Enrollment
2,228
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bakersfield, CA
Golden Valley High
Federal NCES profile for Golden Valley High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061954011297
👥 S:T ratio 15
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Golden Valley High earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #13 of 20
- high schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.2:1
- students per teacher
- 81.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Golden Valley High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Valley High ranks #13 of 20 high schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Kern High · California
NCES ID 061954011297 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
105.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Golden Valley High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Golden Valley High
Golden Valley High is a high-poverty, large high school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 2,228 students.
At 21.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 81.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,228 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 177 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #88.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 279 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bakersfield's high schools, it stands alongside Bakersfield High (3,069 students): Golden Valley High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.2:1 vs 24.4:1).
Kern High also operates Bakersfield High (3,069 students) and Arvin High (2,653 students) alongside Golden Valley High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Golden Valley High compares
Golden Valley High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.2:1 | ▼ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.2% | ▲ 46% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,228 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.2:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,228
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.2:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 45% in California - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
40.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,830
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 279 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 249 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 88.4%
African American 4.4%
White 2.8%
Asian 2.2%
Two or More 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 88.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.5, Golden Valley High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kern High, which includes Golden Valley High.
$15,830
Per student
-4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.9%
State 63.4%
Federal 11.6%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Golden Valley High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Arvin High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridgeview High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stockdale High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Golden Valley High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,069
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,653
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,575
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,530
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Bakersfield High
Standard public school
3,069 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Ridgeview High
Standard public school
2,575 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Highland High
Standard public school
2,530 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Stockdale High
Standard public school
2,398 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Liberty High
Standard public school
2,369 students 27.5:1 students per teacher
East Bakersfield High
Standard public school
2,331 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,228 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Golden Valley High's federal record.
- Compare Golden Valley High against another school. Compare schools
- Kern High's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Golden Valley High
How many students attend Golden Valley High?
Golden Valley High has 2,228 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Golden Valley High?
The student-teacher ratio at Golden Valley High is 21.2:1, which is 1% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 35% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Golden Valley High?
81.2% of students at Golden Valley High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Golden Valley High?
The largest demographic group at Golden Valley High is Hispanic or Latino at 88.4% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Golden Valley High?
Golden Valley High has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Golden Valley High rank among high schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Valley High ranks #13 of 20 high schools in Bakersfield, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Bakersfield on the city page.
Is Golden Valley High a good school?
Golden Valley High earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Kern High?
Besides Golden Valley High, Kern High also operates Bakersfield High (3,069 students), Arvin High (2,653 students), and Ridgeview High (2,575 students). See the Kern High district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.