FAQ

The Kern High School District School Board makes the final decisions on school attendance boundaries and has established a process for receiving community input regarding the boundary plan. The Superintendent forms a committee (with School Principal input) composed of parents from high schools and community representatives. This committee develops proposal(s) for school boundaries based on school capacities and a set of criteria presented to the Board. The proposal(s) are provided to the superintendent who may adjust them or pass them on to the Board to select the final plan. 

Schools surrounding Del Oro’s new boundaries (Arvin, Golden Valley, South, Mira Monte) will affect 9^th & 10^thgraders.  Schools indirectly affected by the boundary change at (Bakersfield, East, Foothill, Highland, Independence, North, Ridgeview, Stockdale, or West) will affect incoming 9^th grade students only.

The Board has directed that the proposal should attempt to balance the following criteria:

            All the above criteria are to be given equal weight by the boundary committee.

Boundary criteria recognize that living close to the school they are attending has advantages for students and their parents. In balance with the other criteria discussed above, the committee developing the boundary proposals seeks to minimize traveling distances to school. However, most of our high schools serve over 2000 students and usually a number of students are bused to the school in order to balance enrollment.  Metropolitan Bakersfield is divided to best utilize the regional high schools located in our city. The district must fill all its schools to receive funds from the State in building new schools. Overcrowding some schools and leaving others underutilized would not be fiscally responsible. 

No.The passage of Proposition 209 by California voters in 1996 and recent California Supreme Court decisions forbid school districts from making any decisions based on racial considerations. There are no district-defined guidelines defining isolation of socio-economic students, no floor or ceiling; there is no Kern High School District requirement that sites be balanced socio-economically. The boundary committee is given information on the socio-economic characteristics of schools and neighborhoods to consider in balance with other criteria as listed above.

    Given the growth of the district, shifts in population in the district, the need to use all our capacity, and the need for new schools, the District cannot make such promises.  The law requires that the school district inform all developers of which school will serve any development, all title companies handling these developments receive a letter which provides the required information. This letter also states: “It must be understood that because the schools serving this area are now at or near capacity, students may not necessarily attend the school mentioned in future years.  Additionally, there will be changes in school attendance boundaries as new high schools are constructed.”  KHSD does not make any attendance area guarantees and is not responsible for any promises made by others. Information from developers, realtors, or title companies may or may not be current.  Kern High School District’s on-line maps are the only official source for the most current boundary areas. 

Web site location for on-line proposed boundary maps:

2023-2024 KHSD Interactive Boundary Map

Yes, if a family has an older brother or sister attending one high school, and the family moves into a different school attendance area, younger children may join that student at the original school.

    The boundary committee is setup to ensure wide representation while keeping the committee down to a workable size. Community members for the boundary committees are chosen with an eye to overall geographic representation. Additionally, public hearing processes are held to seek input from all concerned. The comments from hearings, e-mail, and letters to the committee are presented to the School Board.  The process is designed to allow everyone the opportunity to impact the final recommendation.

     Anyone who lives in the Kern High School District (KHSD) or even California helps pay for our new schools. The KHSD does not use any location or region-specific revenue source such as landscape assessment districts, or Mello-Roos districts.  Indeed, approximately 42% of the money for new schools has come from past California bond issues, so persons from Chula-Vista to Crescent City help pay for these schools.  The other 58% of funds have come from local sources, basically general obligation bonds approved by the voters in the KHSD and new construction development school fees.  Consequently, residents living throughout the district, including Bakersfield, Arvin, Shafter, and Kern Valley helps build these new schools.

Yes, all high schools offer a core academic program leading to admission into the California State University system & the University of California as well as other rigorous institutions. All high schools offer gifted and honors programs for students. All schools offer a math sequence leading up to and including Advanced Placement Calculus. All schools offer at least 16 semesters of Honors and Advanced Placement classes that meet University of California standards for such classes.

Each of our high schools has been recognized for individual accomplishments. Although each school is unique, all high schools in the Kern High School District have strong educational programs designed to meet the needs of all students. Contacting and/or visiting the school will provide you with better information on whether a school has the best program for your son or daughter. The Kern High School District’s commitment to maintaining the availability of a full program at each school is intended to enable families to choose their home without being concerned that their choice will keep their child from having the education they need to succeed.

Call the school and arrange to visit and talk with the principal or a counselor. School phone numbers are listed on school web page.