Fort Bragg Unified, CA - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Fort Bragg Unified

Fort Bragg Unified serves kindergarten through twelfth grade across a small, dispersed territory in coastal Mendocino County. The district encompasses several towns: Fort Bragg itself, along with smaller communities served through schools including Redwood Elementary, Dana Gray Elementary, Fort Bragg Middle, Fort Bragg High, and a handful of smaller or specialized sites. The district's total enrollment sits at a modest size for its grade span, with a student body that is roughly half Hispanic and half white, plus smaller shares of multiracial and other backgrounds. Housing in the Fort Bragg area carries moderate value and has remained relatively stable, though affordability depends heavily on household income relative to local prices.

On standardized testing, Fort Bragg Unified's performance lies below the midpoint among Mendocino County's districts. In English language arts across elementary and middle grades, proficiency ranges from around one in five students at third and fourth grade to roughly half of seventh graders demonstrating proficiency. Mathematics proficiency is notably lower, with less than one in five students meeting standards across the tested grades, and sixth grade showing particularly weak results. Science proficiency, measured in fifth and eighth grades, sits around one in six students. No recent multi-year trend data is available to show whether these proficiency levels are stable, improving, or declining.

The district's chronic absenteeism rate is above the median among its county peers, suggesting attendance is a concern. Per-pupil spending appears to be in the lower-to-middle range for Mendocino County. State testing data was available for the current year; historical graduation rates and free-or-reduced-price-lunch participation were not reported in the available data, so a parent may want to look into those metrics directly with the district office to understand broader student need and post-secondary outcomes.

Fort Bragg Unified operates seven schools across its territory, including a continuation high school (Noyo High) and a community day school (Lighthouse Community Day), which suggests the district serves some students with nontraditional pathways. The district's composition and size make it a place where individual school performance may vary, so families considering enrollment may benefit from examining specific school profiles alongside district-level trends. The modest proficiency levels and elevated absenteeism point to academic and engagement challenges that families should understand as part of the educational landscape here.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

1,678

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 48%

Black 0%

White 40%

Asian 1%

Two+ 10%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

24%

—

Gr 3

15%

44%

Gr 4

19%

38%

Gr 5

23%

41%

Gr 6

17%

50%

Gr 7

35%

71%

Gr 8

27%

60%

Gr 11

30%

—

Math

Gr ALL

13%

—

Gr 3

22%

56%

Gr 4

17%

31%

Gr 5

13%

23%

Gr 6

18%

Gr 7

15%

26%

Gr 8

30%

Gr 11

12%

—

Science

Gr ALL

16%

—

Gr 5

13%

43%

Gr 8

12%

40%

Gr 10

18%

—

Gr HS

15%

—

Gr UG_SEC

20%

—

Schools in this District

7 schools are officially reported under this district.

Noyo High (Continuation)

Lighthouse Community Day

Shelter Cove

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

30%

Grade 3

19%

Grade 4

15%

Grade 5

Grade 6

18%

Grade 7

11%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

22%

Grade 3

22%

Grade 4

27%

Grade 5

25%

Grade 6

45%

Grade 7

33%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

20%

Grade 5

17%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

46%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$536,424

Year-over-year change+1.4%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$354K to $577K

vs. state typical0.69x

vs. national typical1.46x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
95437	Fort Bragg	$577K	+3.0%	65.6%
95490	Willits	$354K	-5.5%	14.7%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,707/mo

Home price / national median income6.4x

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.