Best Public Schools in Ventura, CA

The city of Ventura, California is home to 28 schools that serve students from elementary through high school, primarily under the Ventura Unified School District. The district is ranked 652 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. While the district has some standout schools, there are also significant performance gaps between the highest and lowest-performing institutions.

Foothill Technology High School is the top-performing high school, ranked 140 out of 2,323 in the state with a 5-star rating. It boasts impressive academic achievement, with over 75% of 11th graders proficient in English Language Arts and nearly 50% in Math. In contrast, Pacific High School struggles, with only 10% of 11th graders proficient in English and 0% in Math. The 4-year graduation rate at Foothill Technology is 94.5%, compared to just 68.9% at Pacific High.

The middle schools in the district show more consistency, with Cabrillo Middle School and Anacapa Middle School standing out as the top performers. However, chronic absenteeism rates vary widely, from 2.9% at Golden Valley Charter to 65.2% at Pacific High, likely contributing to the disparities in academic achievement across the district.