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C+

Needles Unified School District

Public school districtGrades K–12

Serves Needles.

Needles’ School Grade C+ better than 40% of California school districts

Students
921
Schools
7
Spent per student
$21,634
CA $21,206
Students per teacher
19:1
Free or reduced lunch
82%
Debt
$13.3M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Needles Unified School District

  • Its letter, C+: results better than 40% of California districts
  • Math proficiency 18 pts below the state
  • Reading proficiency 19 pts below the state
  • Graduation rate 11 pts above the state
  • 19 students per teacher
  • Debt of $13.3M, about $14,432 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

C+: better than 40% of the 1,872 California school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well below the state, 2021–22
C−
GraduationFour-year graduation well above the state, class of 2023
A−
The town it serves, and its School Grade
C+Needles 4,821

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Needles. Grade by grade →

K–5Vista Colorado ElementaryThis district
6–8Needles MiddleThis district
9–12Needles HighThis district

Test scores vs. CA

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency15%
State average 33.1% · 454 students tested
Reading / language arts28%
State average 46.7% · 454 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)95–100%
State average 86.2% · 96 in the class

96% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$21,634 per student · 2% above CA
Spending
Classroom instruction 58%Support & administration 37%Other 5%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 29%State 59%Federal 12%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
955’22
930’23
921’24

Down 3.6% since 2022–23.

Students
White 42%Hispanic 35%American Indian/Alaska Native 12%Two or more races 6%Black 4%Asian 1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

7 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with California’s other public schools.

Vista Colorado Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Needles
319 students21:1
Monument Peak
Elementary · Grades K–8 · Big River
70 students17:1
Chemehuevi Valley Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Havasu Lake
40 students19:1
Needles Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Needles
C−
196 students17:1
Needles Community Day
High · Grades 6–12 · Needles
18 students9:1
Needles High
High · Grades 9–12 · Needles
D−
269 students19:1
Educational Training Center
High · Grades 9–12 · Needles
9 students18:1

Left off: 1 school reporting no students for 2024–25.

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within California.