Best Public Schools in Ceres, CA

Summary:

The city of Ceres, California is home to 21 schools that are part of the Ceres Unified School District, which is ranked 1110 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The district includes 11 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 5 high schools, and 2 alternative schools, serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

A few schools stand out in the data, including Whitmore Charter School of Art & Technology, a public charter elementary/middle school with consistently high performance, ranking in the top 3 schools in the district across various metrics. Another standout is Whitmore Charter High, a public charter high school that also has strong performance, ranking in the top 4 high schools in California. The largest high school in the district, Central Valley High, has solid performance, ranking in the top 3 high schools in the district, with a 96.7% graduation rate and 55.38% proficiency in 11th grade English Language Arts.

However, the district as a whole faces challenges, with wide variations in graduation rates, dropout rates, chronic absenteeism, and test scores across the schools. Many schools have high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage. The district's overall low ranking and 1-star rating from SchoolDigger highlight the need for systemic improvements across the district to better serve the students of Ceres.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts (2024)							CAST Science (2024)					Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)								Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)								% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts End of Course	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	% Completely Immunized KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Total
Petersen Alternative Center for Education at John B Allard	Public	6-12	3113 Mitchell Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Stanislaus County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 238-6717	83	5	15.2	91.6%	13 (15.7%)	4 (4.8%)	60 (72.3%)	1 (1.2%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.8%)	6.2	2283^rd of 2323 public high schools	1.7%		5.3	2315^th of 2348 public high schools	1.4%	32									0.0		0.0	0.0						0.0	0.0	0.0						0.0	0.0	0.0					$13,109
Ceres Special Education	Public, Alternative	K-12	2503 Lawrence St.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1500	30	2	15.0	76.7%	3 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (83.3%)	2 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Sinclear Elementary	Public	K-6	1211 Hackett Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1680	609	25	24.3	75.5%	34 (5.6%)	6 (1.0%)	516 (84.7%)	45 (7.4%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	29.6	3952^nd of 5862 public elementary schools	32.6%		29.4	3949^th of 5874 public elementary schools	32.8%	3								11.9				11.9	29.6	28.2	34.5	40.5				33.3	38.0	21.2	16.7	31.0				26.2	98.0				$9,354
Lucas Elementary	Public	K-6	3500 Rose Ave.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1500	653	25	26.1	76.4%	17 (2.6%)	3 (0.5%)	625 (95.7%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	25	4357^th of 5862 public elementary schools	25.7%		28.8	3993^rd of 5874 public elementary schools	32.0%	364	1.1	5.3	4.5	3.4			3.5	28.4				28.4	12.6	20.4	36.4	40.9				27.2	19.0	14.0	19.1	25.8				19.4					$7,118
Argus High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	2555 Lawrence St.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1800	130	10	12.5	92.3%	11 (8.5%)	3 (2.3%)	111 (85.4%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	2 (1.5%)	7.6	2204^th of 2323 public high schools	5.1%		8.4	2175^th of 2348 public high schools	7.4%	29										0.0	9.1	1.3							5.3	5.3							0.0	0.0					$13,080
Carroll Fowler Elementary	Public	K-6	2611 Garrison St.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1640	558	23	24.2	88.7%	95 (17.0%)	9 (1.6%)	429 (76.9%)	14 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.1%)	4 (0.7%)	19.8	4880^th of 5862 public elementary schools	16.8%		15.4	5291^st of 5874 public elementary schools	9.9%	411								15.7				15.7	33.3	21.3	25.3	25.4				26.2	36.2	19.7	9.5	6.9				17.6					$8,069
Caswell Elementary	Public	K-6	1800 North Central Ave.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1620	588	25	23.5	85.9%	16 (2.7%)	5 (0.9%)	557 (94.7%)	7 (1.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21.1	4757^th of 5862 public elementary schools	18.9%		18.2	5023^rd of 5874 public elementary schools	14.5%	266	13.4	2.5	3.8				6.6	2.4				2.4	20.8	21.0	20.3	26.2				21.9	37.8	27.4	22.9	18.8				27.0					$8,343
Ceres High	Public	9-12	2320 Central Ave.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1920	1,777	75	23.7	82.6%	227 (12.8%)	34 (1.9%)	1,403 (79.0%)	76 (4.3%)	7 (0.4%)	17 (1.0%)	13 (0.7%)	44.2	1018^th of 2323 public high schools	56.2%		44.5	1003^rd of 2348 public high schools	57.3%	15										25.2	16.7	24.6							52.0	52.0							13.2	13.2					$9,841
Don Pedro Elementary	Public	K-6	2300 Don Pedro Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1630	457	19	23.9	91.7%	42 (9.2%)	7 (1.5%)	387 (84.7%)	17 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	15.1	5286^th of 5862 public elementary schools	9.8%		15.7	5255^th of 5874 public elementary schools	10.5%	31								15.0				15.0	16.1	22.4	28.8	19.0				21.5	16.7	13.3	16.7	11.5				14.6	96.3		96.3		$9,042
Mae Hensley Junior High	Public	7-8	1806 Moffet Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1820	648	31	21.2	86.9%	70 (10.8%)	19 (2.9%)	521 (80.4%)	25 (3.9%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.6%)	7 (1.1%)	26.3	1981^st of 2777 public middle schools	28.7%		24	2100^th of 2802 public middle schools	25.1%	119									14.4			14.4					30.3	31.8		31.1					17.0	20.2		18.7					$8,693
Walter White Elementary	Public	K-6	2904 Sixth St.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1710	442	21	21.0	90.3%	59 (13.3%)	14 (3.2%)	348 (78.7%)	17 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12.2	5539^th of 5862 public elementary schools	5.5%		16.1	5228^th of 5874 public elementary schools	11.0%	311								8.3				8.3	12.9	3.3	20.0	29.9				16.7	15.6	4.8	5.0	19.4				11.6					$9,744
Samuel Vaughn Elementary	Public	K-6	3618 Helen Perry Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1690	566	23	24.6	78.1%	71 (12.5%)	8 (1.4%)	406 (71.7%)	69 (12.2%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.2%)	4 (0.7%)	25	4358^th of 5862 public elementary schools	25.7%		24.7	4389^th of 5874 public elementary schools	25.3%	31								10.8				10.8	31.0	38.2	31.2	23.0				30.6	29.6	29.9	18.3	18.0				23.3					$8,376
Blaker-Kinser Junior High	Public	7-8	1601 Kinser Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1810	644	28	22.9	87.9%	39 (6.1%)	6 (0.9%)	558 (86.6%)	33 (5.1%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	33.6	1679^th of 2777 public middle schools	39.5%		27.9	1910^th of 2802 public middle schools	31.8%	231									21.1			21.1					37.1	41.6		39.4					14.2	18.9		16.6					$9,475
Endeavor Alternative	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	2555 Lawrence St.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(209) 556-1805	126	6	21.7	84.9%	25 (19.8%)	1 (0.8%)	95 (75.4%)	3 (2.4%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										3.3		4.8							16.1	15.9							0.0	0.0					$9,154
Whitmore Charter School of Art & Technology	Public, Charter	K-8	3435 Don Pedro Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1610	411	22	19.0	51.3%	119 (29.0%)	1 (0.2%)	224 (54.5%)	49 (11.9%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (2.9%)	60.3	2052^nd of 5862 public elementary schools	65.0%		57.4	2170^th of 5874 public elementary schools	63.1%	118								29.2	28.3			28.7	51.2	41.7	58.3	50.0	54.2	46.5		50.4	67.4	43.8	43.8	27.1	25.0	21.7		37.7					$11,377
Whitmore Charter High	Public, Charter	9-12	3435 Don Pedro Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1617	98	7	14.0	49.0%	38 (38.8%)	2 (2.0%)	41 (41.8%)	8 (8.2%)	3 (3.1%)	2 (2.0%)	4 (4.1%)	57.2	695^th of 2323 public high schools	70.1%		74	423^rd of 2348 public high schools	82.0%	272										20.0		25.9							72.0	72.0							23.1	23.1					$10,373
Central Valley High	Public	9-12	4033 Central Ave.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1900	2,309	99	23.2	82.9%	158 (6.8%)	20 (0.9%)	1,967 (85.2%)	128 (5.5%)	6 (0.3%)	13 (0.6%)	15 (0.6%)	49	893^rd of 2323 public high schools	61.6%		41.9	1077^th of 2348 public high schools	54.1%	184										28.0	11.8	27.5							55.4	55.4							14.8	14.8					$9,176
Joel J. Hidahl Elementary	Public	K-6	2351 East Redwood Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1650	443	20	22.1	82.2%	41 (9.3%)	11 (2.5%)	358 (80.8%)	20 (4.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	10 (2.3%)	19.8	4881^st of 5862 public elementary schools	16.7%		21.5	4709^th of 5874 public elementary schools	19.8%	172								9.7				9.7	18.8	34.9	29.0	30.4				28.2	12.1	29.7	16.1	7.0				16.5	96.7	96.7		96.7	$9,666
Patricia Kay Beaver Elementary	Public	K-8	4927 Central Ave.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1500	509	21	24.2	62.7%	120 (23.6%)	2 (0.4%)	367 (72.1%)	8 (1.6%)	7 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	32.2	3762^nd of 5862 public elementary schools	35.8%		30.5	3839^th of 5874 public elementary schools	34.6%	77								18.2	30.2			24.6	23.4	21.6	53.6	39.3	36.2	50.8		38.3	31.3	17.3	32.1	21.3	12.9	23.8		22.6					$9,701
La Rosa Elementary	Public	K-6	2800 Eastgate Blvd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1660	589	24	24.5	78.4%	63 (10.7%)	16 (2.7%)	394 (66.9%)	103 (17.5%)	2 (0.3%)	7 (1.2%)	4 (0.7%)	59.4	2091^st of 5862 public elementary schools	64.3%		52	2434^th of 5874 public elementary schools	58.6%	343								43.6				43.6	33.8	41.0	50.0	52.3				44.5	69.1	36.1	33.9	45.7				45.9					$8,835
Cesar Chavez Junior High	Public	7-8	2701 Eastgate Blvd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1830	662	32	20.6	82.6%	65 (9.8%)	6 (0.9%)	518 (78.2%)	65 (9.8%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.6%)	29.4	1834^th of 2777 public middle schools	34.0%		20.4	2250^th of 2802 public middle schools	19.7%	416					4.3	0.0	2.0		15.2			15.2					40.6	34.8		37.6					19.7	12.6		16.0					$10,169

Cities Near Ceres

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Modesto	1.61 mi	82	609^th
Keyes	3.42 mi	2	265^th
Hughson	3.43 mi	7	533^rd
Empire	4.88 mi	4	863^rd
Turlock	5.73 mi	20	655^th

See the top CA California cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.