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Bakersfield, California - 25 schools
An equity score of 57/100 ranks Kern High #563 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $15,830 per pupil, Kern High ranks #767 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
43,020
Total Enrollment
25
Schools
$15,830
Per-Pupil Spending
High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Kern High operates 25 public schools serving 43,020 students, placing it in the mid-size range in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 25 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Kern County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,830 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 24.9% local, 63.4% state, and 11.6% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 57/100, ranked #563 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 18 of 25 schools offering Advanced Placement (194 AP courses district-wide), a 283.2:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 43.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 73.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% White, 4.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Stockdale High, with a diversity index of 70.1/100.
Its largest campus is Bakersfield High, enrolling 3,069 students (7% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Nueva Continuation High, at 79 students, a 39x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Kern High school enrollment varies 39× across entities
Kern High school enrollment ranges from 79 students (lowest) to 3,069 students (highest), a spread of 2,990 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Kern High has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 72.9% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Kern High student-counselor ratio is 283:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Kern High is typically wider than the Kern High-aggregate figure suggests.
Kern High chronic absenteeism rate is 43.2% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Kern High has 25 schools, including 25 high. Total enrollment is 43,020 students.
How much does Kern High spend per student?
Kern High spends $15,830 per student. The district has an equity score of 57/100, ranking #563 in California.
What is the demographic composition of Kern High?
Kern High students are 73.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% White, 4.9% African American, 2.7% Asian, averaged across 25 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Kern High?
Kern High has an equity score of 57/100, ranking #563 out of 1517 districts in California.