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Email BoardSouthern Kern Unified
Kern County school performance
Southern Kern Unified is badly underperforming.
Reading and math results average to the 23rd percentile among California school districts.
Only 34.2% of students met California's reading standard, but it is trending up.
Math is weaker: 19.7% of students met California's math standard, but it is slowly trending up.
| Current Reading Proficiency | 34.2% |
| Current Math Proficiency | 19.7% |
| District Reading Rank | 726 / 977 (26th percentile) |
| District Math Rank | 777 / 977 (21st percentile) |
| Student / Teacher Ratio | 19:1 |
| Spend per Student | $18,274 |
| Schools in District | 6 |
| Student Enrollment | 3,636 |
| Low-Income Students | 2,910 (80.0%) |
| English Learners | 520 (14.3%) |
District Website
Great Schools
Niche
Ed-Data
CAASPPTest score trends
Reading rose 4.1 points from last year and rose 6.0 points over the full period. Math rose 4.8 points from last year and rose 3.7 points over the full period.
•Math +3.7 percentage pointsBoard Members
| name | elected | up for re-election |
|---|---|---|
Robert Vincelette, Jr. President [email protected] | 2020 | 2028 |
Sunni Hepburn Vice President [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Justin Wright Clerk [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Adrienne Rendon Member [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Mario Gutierrez Member [email protected] | 2001 | 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 14.2 points in reading. It narrowed over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
12.6% of English learners meet the reading standard, compared with 35.7% of English-only students. The gap widened as English-learner results rose 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 12.6 points in math. It widened over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
6.6% of English learners meet the math standard, compared with 21.6% of English-only students. The gap narrowed as English-learner results rose 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
-17.6%Understanding this district
How does Southern Kern Unified rank in California?
Southern Kern Unified ranks No. 726 of 977 in reading and No. 777 of 977 in math for 2026. These proficiency rankings compare districts across all district types.
How much do results vary between Southern Kern Unified’s schools?
Among the 2 schools serving K–5, proficiency ranges from 22.5% to 40.8% in reading and 16.9% to 32.0% in math.
See the district’s schoolsAre results improving across Southern Kern Unified’s schools?
Over 2024–2026, reading proficiency rose at 3 of 6 schools with results covering that full period; math rose at 5 of 6.
Compare school trendsHow do low-income students in Southern Kern Unified compare with other districts?
Low-income reading proficiency is 31.8%, compared with 35.1% at a typical California unified district. In math, it is 17.5%, compared with 23.6%.
See student-group resultsWhich districts should I compare with Southern Kern Unified?
Unified districts in Kern County. Peers have the closest enrollment sizes.
| District | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Kern UnifiedThis district | 19.7% | 34.2% |
| McFarland Unified | 25.2% | 36.3% |
| Tehachapi Unified | 24.3% | 33.9% |
How we compare low-income results
“Typical” is the median across 339 California unified 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.
