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Email BoardBakersfield City
Kern County school performance
Bakersfield City is badly underperforming.
Reading and math results average to the 16th percentile among California school districts.
Only 30.9% of students met California's reading standard, but it is slowly trending up.
Math is weaker: 16.2% of students met California's math standard, but it is trending up slightly.
| Current Reading Proficiency | 30.9% |
| Current Math Proficiency | 16.2% |
| District Reading Rank | 791 / 977 (19th percentile) |
| District Math Rank | 844 / 977 (14th percentile) |
| Student / Teacher Ratio | 19:1 |
| Spend per Student | $21,111 |
| Schools in District | 44 |
| Student Enrollment | 28,365 |
| Low-Income Students | 25,572 (90.2%) |
| English Learners | 7,109 (25.1%) |
District Website
Great Schools
Niche
Ed-Data
CAASPPTest score trends
Reading rose 2.8 points from last year and rose 3.2 points over the full period. Math rose 1.0 points from last year and rose 1.2 points over the full period.
•Math +1.2 percentage pointsBoard Members
| name | elected | up for re-election |
|---|---|---|
Brooke Malley Ault President Pro-Tem [email protected] | 2023 | 2028 |
Laura Guerrero-Salgado President [email protected] | 2020 | 2026This year! |
Dr. Chris Cruz-Boone Clerk [email protected] | 2020 | 2028 |
Michael Eggert Clerk Pro-Tem [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Anthony Fuentes Board Member [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Expand for details on low-income and english learner performance
Reading Proficiency Scores
Comparison of low-income and English learner groups using district-level CAASPP proficiency data.
Low-Income vs Non-Low-Income
Low-income students trail other students by 27.6 points in reading. It widened over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
4.3% of English learners meet the reading standard, compared with 32.8% of English-only students. The gap widened as English-learner results fell and English-only results rose.
•Math Proficiency Scores
Comparison of low-income and English learner groups using district-level CAASPP proficiency data.
Low-Income vs Non-Low-Income
Low-income students trail other students by 23.9 points in math. It widened over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
3.5% of English learners meet the math standard, compared with 17.5% of English-only students. The gap widened as English-learner results fell and English-only results rose.
•District School Map
Schools in this district, color-coded by reading proficiency.
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Hover over a school marker to see details
Schools
Understanding this district
How does Bakersfield City rank in California?
Bakersfield City ranks No. 791 of 977 in reading and No. 844 of 977 in math for 2026. These proficiency rankings compare districts across all district types.
How much do results vary between Bakersfield City’s schools?
Among the 23 schools serving K–6, proficiency ranges from 13.1% to 53.3% in reading and 5.6% to 37.1% in math.
See the district’s schoolsAre results improving across Bakersfield City’s schools?
Over 2024–2026, reading proficiency rose at 33 of 44 schools with results covering that full period; math rose at 27 of 44.
Compare school trendsHow do low-income students in Bakersfield City compare with other districts?
Low-income reading proficiency is 28.8%, compared with 37.6% at a typical California elementary district. In math, it is 14.3%, compared with 28.2%.
See student-group resultsWhich districts should I compare with Bakersfield City?
Elementary districts in Kern County. Peers have the closest enrollment sizes.
| District | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield CityThis district | 16.2% | 30.9% |
| Panama-Buena Vista Union | 32.1% | 49.0% |
| Greenfield Union | 27.3% | 44.1% |
How we compare low-income results
“Typical” is the median across 444 California elementary districts with 2026 results, a reported low-income population, and at least 20 low-income tested students in each subject. Each district counts once. This compares proficiency for low-income students, rather than the gap between income groups.
