Schools in Fairfax · Fairfax Elementary School District, Kern High School District
Fairfax’s public schools beat 90% of California districts
The public schools Fairfax’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 90% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
Reading proficiency
89%
▲ 41 pts vs CA 49%
2020–21
Math proficiency
17%
▼ 16 pts vs CA 33%
2020–21
Graduate on time
88%
▲ 0 pts vs CA 88%
class of 2020
Spent per student
$19.1K
▼ 10% vs CA $21.2K
FY2024
Students per teacher
21.9
CA 21.6
Schools
3
2,023 students
The School Grade
How Fairfax compares
A Test scoresC+ Graduation
California school districts we grade (1,139)Better than 90%
Lower resultsHigher results
California towns with similar household incomes (40)Better than 80%
Good confidence. Built on 322 tested students and a graduating class of 9,765; ordinary year-to-year swings are unlikely to change it.
How the School Grade works
- Results, not inputs. Math and reading proficiency on California’s state tests against the state average, plus the four-year graduation rate. Spending and class size are shown but don’t count. Tests: 2020–21; graduation: class of 2020.
- The whole path. A town’s grade follows its kids through every district that serves it, weighted by students tested. Tests count 60%, graduation 40%.
- Graded within the state. Each state writes its own tests, so districts are compared with the rest of California only. A+ is the top 5%, A the next 10%, A− the next 10%, the B range the next 30%, the C range the next 30%, D the rest.
- What a grade can’t tell you. Test results track family income, so we also compare towns with similar incomes. Visit, ask other parents, and read neighbor reviews. It’s our own summary of U.S. Department of Education data, not an official rating.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Fairfax (some depend on your address).
18 schools teach 9th grade in Fairfax’s district. Which one depends on your address: Bakersfield High, Arvin High, Ridgeview High and Highland High and more.
18 schools teach 10th grade in Fairfax’s district. Which one depends on your address: Bakersfield High, Arvin High, Ridgeview High and Highland High and more.
18 schools teach 11th grade in Fairfax’s district. Which one depends on your address: Bakersfield High, Arvin High, Ridgeview High and Highland High and more.
18 schools teach 12th grade in Fairfax’s district. Which one depends on your address: Bakersfield High, Arvin High, Ridgeview High and Highland High and more.
The path, start to finish
K–62 schoolsDepends on your address
7–8Fairfax Junior HighFairfax Elementary School District
9–1218 high schoolsDepends on your address
Two districts serve Fairfax
Each district’s own page has its spending, test scores, enrollment and every school.
Fairfax Elementary School DistrictGrades K–8 · 4 schools · 2,667 students
$19,076CA $21,206
Kern High School DistrictGrades 9–12 · 25 schools · 42,814 students
$19,073CA $21,206
ATest scores · 2020–21
Well above the state in reading
Reading · 9–12, Kern High School District89%
State average 48.5%
Math · 9–12, Kern High School District17%
State average 33.4%
Every school in Fairfax
3 schools. Grades are ours, from state tests and graduation. Stars are from neighbors.
Elementary
Middle
Also serving Fairfax · in other towns
Bakersfield High
A−3,069 students26:1Rate it →
Arvin High
B+2,653 students26:1Rate it →
Ridgeview High
B+2,575 students27:1Rate it →
Highland High
B2,530 students24:1Rate it →
Stockdale High
2,398 students28:1Rate it →
Liberty High
B+2,369 students27:1Rate it →
East Bakersfield High
B2,331 students24:1Rate it →
Independence High
2,324 students26:1Rate it →
Golden Valley High
B2,228 students23:1Rate it →
Centennial High
B+2,212 students25:1Rate it →
West High
B+2,159 students27:1Rate it →
North High
B2,135 students25:1Rate it →
Parents talk
What Fairfax families are saying about school.
Parents weigh in
Live in Fairfax? Is an A for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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Within reach
Colleges →Colleges near Fairfax
There’s no college in Fairfax, but 5 are within 30 miles. The closest is Bakersfield College in Bakersfield, 4.9 miles away.
Bakersfield CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Bakersfield
4.9 mi23,108 students
Glendale Career College-North-West College-BakersfieldCommunity college · For-profit · Bakersfield
5.7 mi387 students
San Joaquin Valley College-BakersfieldCommunity college · For-profit · Bakersfield
7.2 mi820 students
California Aeronautical UniversityUniversity or college · For-profit · Bakersfield
8.9 mi378 students
California State University-BakersfieldUniversity or college · Public · Bakersfield
9.6 mi8,308 students
Straight-line distance from the center of Fairfax. Degree-granting colleges with students on campus · College Scorecard · IPEDS.
School data: U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts, F-33 school finance). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within California. Stars are from neighbors.