Tehachapi Unified, CA - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Tehachapi Unified

Tehachapi Unified serves kindergarten through grade twelve across a spread of seven schools in the Tehachapi area and surrounding communities in Kern County. The district has a small student body with steady enrollment across grade levels. Demographically, the population is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment, and smaller Asian, Black, and multiracial groups. The district's data on economically disadvantaged students and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to contact the schools directly for that context.

Test performance across the district is below the midpoint for proficiency. In English language arts, proficiency hovers in the low-to-mid range across grades, with fifth grade performing somewhat better than most grades. In mathematics, proficiency is consistently low across elementary and middle grades, dropping markedly from third grade onward. Science proficiency in fifth and eighth grades is similarly modest. This pattern holds across the tested range. When measured against the other districts in Kern County, Tehachapi's overall proficiency index sits above the county's median, placing it in the upper half of county peers despite the absolute proficiency numbers being low statewide. The district's per-pupil current spending is in the lower range relative to other Kern County districts, which may be relevant context for how resources are distributed.

Chronic absenteeism is above the county median, at around three-tenths of the student body missing a substantial amount of school. A parent may want to look into this further with the district, as attendance patterns can affect both individual student outcomes and classroom continuity. Graduation rate data was not available and could not be assessed.

The district's recent changes include a shift in 2022 from at-large to by-trustee-area board elections, dividing the territory into seven single-member trustee areas. This restructures parent participation in governance; families now vote only for the board member representing their area rather than for all board seats. Separately, the district adopted the Zaner-Bloser handwriting curriculum for elementary grades as of spring 2024, establishing systematic instruction in manuscript and cursive writing across the elementary schools.

The Tehachapi area itself sits at higher elevation in Kern County, with housing costs substantially below the state median. The weighted home value across the district's service area is moderate, and monthly rent for the area is lower than mortgage costs, reflecting an affordable rental market. Employment in the region tracks near the national average unemployment rate.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

4,219

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 39%

Black 1%

White 53%

Asian 1%

Two+ 4%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

25%

—

Gr 3

26%

49%

Gr 4

23%

45%

Gr 5

36%

50%

Gr 6

14%

37%

Gr 7

31%

48%

Gr 8

18%

34%

Gr 11

26%

—

Math

Gr ALL

16%

—

Gr 3

31%

47%

Gr 4

13%

35%

Gr 5

23%

41%

Gr 6

23%

Gr 7

10%

26%

Gr 8

11%

24%

Gr 11

11%

—

Science

Gr ALL

24%

—

Gr 5

21%

42%

Gr 8

16%

32%

Gr 11

17%

—

Gr HS

19%

—

Gr UG_SEC

19%

—

Schools in this District

7 schools are officially reported under this district.

Jacobsen Middle

Tehachapi High

Tompkins Elementary

Monroe High (Continuation)

Golden Hills Elementary

Cummings Valley Elementary

Tehachapi Independent Learning Academy

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

39%

Grade 3

24%

Grade 4

33%

Grade 5

15%

Grade 6

19%

Grade 7

18%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

37%

Grade 3

34%

Grade 4

44%

Grade 5

26%

Grade 6

41%

Grade 7

27%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

33%

Grade 5

25%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

51%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$404,114

Year-over-year change-0.2%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$235K to $629K

vs. state typical0.52x

vs. national typical1.10x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
93561	Tehachapi	$425K	-0.0%	77.6%
93501	Mojave	$235K	-0.9%	15.6%
93531	Keene	$629K	-0.8%	4.7%
93560	Rosamond	$410K	-0.4%	1.1%
93518	Caliente	$307K	+0.1%	0.3%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,898/mo

Year-over-year change+2.1%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$1,892 to $2,366/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
93561	Tehachapi	$1,892	+2.1%	77.6%
93560	Rosamond	$2,366	—	1.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,039/mo

Home price / national median income4.8x

Annual rent / national median income27.2%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$141/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.