Nord Country, Chico CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Nord Country

Nord Country is a small K-8 charter school in Chico that operates as its own independent district. It serves a tight-knit student body in a compact setting, with about equal cohorts across each grade from kindergarten through eighth.

The school's academic profile is uneven. In the lower elementary grades (third through fifth), proficiency in both English language arts and math runs solidly into the range where most students meet grade-level standards. By fifth grade, English language arts proficiency reaches a notably high level. In the middle grades, however, performance drops considerably. Sixth-grade math proficiency falls to under half, and seventh-grade math proficiency becomes quite sparse. Eighth grade recovers somewhat in English language arts but remains below the school's stronger grades overall. Science proficiency, where tested in fifth and eighth grades, sits at a sound level. Across all tested grades and subjects combined, Nord Country's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Butte County.

The pattern suggests that while the school builds a solid foundation in early grades, the transition to middle school mathematics presents a real challenge. A parent considering Nord Country would want to explore this directly with the school: what instructional approaches are in place for grades six and seven, whether there are interventions or support structures for students struggling with the curriculum at that point, and how the school thinks about bridging the elementary-to-middle transition.

The student body is small and demographically homogeneous. Most students are white, with smaller shares identifying as Hispanic or multiracial. About one in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school did not report counts for students with individualized education plans or English learners, so the extent of special services or language support is not visible in the available data. A parent may want to ask the school directly about how it serves students with disabilities and multilingual learners.

Nord Country underwent charter renewal for the 2025-2026 school year. Charter schools must periodically reauthorize to remain open, so this renewal decision is a meaningful one for families considering enrollment. Publicly reported information on that renewal process or outcome was not available, so a parent would benefit from checking with the school or the Chico Unified School District, which serves as its chartering authority, about the status and terms of the current charter.

Housing in the Chico area is moderately priced relative to the state average, with home values stable year to year. The rental market is tighter and has edged upward modestly. Chico itself is a college city with a strong presence from California State University and a downtown core anchored by historic retail and civic spaces. Population is growing steadily as new residential projects move forward. The school's location on California Street places it in the city's developed area, though it does not sit in the walkable downtown core.

Program offerings for Nord Country were not documented in the available data. A parent would want to ask the school about its curriculum philosophy, enrichment or special subjects, and how it approaches the full span from kindergarten through eighth grade.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 375%

School 75% · district not reported

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 484%

School 84% · district not reported

▲ 47 pts above state median · ▲ 49 pts above county median

Grade 572%

School 72% · district not reported

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Grade 644%

School 44% · district not reported

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 710%

School 10% · district not reported

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 843%

School 43% · district not reported

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 371%

School 71% · district not reported

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Grade 468%

School 68% · district not reported

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 596%

School 96% · district not reported

▲ 51 pts above state median · ▲ 53 pts above county median

Grade 657%

School 57% · district not reported

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 743%

School 43% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 881%

School 81% · district not reported

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Science

Grade 572%

School 72% · district not reported

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 871%

School 71% · district not reported

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

This schoolDistrict average, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.