Enrollment
95
High
DISTRICT 816 · STATE 838
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SIERRA SANDS UNIFIED·NCES 063680006237
Mesquite Continuation High
140 West Drummond, Ridgecrest, CA 93555 · (760) 499-1810 · Kern County
GRADES 09–12HIGH33-TOWNTITLE IALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SCHOOL95 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
Schools serving specialized populations are not graded, because state test results are not a fair comparison for them. How grades work
Student : Teacher
13.8:1
7 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.1:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
77%
73 students
DISTRICT 64% · STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 10 | 5 | 5% |
| Grade 11 | 32 | 34% |
| Grade 12 | 58 | 61% |
Student demographics
61%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 66% · 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
23.1%
own-school result
Math
0.0%
own-school result
State assessment results for this school reflect a specialized student population. The figures above are the school's own reported scores; they are not directly comparable to state averages or to general-enrollment schools, so the usual state-average comparison line is suppressed here.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 5.1% | 17.9% | 17.9% | 59.0% |
| Math | 0.0% | 0.0% | 11.9% | 88.1% |
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 | 23.1% | 0.0% |
| 2023-24 | 13.6% | 4.7% |
| 2022-23 | 39.4% | 6.9% |
| 2021-22 | 14.3% | 0.0% |
| 2020-21 | 17.1% | 0.0% |
| 2018-19 | 28.6% | 0.0% |
| 2017-18 | 7.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016-17 | 17.9% | 0.0% |
| 2015-16 | 31.0% | 3.0% |
| 2014-15 | 28.0% | 6.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Not computed for this schoolBeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →
Where Mesquite Continuation High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Kern County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 95 | #1,595 of 2,093 | #40 of 48 |
Ranked against other public high 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
95
+23 (+32%) vs 2020
-39% since 1990-91, when it was 156
Student : Teacher
13.8:1
was 14.4:1
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 | 95 | 6.9 | 13.8:1 | 77% (73) |
| 2023-24 | 103 | 5.7 | 18.0:1 | 83% (85) |
| 2022-23 | 102 | 5.9 | 17.4:1 | 74% (75) |
| 2020-21 | 72 | 5 | 14.4:1 | 68% (49) |
| 2017-18 | 84 | 5.6 | 15.0:1 | 90% (76) |
| 2015-16 | 88 | 5 | 17.6:1 | 63% (55) |
| 2010-11 | 137 | N/A | N/A | 33% (45) |
| 2000-01 | 151 | 9 | 16.8:1 | 52% (78) |
| 1990-91 | 156 | 8 | 19.5:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Mesquite Continuation High.
Since 2017-18: students up 13% (84 to 95); teachers up 22% (5.6 to 6.9).
About Mesquite Continuation High
Mesquite Continuation High sits in Ridgecrest, California, and is classified as a high school. The school reports 95 students in grades 9 through 12. The typical figure for high schools in California is about 838 students.
Sierra Sands Unified has 4,974 students in 10 schools, and Mesquite Continuation High is one of those schools.
A majority of students at Mesquite Continuation High, 52%, are White. The remaining shares are 35% Hispanic, 6% Black, 3% Native American, and 2% Asian. The chance that two students picked at random at Mesquite Continuation High belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 61%.
Federal data list 6.9 full-time-equivalent teachers at Mesquite Continuation High in 2024-25, for a ratio of 13.8:1. Among high schools in California, the typical ratio is 18.2:1. The lunch program counts 77% of students at Mesquite Continuation High as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. That is close to the 76% average for public schools in Kern County.
Census estimates describe Kern County this way: median household income is about $70,210, about 19% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 15% of residents are in poverty. Federal data list 279 public schools in Kern County, with a combined enrollment of about 197,431.
Nearby, Richmond Elementary is about 0.5 miles away. Mesquite Continuation High is one of several public schools in the area, with at least 8 others within five miles.
The NCES locale for Mesquite Continuation High is Town: Remote, which covers schools in a town far from an urbanized area.
The number of students climbed from 72 to 95 over 4 years.
To ask about school safety, transportation, and start times, start a discussion on this page. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Kern County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
915,075
Census ACS
Median income
$70,210
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
19%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
15%
Below federal line
Schools in county
279
197,431 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Sierra Sands Unified
- Burroughs HighHigh · 1,536 students
- Murray MiddleMiddle · 643 students
- Las Flores ElementaryElementary · 526 students
- Faller ElementaryElementary · 516 students
- James Monroe MiddleMiddle · 490 students
- Richmond ElementaryElementary · 364 students
Other schools in Ridgecrest
- Burroughs HighHigh · 1,536 students
- Murray MiddleMiddle · 643 students
- Las Flores ElementaryElementary · 526 students
- Faller ElementaryElementary · 516 students
- James Monroe MiddleMiddle · 490 students
- Richmond ElementaryElementary · 364 students
Nearby schools
- Richmond Elementary0.5 mi · 364
- Murray Middle0.6 mi · 643
- Burroughs High0.7 mi · 1,536
- Las Flores Elementary0.9 mi · 526
- Pierce Elementary1.0 mi · 297
- James Monroe Middle1.3 mi · 490
Frequently asked questions
About Mesquite Continuation HighHow many students attend Mesquite Continuation High?
Mesquite Continuation High enrolls approximately 95 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does Mesquite Continuation High serve?
Mesquite Continuation High serves grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mesquite Continuation High?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Mesquite Continuation High is approximately 13.8:1 (7 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Mesquite Continuation High?
Mesquite Continuation High reports a student body of 52% White, 35% Hispanic, 6% Black, 2% Asian, 1% Two or more.
Who oversees Mesquite Continuation High?
Mesquite Continuation High is overseen by Sierra Sands Unified in Kern County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.