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Alumni: what's one memory from Bidwell Junior High that still sticks with you?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,012
Middle
DISTRICT 863 · STATE 659
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CHICO UNIFIED·NCES 060837000812
Bidwell Junior High
2376 North Ave., Chico, CA 95926 · (530) 891-3080 · Butte County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE12-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,012 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
24.2:1
42 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 22.0:1 · STATE 20.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
52%
529 students
DISTRICT 65% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 326 | 32% |
| Grade 7 | 368 | 36% |
| Grade 8 | 318 | 31% |
Student demographics
60%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 64% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
53.3%
CA avg 49.1% . +9.3pp since 2014
Math
35.8%
CA avg 37.7% . -3.2pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 53 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 36 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 9 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 3 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 18.5% | 34.8% | 22.9% | 23.8% |
| Math | 15.6% | 20.2% | 29.8% | 34.4% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 53.3% | 35.8% |
| 2023-24 | 57.0% | 34.3% |
| 2022-23 | 60.0% | 36.1% |
| 2021-22 | 59.8% | 38.2% |
| 2018-19 | 55.8% | 36.4% |
| 2017-18 | 52.2% | 40.6% |
| 2016-17 | 45.3% | 38.1% |
| 2015-16 | 53.0% | 44.0% |
| 2014-15 | 44.0% | 39.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
45.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.9%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-3.6pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 45% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 49% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Bidwell Junior High
Bidwell Junior High's state test result (45.3% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bidwell Junior High this school | 1,012 | 52.3% | 45.3% |
| Warren T. Eich Middle Roseville | 939 | 50.6% | 50.8% |
| Atascadero Middle Atascadero | 845 | 48.4% | 40.7% |
| Cabrillo Middle Ventura | 936 | 46.7% | 49.5% |
| Jacobsen Middle Tehachapi | 925 | 46.5% | 24.9% |
| John Barrett Middle Carmichael | 802 | 55.0% | 32.0% |
Matched among California middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Bidwell Junior High ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Butte County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 45.3% | #418 of 1,224 | #3 of 10 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 35.8% | #486 of 1,227 ▼ 20 | #3 of 10 ▲ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 53.3% | #425 of 1,227 ▼ 89 | #2 of 10 no change |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -4.4pp | #82 of 1,214 | #1 of 10 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,012 | #184 of 1,377 | #1 of 12 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 24.2:1 | #1,098 of 1,279 | #9 of 9 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 59.9% | #434 of 1,278 | #7 of 9 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 52.3% | #920 of 1,329 | #9 of 11 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +4.5% | #151 of 257 | N/A |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,012
+92 (+10%) vs 2020
-24% since 1990-91, when it was 1,325
Student : Teacher
24.2:1
was 22.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,012 | 41.8 | 24.2:1 | 52% (529) |
| 2023-24 | 1,010 | 39.4 | 25.6:1 | 58% (585) |
| 2022-23 | 990 | 41.9 | 23.6:1 | 57% (568) |
| 2020-21 | 920 | 41 | 22.4:1 | 57% (524) |
| 2017-18 | 968 | 40.5 | 23.9:1 | 48% (463) |
| 2015-16 | 568 | 22 | 25.8:1 | 49% (277) |
| 2010-11 | 666 | N/A | N/A | 47% (315) |
| 2000-01 | 852 | 36 | 23.7:1 | 26% (221) |
| 1990-91 | 1,325 | 54 | 24.5:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Bidwell Junior High.
Since 2017-18: students up 5% (968 to 1,012); teachers up 3% (40.5 to 41.8).
About Bidwell Junior High
Bidwell Junior High is a large middle school found in Chico, California. A federal count lists 1,012 students at the school, in grades 6 through 8. Average enrollment for middle schools in California is about 659, so this school runs 54% above that.
Bidwell Junior High belongs to Chico Unified, a district of 22 schools and 12,260 students.
By race and ethnicity, Bidwell Junior High is 56% White. The school is also 29% Hispanic, 8% multiracial, and 5% Asian. That is lower than the 70% White share among all Butte County residents. The chance that two students picked at random at Bidwell Junior High belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 60%.
A ratio of 24.2:1 comes from the school's 41.8 full-time-equivalent teachers. The 20.7:1 average for middle schools in California is lower than this school's figure. The lunch program counts 52% of students at Bidwell Junior High as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The 63% average for public schools in Butte County is 11 points higher.
On a poverty-adjusted basis, Bidwell Junior High falls in the middle 80% of California schools: 45.3% actual against 48.9% predicted.
In Butte County (population about 207,929), median household income is about $67,928, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 32% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 12%. Bidwell Junior High is one of 96 public schools in Butte County, which together enroll about 29,730 students.
The closest public school to Bidwell Junior High is Wildflower Open Classroom, about 0.2 miles away. Within five miles of Bidwell Junior High, there are at least 8 other public schools.
Its location is classified as City: Mid-size by the National Center for Education Statistics.
A comparison of 2020-21 and 2024-25 shows enrollment up 10%, from 920 to 1,012. Its ratio of students to teachers was 22.4:1 in 2020-21, and 24.2:1 in 2024-25.
Conversations here can range across sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Butte County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
207,929
Census ACS
Median income
$67,928
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
32%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
12%
Below federal line
Schools in county
96
29,730 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Chico Unified
- Pleasant Valley HighHigh · 1,978 students
- Chico HighHigh · 1,804 students
- Chico Junior HighMiddle · 861 students
- Marsh (Harry M.) Junior HighMiddle · 716 students
- Shasta ElementaryElementary · 621 students
- Emma Wilson ElementaryElementary · 597 students
Other schools in Chico
- Pleasant Valley HighHigh · 1,978 students
- Chico HighHigh · 1,804 students
- CORE Butte CharterCombined · 916 students
- Chico Junior HighMiddle · 861 students
- Marsh (Harry M.) Junior HighMiddle · 716 students
- Shasta ElementaryElementary · 621 students
Nearby schools
- Wildflower Open Classroom0.2 mi · 183
- McManus (John A.) Elementary0.2 mi · 397
- Neal Dow Elementary0.7 mi · 364
- Hooker Oak Elementary1.0 mi · 337
- Center for Alternative Learning1.1 mi · 34
- Academy for Change1.1 mi · 31
Frequently asked questions
About Bidwell Junior HighWhat is the total enrollment at Bidwell Junior High?
Bidwell Junior High enrolls approximately 1,012 students in grades 06-08.
What age range does Bidwell Junior High serve?
Bidwell Junior High serves students from grade 06 through grade 08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bidwell Junior High?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Bidwell Junior High is approximately 24.2:1 (42 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Bidwell Junior High?
At Bidwell Junior High, the student body is approximately 56% White, 29% Hispanic, 1% Black, 5% Asian, 8% Two or more.
Who oversees Bidwell Junior High?
Bidwell Junior High is overseen by Chico Unified in Butte County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.