boundaries shown in map)
2/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Bakersfield City School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in California for:

Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 12 public middle schools serving 7,590 students in Bakersfield City School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in California.
Public Middle Schools in Bakersfield City School District have an average math proficiency score of 12% (versus the California public middle school average of 31%), and reading proficiency score of 28% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 91% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the California public middle school average of 78% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
45 Schools
3,501 Schools
# Students
28,761 Students
1,854,363 Students
# Teachers
1,399 Teachers
87,821 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
21:1
21:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Bakersfield City School District, which is ranked #1694 of all 1,925 school districts in California (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#1663 out of 1941 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
13%
33%
27%
47%
14%
29%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.31
0.64
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
11%
% Hispanic
83%
55%
% Black
7%
5%
% White
8%
22%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
1%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $18,535 in this school district is less than the state median of $19,974. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $16,380 is less than the state median of $18,396. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (CA)
Total Revenue
$533 MM
$116,387 MM
Spending
$471 MM
$107,188 MM
Revenue / Student
$18,535
$19,974
Spending / Student
$16,380
$18,396

Best Bakersfield City School District Public Middle Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Downtown Elementary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
2021 M St.
Bakersfield, CA 93301
(661) 631-5920
Grades: K-8
| 319 students
Rank: #22.
Paul L. Cato Middle School
(Math: 25% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
4115 Vineland Rd.
Bakersfield, CA 93306
(661) 631-5245
Grades: 6-8
| 654 students
Rank: #33.
Abraham Lincoln Jr. High School
(Math: 22% | Reading: 31%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
815 Eureka St.
Bakersfield, CA 93305
(661) 631-5950
Grades: 7-8
| 498 students
Rank: #44.
Chipman Junior High School
(Math: 14% | Reading: 35%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
2905 Eissler St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306
(661) 631-5210
Grades: 7-8
| 719 students
Rank: #55.
Rafer Johnson
Alternative School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: ≤20%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1001 Tenth St.
Bakersfield, CA 93304
(661) 631-5445
Grades: K-8
| 43 students
Rank: #66.
Curran Middle School
(Math: 10% | Reading: 29%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1116 Lymric Way
Bakersfield, CA 93309
(661) 631-5240
Grades: 6-8
| 1,043 students
Rank: #77.
Compton Junior High School
(Math: 9% | Reading: 25%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
3211 Pico Ave.
Bakersfield, CA 93306
(661) 631-5230
Grades: 7-8
| 575 students
Rank: #8 - 98. - 9.
Sequoia Jr. High School
(Math: 8% | Reading: 23%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
900 Belle Terr.
Bakersfield, CA 93304
(661) 631-5940
Grades: 7-8
| 744 students
Rank: #8 - 98. - 9.
Walter Stiern Middle School
(Math: 8% | Reading: 23%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
2551 Morning Dr.
Bakersfield, CA 93306
(661) 631-5480
Grades: 6-8
| 783 students
Rank: #1010.
Emerson Middle School
(Math: 5% | Reading: 22%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
801 Fourth St.
Bakersfield, CA 93304
(661) 631-5260
Grades: 6-8
| 809 students
Rank: #1111.
Sierra Middle School
(Math: 4% | Reading: 21%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
3017 Center St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306
(661) 631-5470
Grades: 6-8
| 746 students
Rank: #1212.
Washington Middle School
(Math: 4% | Reading: 18%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
1101 Noble Ave.
Bakersfield, CA 93305
(661) 631-5810
Grades: 6-8
| 657 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 45 schools
  • Grades: KG-08
  • Enrollment: 28,761 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 21:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 92%
  • : Bottom 50% in CA
  • : 13% (Btm 50%)
  • : 27% (Btm 50%)
  • : 14% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

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