Best Public Schools in San Bernardino, CA

The city of San Bernardino, California is home to 79 schools, including 50 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, 11 high schools, and 8 alternative schools, all part of the San Bernardino City Unified School District. The district is ranked 1221 out of 1568 districts in California and is rated 1 star out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Among the standout schools in the district are Middle College High, which ranks 63 out of 2,323 California high schools and is rated 5 stars out of 5. It boasts a 100% four-year graduation rate, 0% dropout rate, and 15.3% chronic absenteeism. Students at Middle College High excel academically, with 90% proficient or better in English Language Arts and 65.71% in Mathematics. Another high-performing school is Colonel Joseph C. Rodriguez PREP Academy, a middle school that ranks 263 out of 2,777 California middle schools and is also rated 5 stars. Its students demonstrate strong proficiency in both English Language Arts (79.2%) and Mathematics (61.66%).

In contrast, some schools in the district face significant challenges, such as low graduation rates, high dropout rates, and very low proficiency levels on standardized tests. For example, the alternative and special education schools, like San Bernardino County Special Education, struggle with these issues. The data also reveals a correlation between socioeconomic status and academic performance, with many of the lower-performing schools having high percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.