Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Summary:

Fred L. Thompson Junior High is a public middle school located in Bakersfield, California, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 728 students. The school is part of the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District, which is ranked 790 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Fred L. Thompson Junior High has consistently ranked in the bottom half of California middle schools, with a ranking between 1,722 and 2,293 out of around 2,700-2,800 schools over the past 10 years. It has maintained a 1-star or 2-star rating from SchoolDigger during this time. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are significantly lower than the district and state averages. For instance, in 2023-2024, only 28.45% of students were proficient in ELA, compared to 46.16% for the district and 47.04% for the state. The school also struggles to support various student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 25% of California middle schools for Hispanic, White, and Low Socioeconomic Status students.

When comparing Fred L. Thompson Junior High to other nearby schools in the same district, it is clear that the school is underperforming. For example, Earl Warren Junior High, which is only 3.96 miles away, consistently ranks in the top 20% of California middle schools and outperforms Fred L. Thompson Junior High across all subject areas. The high percentage of free/reduced lunch recipients, coupled with the school's low performance and high chronic absenteeism, suggest that socioeconomic factors and student engagement may be significant contributors to the school's challenges. Addressing the dramatic increase in chronic absenteeism, from 8.8% in 2018-2019 to 38.1% in 2022-2023, should be a priority for the school and district.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 4200 Planz Rd.
       Bakersfield, CA  93309-5954


(661) 832-8011

District: Panama-Buena Vista Union

SchoolDigger Rank:
2293rd of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,637 Help


Students who attend Fred L. Thompson Junior High usually attend:

High:    West High

Feeder schools for Fred L. Thompson Junior High:

Elementary:    Amy B. Seibert Elementary
    Louise Sandrini Elementary
    Roy W. Loudon Elementary
    Stine Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  17.7 Help
Number of students:  728

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
70.3%
African American:
14.8%
White:
8.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  93.1% Help


 See top rated California middle schools

 Compare Fred L. Thompson Junior High to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Fred L. Thompson Junior High ranks worse than 82.6% of middle schools in California. It also ranks last among 5 ranked middle schools in the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.01. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (70.3%), African American (14.8%), White (8.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 93.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Fred L. Thompson Junior High is 17.7, which is the lowest among 5 middle schools in the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Fred L. Thompson Junior High employs 41 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fred L. Thompson Junior High is $11,637, which is the 2nd highest among 5 middle schools in the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Fred L. Thompson Junior High:

SchoolDigger ranks Fred L. Thompson Junior High 2293rd of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Fred L. Thompson Junior High in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Panama-Buena Vista Union:

SchoolDigger ranks Panama-Buena Vista Union 790th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Fred L. Thompson Junior High

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Rank History for all students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 34.66 1089th 1769 38.4%
2005 35.95 1088th 1777 38.8%
2006 39.30 1028th 1804 43.0%
2007 37.29 1186th 1999 40.7%
2008 31.92 1376th 2005 31.4%
2009 33.70 1370th 2063 33.6%
2010 22.15 1785th 2179 18.1%
2011 25.41 1765th 2236 21.1%
2012 24.83 1793rd 2259 20.6%
2013 20.92 1975th 2379 17.0%
2015 18.29 2069th 2477 16.5%
2016 19.79 2036th 2497 18.5%
2017 24.95 1857th 2508 26.0%
2018 28.16 1722nd 2480 30.6%
2019 29.50 1809th 2715 33.4%
2022 25.87 1953rd 2740 28.7%
2023 22.53 2159th 2802 22.9%
2024 19.01 2293rd 2777 17.4%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 3.83 669th 678 1.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.10 388th 1364 71.6%
2019 46.69 500th 1442 65.3%
2022 46.51 562nd 1540 63.5%
2023 36.70 900th 1529 41.1%
2024 34.49 983rd 1477 33.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 37.21 849th 1538 44.8%
2024 25.31 1263rd 1550 18.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.61 1342nd 2230 39.8%
2019 40.43 1319th 2369 44.3%
2022 36.36 1463rd 2458 40.5%
2023 29.62 1778th 2549 30.2%
2024 23.84 2029th 2575 21.2%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 73.17 62nd 336 81.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.16 1530th 2262 32.4%
2019 27.83 1689th 2380 29.0%
2022 28.36 1719th 2509 31.5%
2023 26.72 1802nd 2547 29.3%
2024 20.96 2044th 2546 19.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 36.35 776th 1369 43.3%
2019 33.89 900th 1491 39.6%
2022 28.85 1096th 1531 28.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.45 1737th 2273 23.6%
2019 29.02 1638th 2407 31.9%
2022 24.08 1883rd 2527 25.5%
2023 19.35 2134th 2558 16.6%
2024 17.23 2193rd 2547 13.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.57 323rd 600 46.2%
2019 44.26 334th 643 48.1%
2022 34.40 404th 637 36.6%
2023 30.98 428th 614 30.3%
2024 28.98 454th 626 27.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.52 1170th 2072 43.5%
2019 38.77 1286th 2213 41.9%
2022 35.92 1435th 2359 39.2%
2023 31.13 1602nd 2391 33.0%
2024 24.06 1863rd 2383 21.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.99 1299th 1496 13.2%
2019 20.83 1288th 1602 19.6%
2022 29.76 1103rd 1555 29.1%
2023 26.19 1150th 1552 25.9%
2024 18.74 1272nd 1535 17.1%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Fred L. Thompson Junior High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Fred L. Thompson Junior High

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 554 59 19 105 0 n/a n/a 0 737
1990 553 69 27 102 0 n/a n/a 0 751
1991 497 74 23 104 1 n/a n/a 0 699
1992 582 50 27 108 2 n/a n/a 0 769
1993 563 68 35 165 2 n/a n/a 0 833
1994 518 105 31 180 3 n/a n/a 0 837
1995 358 87 16 200 3 n/a n/a 0 664
1996 358 87 16 200 3 n/a n/a 0 664
1997 336 101 33 219 4 n/a n/a 0 693
1998 321 124 34 207 5 n/a n/a 0 691
1999 336 110 26 242 3 n/a n/a 0 717
2000 336 103 31 278 2 n/a n/a 0 750
2001 331 158 39 241 5 n/a n/a 1 775
2002 265 151 40 298 6 n/a n/a 0 760
2003 265 151 40 298 6 n/a n/a 0 760
2004 256 142 44 334 3 n/a n/a 0 779
2005 247 135 51 384 4 n/a n/a 1 822
2006 236 150 37 428 2 n/a n/a 4 857
2007 232 154 43 413 7 n/a n/a 6 855
2008 214 159 37 435 7 n/a n/a 0 852
2009 192 154 20 448 3 3 6 0 826
2010 188 137 34 477 5 2 0 0 843
2011 153 115 30 460 6 3 1 0 768
2012 133 120 24 461 5 1 2 0 746
2013 135 113 22 488 6 3 7 0 774
2014 119 114 27 526 3 2 7 0 798
2015 115 126 24 468 5 1 2 0 741
2016 91 122 25 435 2 1 3 0 679
2017 83 107 28 521 3 3 8 0 753
2018 100 105 22 524 5 3 6 0 765
2019 92 119 15 526 2 2 14 0 770
2020 83 105 12 508 0 2 15 1 726
2021 76 124 16 513 0 3 7 2 741
2022 69 109 21 560 1 6 20 0 786
2023 60 108 15 512 2 7 24 0 728

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Fred L. Thompson Junior High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 737 31.4 23.4 n/a
1990 751 34.9 21.5 n/a
1991 699 34.5 20.2 n/a
1992 769 35.1 21.9 18.2
1993 833 36.7 22.7 19.3
1994 837 36.1 23.2 24.7
1995 664 31.4 21.1 32.8
1996 664 31.4 21.1 32.8
1997 693 30.4 22.8 39.7
1998 691 33.0 20.9 28.8
1999 717 36.0 19.9 38.8
2000 750 37.0 20.3 38.5
2001 775 37.5 20.7 45
2002 760 37.6 20.2 58.6
2003 760 37.6 20.2 58.6
2004 779 36.8 21.2 59.9
2005 822 37.0 22.2 66.1
2006 857 39.6 21.6 67.1
2007 855 42.3 20.2 64.8
2008 852 43.6 19.5 59.5
2009 826 39.6 18.5 68.4
2010 843 39.0 21.6 78.6
2011 768 n/a n/a 81.6
2012 746 29.5 25.2 72.9
2013 774 32.7 23.6 79.7
2014 798 35.5 22.4 84.8
2015 741 36.0 20.5 82.6
2016 679 35.0 19.4 85.7
2017 753 36.2 20.7 84.5
2018 765 35.7 21.3 87.2
2019 770 35.5 21.6 87.1
2020 726 n/a n/a 90.5
2021 741 38.5 19.2 92.4
2022 786 44.4 17.6 92.5
2023 728 41.0 17.7 93.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Fred L. Thompson Junior High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 737 31.4 23.4 n/a
1990 751 34.9 21.5 n/a
1991 699 34.5 20.2 n/a
1992 769 35.1 21.9 18.2
1993 833 36.7 22.7 19.3
1994 837 36.1 23.2 24.7
1995 664 31.4 21.1 32.8
1996 664 31.4 21.1 32.8
1997 693 30.4 22.8 39.7
1998 691 33.0 20.9 28.8
1999 717 36.0 19.9 38.8
2000 750 37.0 20.3 38.5
2001 775 37.5 20.7 45
2002 760 37.6 20.2 58.6
2003 760 37.6 20.2 58.6
2004 779 36.8 21.2 59.9
2005 822 37.0 22.2 66.1
2006 857 39.6 21.6 67.1
2007 855 42.3 20.2 64.8
2008 852 43.6 19.5 59.5
2009 826 39.6 18.5 68.4
2010 843 39.0 21.6 78.6
2011 768 n/a n/a 81.6
2012 746 29.5 25.2 72.9
2013 774 32.7 23.6 79.7
2014 798 35.5 22.4 84.8
2015 741 36.0 20.5 82.6
2016 679 35.0 19.4 85.7
2017 753 36.2 20.7 84.5
2018 765 35.7 21.3 87.2
2019 770 35.5 21.6 87.1
2020 726 n/a n/a 90.5
2021 741 38.5 19.2 92.4
2022 786 44.4 17.6 92.5
2023 728 41.0 17.7 93.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Fred L. Thompson Junior High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $11,637

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Fred L. Thompson Junior High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 1809th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 2159th of 2802 Middle schools
 10.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fred L. Thompson Junior High)35.729
 6.7%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Panama-Buena Vista Union)51.851.4
 0.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Fred L. Thompson Junior High)14.913.1
 1.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Panama-Buena Vista Union)29.527.6
 1.9%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fred L. Thompson Junior High)45.634.3
 11.3%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Panama-Buena Vista Union)52.949.4
 3.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Fred L. Thompson Junior High)18.611.2
 7.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Panama-Buena Vista Union)29.522.3
 7.2%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (Fred L. Thompson Junior High)23.413
 10.4%
   8th Grade Science (Panama-Buena Vista Union)2827.4
 0.6%
   8th Grade Science (California)30.828.8
 2.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students770728
 5.5%
African American119108
 9.2%
American Indian22
Asian1515
Hispanic526512
 2.7%
Pacific Islander27
 250%
White9260
 34.8%
Two or More Races1424
 71.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients87.1%93.1%
 6%


Schools Near Fred L. Thompson Junior High









Frequently Asked Questions about Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Students who attend Fred L. Thompson Junior High usually go on to attend West High

Fred L. Thompson Junior High ranks in the bottom 17.4% of California middle schools.

Students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High are 70% Hispanic, 15% African American, 8% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 728 students attended Fred L. Thompson Junior High.


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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.





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