Barstow Stem Academy, Barstow CA

Original Research by School Decision on Barstow Stem Academy

Barstow STEM Academy is a middle school serving grades five through eight in Barstow, a Mojave Desert railroad and crossroads city between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The school enrolls a school community of roughly equal numbers across its four grade bands, with about half the student body qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a secondary white enrollment and smaller populations of Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Asian, and American Indian or Alaska Native students.

The school's academic performance shows substantial challenges across tested subjects. In mathematics, overall proficiency sits in the bottom quartile among schools tested in San Bernardino County. Grade five proficiency is low, rising somewhat by grade seven before declining again at grade eight. English language arts proficiency is higher than math but remains uneven by grade, with grade six notably lower than grade five and grade seven higher than both. Science proficiency data is available only for grades five and eight, with grade five performing below grade eight. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, Barstow STEM Academy ranks in the bottom quartile relative to tested schools in the county. A parent may want to look into the school's instructional support and intervention systems directly, particularly around mathematics, where proficiency gaps are widest.

The school's name signals a STEM-focused mission, though the data provided does not detail specific program offerings, pathways, or course structure. Information about special education services, English learner support, staffing, or attendance was not available. The school is part of Barstow Unified, a district that has recently expanded its elementary offerings to include a four-year-old program and implemented a district-wide Culturally Responsive Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports framework affecting school climate and discipline practices across its schools.

Barstow itself is a car-dependent desert city shaped by its role as a rail and logistics hub, anchored by BNSF Railway operations and Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow. The historic Route 66 downtown corridor has experienced long-term decline, with many commercial buildings shuttered, though civic anchors including the library and City Hall remain active. The city is on the cusp of significant growth tied to the Barstow International Gateway, a major rail and warehouse development expected to begin construction soon and create jobs, though residential construction has lagged since 2022. Housing in the Barstow 92311 zip code is modestly valued and rental costs are moderate, with affordability reasonably aligned to regional income levels.

Families considering Barstow STEM Academy would be choosing a school in a working-class, predominantly Hispanic community with a clear academic deficit across core subjects and limited available detail on how the school's STEM designation translates to instructional practice or whether it offers distinct advantages. The school's position at the bottom of the county's proficiency distribution is a material consideration for families weighing the choice.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 4% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 610%

School 10% · District 5% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 7% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 813%

School 13% · District 4% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 15% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 14% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 14% · ▲ 32 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 826%

School 26% · District 11% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Science

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 9% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 826%

School 26% · District 9% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

This schoolBarstow Unified, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income45%Higher-income29%16 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income28%Higher-income18%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income37%Higher-income56%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income23%Higher-income31%8 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income4%Higher-income6%2 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income13%Higher-income4%8 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income17%Higher-income28%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income10%Higher-income17%7 pp gap