Barstow Unified, CA - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Barstow Unified

Barstow Unified is a district in San Bernardino County serving kindergarten through twelfth grade. It operates a portfolio of traditional elementary, intermediate, and high schools alongside specialized offerings including a continuation high school, a community day school, a school of opportunity, and magnet schools focused on STEM and fine arts. The district serves a diverse student body, with Hispanic students making up the majority of enrollment, followed by Black and white students. The district's racial and ethnic composition reflects significant diversity across all groups.

State assessment results show that Barstow Unified's students are performing far below proficiency benchmarks across tested subjects. In English language arts, proficiency rates across the elementary and middle grades range from single digits to around one-fifth of students meeting standards. Mathematics results are even lower, with proficiency rates well below those in reading across most grades, and dropping to single-digit percentages in the middle grades. Science proficiency, where tested, hovers around or below ten percent. These results place the district in the bottom quartile among San Bernardino County's districts for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. The data reflects systemic academic challenges that appear concentrated across the elementary and middle school years.

Chronic absenteeism stands out as a pressing concern. The district's rate places it in the bottom quartile of its county peer group, meaning a substantial proportion of students are missing school regularly. This metric often correlates with and compounds academic performance gaps, and a parent may want to look into this further with the district to understand what supports or barriers exist for student attendance in their family's situation.

Per-pupil spending falls in the middle range of county districts, neither among the highest nor the lowest resource levels. The district has been expanding its programming. It recently introduced a 4K program, providing an earlier entry point for families with young children. The district has also implemented a district-wide Culturally Responsive Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports framework, reflecting an approach to school climate and behavior that is being rolled out across all schools.

The enrollment is spread across traditional grade structures, with elementary schools serving lower grades and the district maintaining multiple middle and high school options. The magnet schools offer families choice within the district if they seek a STEM or fine arts focus. However, the core academic performance data indicates that regardless of school or program pathway, Barstow Unified students are not meeting state proficiency standards at rates comparable to most other districts in the county. A parent considering Barstow Unified would need to weigh the diversity of school options and recent investments in behavioral framework and early education against the substantial academic performance gaps and attendance challenges evident in the state data.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

6,318

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 57%

Black 19%

White 16%

Asian 1%

Two+ 6%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 1%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

15%

—

Gr 3

15%

27%

Gr 4

17%

22%

Gr 5

14%

23%

Gr 6

14%

Gr 7

30%

Gr 8

16%

Gr 11

29%

—

Math

Gr ALL

—

Gr 3

16%

35%

Gr 4

14%

19%

Gr 5

Gr 6

Gr 7

14%

Gr 8

Gr 11

11%

—

Science

Gr ALL

15%

—

Gr 5

14%

Gr 8

16%

Gr 11

15%

—

Gr 12

33%

—

Gr HS

10%

—

Gr UG_SEC

15%

—

Schools in this District

14 schools are officially reported under this district.

Barstow High

Barstow Junior High

Cameron Elementary

Central High (Continuation)

Skyline North Elementary

Barstow Intermediate

Challenges Community Day

BUSD School of Opportunity

Barstow STEM Academy

Barstow Fine Arts Academy

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

19%

Grade 3

15%

Grade 4

Grade 5

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

17%

Grade 3

18%

Grade 4

15%

Grade 5

14%

Grade 6

14%

Grade 7

11%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

Grade 5

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

40%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$244,708

Year-over-year change-1.5%

Range across 7 ZIP codes$149K to $456K

vs. state typical0.32x

vs. national typical0.66x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (7 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
92311	Barstow	$265K	-2.5%	54.2%
92347	Hinkley	$149K	-0.8%	25.8%
92365		$234K	+0.8%	7.6%
92307	Apple Valley	$456K	+0.4%	6.4%
92356	Lucerne Valley	$259K	+0.7%	5.3%
92342	Helendale	$374K	-2.3%	0.5%
92398	Daggett	$169K	-5.8%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,486/mo

Year-over-year change+4.1%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$1,429 to $1,963/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
92311	Barstow	$1,429	+4.0%	54.2%
92307	Apple Valley	$1,963	+4.8%	6.4%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,235/mo

Home price / national median income2.9x

Annual rent / national median income21.3%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$251/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.