The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in English language arts. The lowest is 17% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Calistoga Junior/senior High
Calistoga Junior/Senior High School serves grades seven through twelve in a small city at the northern end of Napa Valley, where tourism, hospitality, and vineyards shape the local economy. The school is the only secondary school in town and sits integrated into the residential landscape at Lake Street, not on a campus removed from the community.
The student body reflects the region's demographic makeup and economic reality. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The enrollment is stable across grade bands, with roughly equal numbers in each year level. Hispanic students make up the overwhelming majority of the enrollment; white students comprise a small share, and Asian and Black students each represent a tiny portion. The data set available did not include counts for students with disabilities or English learners.
Academic performance across tested areas sits below the midpoint among Napa County districts. In seventh-grade math, proficiency rates were in the low range; eighth-grade math moved slightly higher but remained low. English language arts showed stronger performance, with seventh graders reaching about the middle range and eighth graders reaching roughly the middle or slightly above. Science proficiency in eighth grade was notably low. The school has only one year of recent testing data, so trends cannot yet be measured. A parent looking at these results may want to discuss with the school how it is addressing the gap in math proficiency and the particularly low science results, and what additional supports or interventions are in place for students who do not yet meet proficiency benchmarks.
The parent district, Calistoga Joint Unified, navigated a significant facilities funding challenge that has now shifted. Voters approved a general obligation bond in November 2022 that added property tax obligations for about a two-decade span. For roughly a decade before that, bond construction had largely stalled and the district lacked the state-required citizens' oversight committee. The district restarted its facilities program in 2022 with a hired construction manager and completed a renovation project that opened to students in 2025, marking a visible return to capital investment. The modernization is aimed at classroom improvements, career-technical education space, and technology infrastructure. Families relocating to the area should factor the new property tax obligation into housing and cost-of-living calculations.
Calistoga itself is compact and mixed in character. The downtown core along Lincoln Avenue houses shops, family-owned restaurants, tasting rooms, and historic hotels where neighbors and tourists intermingle. Civic anchors including the library, a community pool, and parks sit within walking distance of downtown. Housing is in active development, with new resort projects underway, affordable apartment units planned, and residential subdivisions in the pipeline. Median home values in the zip code are notably high, and rental costs are also steep relative to the national average, reflecting the Napa Valley market. The town's economy relies heavily on spa resorts and tourism, with some smaller downtown businesses reported as struggling even as major resorts perform well.
The school website did not contain accessible data on course breadth, AP offerings, career pathways, teacher staffing levels, or student support services. No graduation rate was available for this report. Parents seeking detail on post-secondary preparation options, academic pathways, or the depth of counseling and special services should reach out directly to the school to understand what is offered and how the recent capital improvements have affected program scope or facility access.
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