Summary:
The city of Willits, California is home to 9 schools serving students from elementary through high school, including 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 3 high schools, and 1 alternative school. While the Willits Unified School District as a whole struggles academically, with all schools ranking in the bottom quarter of California, a few standout schools are found within the district.
Willits Elementary Charter and Willits Charter are two public charter schools that significantly outperform the district and state averages on standardized test scores. Sherwood, a small K-8 public school, also has some of the highest test scores in the district. In contrast, Baechtel Grove Middle and Sanhedrin Alternative lag behind on academic performance.
The data reveals a wide disparity in student demographics and outcomes between the schools in Willits. The elementary schools and alternative high school serve much higher percentages of economically disadvantaged students, which correlates with lower test scores and higher chronic absenteeism rates. Addressing attendance and engagement issues across the district could be a key focus area for improvement. Overall, the Willits school system faces significant academic and socioeconomic challenges, but the success of the charter schools suggests that targeted interventions may help improve outcomes for students.
Thank you for your feedback!