Lloyd G. Johnson Junior High, Arbuckle CA

Original Research by School Decision on Lloyd G. Johnson Junior High

Lloyd G. Johnson Junior High sits in Arbuckle, a small agricultural community in southern Colusa County where almond orchards dominate the landscape and most jobs are rooted in farming and related work. The school serves about a third of its grade span in each of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade, drawing students from a rural district that stretches across several small towns in the southern third of Colusa County and into Yolo County.

The student body reflects the local community. A substantial majority of students are Hispanic or Latino, with the remainder split between white students and a very small number of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. Roughly three in four students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating widespread economic need. The school's enrollment is stable at a mid-sized level for a junior high in a rural area. Data on English learner enrollment or students with disabilities was not available.

On state testing, the school's results show room for growth. In English language arts, students' proficiency varies by grade: sixth graders perform somewhat better than seventh graders, with eighth graders performing strongest. Across all grades tested, about four in ten students meet proficiency standards in ELA. In math, performance is lower: about one in three students across all grades score at proficient or above, with seventh grade particularly soft. Eighth-grade science proficiency sits at around one in three. These patterns suggest that more than half the student body is not yet meeting grade-level standards in any tested subject, a situation that warrants parent attention to what support systems the school has in place and what strategies are being used to address proficiency gaps.

In the context of other districts in Colusa County, Lloyd G. Johnson's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, meaning its average performance across tested subjects and grades is among the stronger in the county. This positioning reflects both the challenges the school faces and its relative standing in a rural, economically constrained region.

The school has a regular public school designation with no charter or magnet status. It operates as part of Pierce Joint Unified School District, a rural district spanning roughly a thousand square miles. Arbuckle itself is a tight-knit, working-class town with a small downtown that hosts community events, older tree-lined streets on the east side lacking sidewalks, and newer Spanish Revival homes with sidewalks on the west side. Most residents own their homes, though home prices and rents reflect a rural market. The town faces a long-term land subsidence challenge related to groundwater depletion, and population has been essentially flat or slightly declining in recent years despite some newer housing construction in the early 2000s.

Data on specific programs, course offerings, staffing, discipline, attendance, or special services at the school was not available. A parent considering this school should ask directly about instructional support in math and reading for students not yet meeting grade-level standards, whether the school offers any advanced or accelerated pathways for stronger students, and what extracurricular or enrichment options exist. The school's rural location and student composition are facts; whether they align with a family's needs and preferences is a decision only the family can make.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 34% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 3 pts below state median

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 34%

▲ 6 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 641%

School 41% · District 40% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median

Grade 735%

School 35% · District 35%

▼ 11 pts below state median

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 49%

▲ 4 pts above state median

Science

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 32%

▲ 6 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 46%

▼ 3 pts below state median

This schoolPierce Joint 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 6Lower-income41%Higher-income39%2 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income31%Higher-income45%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income42%Higher-income66%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income32%Higher-income36%3 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income23%Higher-income38%15 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income30%Higher-income45%14 pp gap