Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Needles’s public schools score below 60% of California districts on tests and graduation
On the state math tests, 15% of Needles’s students scored proficient, below the California average (33%). The grade covers the public school district serving Needles, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within California, not nationally.
From California state tests taken in spring 2022, when 96% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Needles’s schools, in brief
Better than its incomes would predict
Among the 109 California towns with household incomes within a quarter of Needles’s, its schools beat 56%, higher than their 40% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓
Results trail the state
In spring 2022, 28% of tested students were proficient in reading and 15% in math, against 47% and 33% statewide; 96% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓
Graduation
95–100% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 86% across California (the state reports Needles’s rate as a range). Districts ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $21,634 per student, against $21,206 across California (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
One elementary school, then one middle and one high school
From grade 6 the district’s path is Needles Middle, then Needles High. See the path ↓
Choice beyond the district
Needles Ag Christian School (private) and Needles SDA School (private) are in town. Every school ↓
Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.
What’s behind Needles’s grade
C+: better than 40% of California school districts, #621 of 847 California towns. Graduation is above the California average; test scores are below it.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Needles, with each school’s own grade.
Kindergarten in Needles
Vista Colorado Elementary
Grades K–5 · 319 students · 21:1 students per teacher
1st grade in Needles
Vista Colorado Elementary
Grades K–5 · 319 students · 21:1 students per teacher
2nd grade in Needles
Vista Colorado Elementary
Grades K–5 · 319 students · 21:1 students per teacher
3rd grade in Needles
Vista Colorado Elementary
Grades K–5 · 319 students · 21:1 students per teacher
4th grade in Needles
Vista Colorado Elementary
Grades K–5 · 319 students · 21:1 students per teacher
5th grade in Needles
Vista Colorado Elementary
Grades K–5 · 319 students · 21:1 students per teacher
6th grade in Needles
Needles Middle
Grades 6–8 · 196 students · 17:1 students per teacher
7th grade in Needles
Needles Middle
Grades 6–8 · 196 students · 17:1 students per teacher
8th grade in Needles
Needles Middle
Grades 6–8 · 196 students · 17:1 students per teacher
9th grade in Needles
Needles High
Grades 9–12 · 269 students · 19:1 students per teacher
10th grade in Needles
Needles High
Grades 9–12 · 269 students · 19:1 students per teacher
11th grade in Needles
Needles High
Grades 9–12 · 269 students · 19:1 students per teacher
12th grade in Needles
Needles High
Grades 9–12 · 269 students · 19:1 students per teacher
Needles’s public schools are run by Needles Unified School District. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
The district
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Well below the state in reading
Needles vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the California towns that share Needles’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Needles | C+ | Needles Unified |
Every school in Needles
5 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with California’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).
Left off: 2 public programs with fewer than 25 students (Educational Training Center and Needles Community Day).
Questions about Needles’s schools
Are Needles’s schools good?
On California’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Needles children attend score below 60% of California’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C+ Schools grade, #621 of 847 California towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 56%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Needles in?
Needles Unified School District, which runs grades K–12 and enrolls 921 students in 7 schools (2024–25).
Where do Needles kids go to high school?
Needles High, with 269 students; its own test results earn a D−.
What is Needles’s graduation rate?
95–100% of the class of 2023 in Needles Unified School District graduated in four years, against 86% across California.
How much does Needles spend per student?
$21,634 in Needles Unified School District (FY2024), against $21,206 across California. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Needles?
Yes: Needles Ag Christian School (religious · all-girls, grades 1–11, 10 students) and Needles SDA School (religious, grades K–8, 9 students).
Parents talk
What Needles families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Needles → They have their own page.
School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within California. Stars are from neighbors.