West High

Summary:

West High is a public high school located in Bakersfield, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,025 students. It is part of the Kern High School District, which is ranked 895 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

West High has consistently been ranked in the lower half of California high schools over the past decade, with its statewide ranking ranging from 808 out of 2,426 schools in 2012-2013 to 1,439 out of 2,323 schools in the current 2023-2024 school year. The school has maintained a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of this period, with a brief period of a 3-star rating in 2018-2019 and 2011-2012. West High faces several key challenges, including declining graduation rates, increasing dropout rates, high chronic absenteeism, and consistently lower academic performance compared to the district and state averages. However, the school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with some groups, such as English Language Learners, performing relatively better than the overall school.

When compared to nearby high schools in the Kern High School District, West High generally underperforms. For example, Ridgeview High, Independence High, and Stockdale High all have higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, lower chronic absenteeism, and better test scores than West High. Addressing these issues will be crucial for improving the educational outcomes for the students at West High.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1200 New Stine Rd.
       Bakersfield, CA  93309-3534


(661) 832-2822

District: Kern High

SchoolDigger Rank:
1439th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,798 Help


Feeder schools for West High:

Elementary:    Amy B. Seibert Elementary
    Charles H. Castle Elementary
    Evergreen Elementary
    Louise Sandrini Elementary
    More...
Middle:    Fred L. Thompson Junior High

Student/teacher ratio:  27.6 Help
Number of students:  2,025

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
72.5%
African American:
13.4%
White:
9.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  90.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details West High ranks worse than 61.9% of high schools in California. It also ranks 17th among 24 ranked high schools in the Kern High School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 29.52. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of West High freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
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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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (72.5%), African American (13.4%), White (9.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 90.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West High is 27.6, which is the highest among 24 high schools in the Kern High School District! (See more...)
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Compare West High employs 73.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at West High is $8,798, which is the 11th highest among 24 high schools in the Kern High School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West High:

SchoolDigger ranks West High 1439th of 2323 California public high schools. (See West High in the ranking list.)

High 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:


Kern High:

SchoolDigger ranks Kern High 895th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for West High

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Rank History for all students at West High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 22.71 1169th 1653 29.3%
2005 25.35 1192nd 1901 37.3%
2006 31.18 1060th 1968 46.1%
2007 34.90 1020th 2063 50.6%
2008 35.88 1018th 2117 51.9%
2009 37.20 1113th 2238 50.3%
2010 40.68 997th 2281 56.3%
2011 43.33 962nd 2367 59.4%
2012 46.16 880th 2354 62.6%
2013 49.32 808th 2426 66.7%
2015 44.31 1083rd 1994 45.7%
2016 35.71 1265th 2039 38.0%
2017 40.50 1234th 2021 38.9%
2018 41.63 1185th 2017 41.2%
2019 50.19 975th 2133 54.3%
2022 30.54 1416th 2123 33.3%
2023 30.32 1406th 2348 40.1%
2024 29.52 1439th 2323 38.1%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at West High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 6.30 485th 515 5.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at West High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 45.70 353rd 938 62.4%
2019 25.57 899th 941 4.5%
2022 30.44 813th 1044 22.1%
2023 48.40 287th 1323 78.3%
2024 44.14 363rd 1350 73.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at West High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 28.79 1035th 1547 33.1%
2024 24.46 1188th 1534 22.6%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.37 1004th 1862 46.1%
2019 60.24 678th 1937 65.0%
2022 37.79 1187th 1943 38.9%
2023 34.41 1295th 2247 42.4%
2024 36.42 1255th 2235 43.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at West High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 36.14 1176th 1760 33.2%
2019 46.64 925th 1833 49.5%
2022 30.15 1268th 1858 31.8%
2023 29.89 1340th 2118 36.7%
2024 27.65 1409th 2098 32.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at West High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.65 824th 1052 21.7%
2019 25.61 867th 1117 22.4%
2022 26.86 919th 1161 20.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at West High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.59 1070th 1834 41.7%
2019 47.93 914th 1880 51.4%
2022 28.53 1329th 1916 30.6%
2023 27.75 1395th 2207 36.8%
2024 29.38 1335th 2172 38.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at West High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 17.01 496th 581 14.6%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at West High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.10 385th 582 33.8%
2019 45.68 294th 592 50.3%
2022 36.70 313th 522 40.0%
2023 30.88 476th 720 33.9%
2024 42.55 358th 721 50.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at West High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.02 865th 1742 50.3%
2019 61.80 596th 1814 67.1%
2022 38.64 1126th 1861 39.5%
2023 36.01 1222nd 2142 43.0%
2024 38.74 1159th 2125 45.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at West High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.17 882nd 1173 24.8%
2019 33.39 835th 1222 31.7%
2022 18.23 1013th 1204 15.9%
2023 24.66 1020th 1434 28.9%
2024 11.94 1187th 1406 15.6%
See the entire list of Best California High 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.

West 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 West High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1562 176 64 199 37 n/a n/a 0 2038
1989 1570 221 84 243 43 n/a n/a 0 2161
1990 1505 223 87 264 37 n/a n/a 0 2116
1991 1568 265 100 320 48 n/a n/a 0 2301
1992 1560 313 113 392 52 n/a n/a 0 2430
1993 1486 324 99 459 49 n/a n/a 0 2417
1994 1428 338 83 556 46 n/a n/a 0 2451
1995 1263 291 79 614 22 n/a n/a 0 2269
1996 1263 291 79 614 22 n/a n/a 0 2269
1997 1231 307 76 629 21 n/a n/a 0 2264
1998 1155 313 66 694 21 n/a n/a 0 2249
1999 1046 334 71 723 24 n/a n/a 0 2198
2000 978 370 55 756 26 n/a n/a 0 2185
2001 872 370 59 819 25 n/a n/a 0 2145
2002 800 399 57 905 26 n/a n/a 0 2187
2003 800 399 57 905 26 n/a n/a 0 2187
2004 760 466 100 1049 22 n/a n/a 0 2397
2005 724 527 94 1181 24 n/a n/a 0 2550
2006 662 478 96 1251 23 n/a n/a 0 2510
2007 612 434 79 1333 16 n/a n/a 12 2486
2008 567 399 65 1407 21 n/a n/a 0 2459
2009 506 365 71 1279 27 8 8 0 2264
2010 438 358 47 1228 21 3 24 0 2119
2011 422 330 53 1253 29 4 22 0 2113
2012 382 323 48 1304 19 2 32 0 2110
2013 359 322 47 1312 16 3 42 0 2101
2014 307 324 61 1362 14 1 50 0 2119
2015 263 280 58 1268 8 2 245 0 2124
2016 259 274 64 1329 12 4 85 0 2027
2017 269 269 57 1368 12 5 78 0 2058
2018 237 281 59 1355 10 7 63 0 2012
2019 222 303 60 1374 9 8 35 0 2011
2020 212 276 47 1327 12 7 37 0 1918
2021 200 290 48 1421 7 7 36 0 2009
2022 186 294 38 1431 10 5 38 1 2003
2023 196 272 35 1469 17 7 29 0 2025

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 West High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2038 79.7 25.5 n/a
1989 2161 79.2 27.2 n/a
1990 2116 80.2 26.3 n/a
1991 2301 86.7 26.5 n/a
1992 2430 88.1 27.5 7.5
1993 2417 83.9 28.8 14.2
1994 2451 84.6 29.0 15.6
1995 2269 76.3 29.7 21.4
1996 2269 76.3 29.7 21.4
1997 2264 76.1 29.8 15.5
1998 2249 77.0 29.2 29.1
1999 2198 78.2 28.1 31.3
2000 2185 65.6 33.3 41
2001 2145 87.2 24.6 39.8
2002 2187 101.4 21.6 47.1
2003 2187 101.4 21.6 47.1
2004 2397 99.9 24.0 48.8
2005 2550 108.0 23.6 51.6
2006 2510 108.4 23.2 53.5
2007 2486 106.0 23.5 58.6
2008 2459 114.9 21.4 59
2009 2264 94.0 21.4 67.8
2010 2119 89.0 23.8 68.3
2011 2113 n/a n/a 75.8
2012 2110 83.3 25.3 n/a
2013 2101 89.0 23.5 68.4
2014 2119 81.9 25.8 72
2015 2124 75.0 28.3 78.7
2016 2027 75.0 27.0 83.9
2017 2058 81.7 25.1 81.5
2018 2012 75.4 26.6 84.4
2019 2011 82.0 24.4 82.2
2020 1918 n/a n/a 85.2
2021 2009 79.5 25.2 87.5
2022 2003 86.0 23.2 87.7
2023 2025 73.2 27.6 90.9

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 West High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2038 79.7 25.5 n/a
1989 2161 79.2 27.2 n/a
1990 2116 80.2 26.3 n/a
1991 2301 86.7 26.5 n/a
1992 2430 88.1 27.5 7.5
1993 2417 83.9 28.8 14.2
1994 2451 84.6 29.0 15.6
1995 2269 76.3 29.7 21.4
1996 2269 76.3 29.7 21.4
1997 2264 76.1 29.8 15.5
1998 2249 77.0 29.2 29.1
1999 2198 78.2 28.1 31.3
2000 2185 65.6 33.3 41
2001 2145 87.2 24.6 39.8
2002 2187 101.4 21.6 47.1
2003 2187 101.4 21.6 47.1
2004 2397 99.9 24.0 48.8
2005 2550 108.0 23.6 51.6
2006 2510 108.4 23.2 53.5
2007 2486 106.0 23.5 58.6
2008 2459 114.9 21.4 59
2009 2264 94.0 21.4 67.8
2010 2119 89.0 23.8 68.3
2011 2113 n/a n/a 75.8
2012 2110 83.3 25.3 n/a
2013 2101 89.0 23.5 68.4
2014 2119 81.9 25.8 72
2015 2124 75.0 28.3 78.7
2016 2027 75.0 27.0 83.9
2017 2058 81.7 25.1 81.5
2018 2012 75.4 26.6 84.4
2019 2011 82.0 24.4 82.2
2020 1918 n/a n/a 85.2
2021 2009 79.5 25.2 87.5
2022 2003 86.0 23.2 87.7
2023 2025 73.2 27.6 90.9

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 West High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $8,798

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

Impact of COVID-19 on West 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 975th of 2133 High schoolsRanks 1406th of 2348 High schools
 14.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (West High)44.250.3
 6%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Kern High)51.151
 0.2%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (West High)13.210.2
 2.9%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Kern High)2117
 4%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
12th Grade Science (West High)18.46.8
 11.6%
   12th Grade Science (Kern High)13.118.8
 5.7%
   12th Grade Science (California)25.626.9
 1.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students20112025
 0.7%
African American303272
 10.2%
American Indian917
 88.9%
Asian6035
 41.7%
Hispanic13741469
 6.9%
Pacific Islander87
 12.5%
White222196
 11.7%
Two or More Races3529
 17.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients82.2%90.9%
 8.7%


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Frequently Asked Questions about West High

Students at West High are 73% Hispanic, 13% African American, 10% White, 2% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

West High ranks 1439th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,025 students attended West 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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