Kern High School District, California

Kern High School District
Kern County, California
District details
Superintendent: Michael Zulfa
# of school board members: 5
Website: Link

Kern High School District is a school district in California.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district’s…

• Superintendent
• School board
• Elections
• Budget
• Teacher salaries
• Academic performance
• Students
• Staff
• Schools
• Contact information

Superintendent

This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Michael Zulfa is the superintendent of the Kern High School District. Zulfa was appointed superintendent on September 18, 2023, and assumed the position on February 2, 2024. Zulfa's previous career experience includes working as a teacher, Dean of Instruction at South High School, Assistant Principal of Instruction at Foothill High School, Principal of South High School, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction for the district, Associate Superintendent of Human Resources, and Associate Superintendent of Business.

Past superintendents

Bryon Schaefer was the superintendent of the Kern High School District. Schaefer was appointed superintendent on August 1, 2014, and resigned in 2024. Schaefer's previous career experience included working as a math teacher, principal, and adjunct instructor at Point Loma Nazarene University.

School board

The Kern High School District Board of Trustees consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Board members are elected by district.

Office	Name	Date assumed office
Kern High Board of Trustees Trustee Area 1	Derek Tisinger	December 9, 2022
Kern High Board of Trustees Trustee Area 2	Steven Rodrigue	2023
Kern High Board of Trustees Trustee Area 3	David Manriquez	December 11, 2020
Kern High Board of Trustees Trustee Area 4	Kathy Scrivner	December 9, 2022
Kern High Board of Trustees Trustee Area 5	Bryan Batey	2006

Elections

See also: Kern High School District, California, elections

Board members are elected on a staggered basis in November of even-numbered years.

Two seats on the board were up for general election on November 5, 2024.

Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.

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Public participation in board meetings

The Kern High School District Board of Trustees maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:

“

Public Participation/Hearing of Citizens Members of the public are encouraged to attend Board meetings and to address the Board concerning any item on the agenda or within the Board's jurisdiction. So as not to inhibit public participation, persons attending Board meetings shall not be requested to sign in, complete a questionnaire, or otherwise provide their name or other information as a condition of attending the meeting. In order to conduct district business in an orderly and efficient manner, the Board requires that public presentations to the Board comply with the following procedures: 1. The Board shall give members of the public an opportunity to address the Board on any item of interest to the public that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Board, either before or during the Board's consideration of the item. (Education Code 35145.5, Government Code 54954.3) 2. At a time so designated on the agenda as "hearing of citizens", members of the public may bring before the Board at a regular meeting, matters that are not listed on the agenda and fall within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Board. The Board shall take no action or discussion on any item not appearing on the posted agenda, except as authorized by law. (Education Code 35145.5, Government Code 54954.2) 3. Prior to the start of the meeting, persons wishing to speak will, on the card provided, indicate their name, address, who they represent, and the subject matter on which they wish to speak. If the matter pertains to an item listed on the agenda, the public will be offered the opportunity to address the Board as the agenda item is taken up, or to be heard under "hearing of citizens." If the matter is listed as an item for Board action, the Board will not take action until persons who have requested to speak have done so. The Board and staff are not obligated to comment on, or respond to, addresses by the public. The Board may refer such a matter to the Superintendent or designee, or take it under advisement, but shall not take action at that time except as allowed by law. The matter may be place on the agenda of a subsequent meeting for action or discussion by the Board. 4. Without taking action, Board members or district staff members may briefly respond to statements made or questions posed by the public about items not appearing on the agenda. Additionally, on their own initiative or in response to questions posed by the public, a Board or staff member may ask a question for clarification, make a brief announcement, or make a brief report on his/her own activities. (Government Code 54954.2) Furthermore, the Board or a Board member may provide a reference to staff or other resources for factual information, ask staff to report back to the Board at a subsequent meeting concerning any matter, or take action directing staff to place a matter of business on a future agenda. (Government Code 54954.2) 5. The Board need not allow the public to speak on any item that has already been considered by a committee composed exclusively of Board members at a public meeting where the public had the opportunity to address the committee on that item. However, if the Board determines that the item has been substantially changed since the committee heard the item, the Board shall provide an opportunity for the public to speak. (Government Code 54954.3) (cf. 9130 - Board Committees) 6. A person wishing to be heard by the Board shall first be recognized by the president and shall then proceed to comment as briefly as the subject permits. Comments must be addressed to the Board as a whole and not to individual members or district employees. Individual speakers shall be allowed three minutes to address the Board on each agenda or nonagenda item. The Board shall limit the total time for public input on each item to 15 minutes. With Board consent, the president may increase or decrease the time allowed for public presentation, depending on the topic and the number of persons wishing to be heard. The president may take a poll of speakers for or against a particular issue and may ask that additional persons speak only if they have something new to add. 7. The Board president may rule on the appropriateness of a topic. If the topic would be more suitably addressed at a later time, the president may indicate the time and place when it should be presented. 8. The Board believes that the quality of the educational program can improve when the district listens to complaints, considers differences of opinions, and resolves disagreements through an established, objective process. 9. The Board encourages complainants to resolve problems early and informally whenever possible. If a problem remains unresolved, the individual should submit a formal complaint as early as possible in accordance with appropriate district procedures, which are readily accessible to the public. 10. The Board shall not prohibit public criticism during the Open Session of the Board meetings of the district, its schools, policies, procedures, programs, or services. 11. Whenever a member of the public initiates specific complaints or charges against, a school, district polices, practices, or programs, the Board President shall encourage the complainant to place their complaint in writing to allow district and school site personnel the opportunity to investigate and respond. 12. It is the policy of the Board to hear appeal(s) and receive specific complaint(s) in Closed Session. 13. Requests by a parent/guardian to appeal a decision(s) regarding district policies, practices, or programs as it relates to an individual student will be heard by the Board in Closed Session. No information shall be released in violation of student privacy rights provided in law. 14. The request for an appeal hearing or presentation of a complaint or charge must be made in writing, addressed to the Board, and delivered to the office of the district Superintendent at 5801 Sundale Avenue, Bakersfield, California, 93309, not later than 4:00 p.m. on the 6th business day prior to the meeting. 15. The Board, if it deems advisable, may allow the person signing the statement to appear before the Board in a closed meeting and to present orally the appeal, charge or complaint. 16. The hearing shall be solely on the issue raised by the complaint and the response. 17. The Board will review and investigate the charge or complaint and will respond, or direct a representative to respond in writing, to the person who submitted the written statement and to the respondent. 18. The decision to require that a complaint be presented in accordance with Board policy rests with the administration, or, if the complaint is against the district Superintendent, with the Board. Failure to follow this procedure or to require that this procedure be utilized shall not invalidate in whole or in part any action taken by the administration or the Board with respect to any complaint against a school, office, or employee, so long as the requirements of statute and due process are adhered to.

”

District map

School district map

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.

• Revenue
• Expenditures

Revenue, 2020-2021

SOURCE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Federal:	$93,759,000	$2,213	13%
Local:	$187,409,000	$4,423	25%
State:	$459,406,000	$10,843	62%
Total:	$740,574,000	$17,479

Expenditures, 2020-2021

TYPE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Total Expenditures:	$707,668,000	$16,702
Total Current Expenditures:	$590,648,000	$13,940
Instructional Expenditures:	$282,206,000	$6,660	40%
Student and Staff Support:	$113,921,000	$2,688	16%
Administration:	$88,821,000	$2,096	13%
Operations, Food Service, Other:	$105,700,000	$2,494	15%
Total Capital Outlay:	$83,117,000	$1,961
Construction:	$77,448,000	$1,827
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other:	$13,830,000	$326
Interest on Debt:	$15,189,000	$358

Teacher salaries

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year	Minimum	Maximum
2024-2025	$62,889	$134,832
2023-2024	$62,267	$133,497
2019-2020	$52,313	$112,156

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.

• Mathematics
• Reading/language arts
• Graduation rates

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2020-2021	15-19	PS	<50	15-19	PS	<50	21-39
2018-2019	21	50	11	17	11-19	25-29	32
2017-2018	21	50	12	16	25-29	30-34	33
2016-2017	21	45	11	17	20-29	30-34	31
2015-2016	23	59	15	17	20-29	30-34	33
2014-2015	24	52	14	19	11-19	25-29	36
2013-2014	58	81	45	54	40-49	65-69	68
2012-2013	57	79	44	51	60-69	65-69	69
2011-2012	54	81	44	48	50-59	60-64	65
2010-2011	52	70-74	37	47	60-64	55-59	64

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2020-2021	89	>=80	>=50	86	PS	PS	>=95
2018-2019	51	73	37	47	40-49	60-64	62
2017-2018	49	74	33	45	55-59	55-59	59
2016-2017	51	72	36	47	50-59	65-69	60
2015-2016	51	79	39	46	60-69	55-59	62
2014-2015	51	71	38	46	40-49	60-64	63
2013-2014	53	70	44	47	40-44	65-69	67
2012-2013	55	70	44	49	60-69	65-69	71
2011-2012	52	75	39	44	50-59	70-74	66
2010-2011	57	70-74	45	51	55-59	60-64	72

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2019-2020	88	94	81	88	70-79	85-89	90
2018-2019	89	95	85	89	80-84	85-89	91
2017-2018	89	95	86	89	70-79	90	88
2016-2017	89	95	86	89	80-89	90-94	90
2015-2016	87	94	84	87	75-79	80-84	88
2014-2015	87	93	86	86	80-89	85-89	89
2013-2014	84	91	80	83	80-84	80-84	88
2012-2013	80	89	74	78	85-89	75-79	83
2011-2012	81	88	78	78	85-89	70-79	86
2010-2011	82	90	79	79	80-84	60-69	86

Students

• Enrollment
• Demographics

Year	Enrollment	Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023	43,020	0.4
2021-2022	42,863	1.2
2020-2021	42,370	2.2
2019-2020	41,451	2.7
2018-2019	40,340	2.0
2017-2018	39,520	2.1
2016-2017	38,705	1.6
2015-2016	38,070	2.0
2014-2015	37,318	0.6
2013-2014	37,100	0.1
2012-2013	37,070	-1.2
2011-2012	37,505	0.1
2010-2011	37,452	-1.3
2009-2010	37,928	0.4
2008-2009	37,783	1.2
2007-2008	37,341	3.4
2006-2007	36,086	1.9
2005-2006	35,394	4.6
2004-2005	33,776	4.2
2003-2004	32,357	4.3
2002-2003	30,953	3.8
2001-2002	29,788	1.5
2000-2001	29,333	3.0
1999-2000	28,452	0.0

Racial Demographics, 2022-2023

RACE	Kern High School District (%)	California K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.5	0.0
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander	3.8	0.0
Black	5.5	0.0
Hispanic	70.9	0.0
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	0.3	0.0
Two or More Races	1.9	0.0
White	17.0	0.0

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Staff

• Teachers
• Administrators
• Other staff

As of the 2022-2023 school year, Kern High School District had 1,803.79 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 23.85.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten:	0.00
Kindergarten:	0.00
Elementary:	0.00
Secondary:	1,803.79
Total:	1,803.79

Kern High School District employed 92.30 district administrators and 56.55 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators:	92.30
District Administrative Support:	174.00
School Administrators:	56.55
School Administrative Support:	329.20

Other staff, 2022-2023 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides:	293.95
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors:	5.00
Total Guidance Counselors:	127.49
Elementary Guidance Counselors:	0.00
Secondary Guidance Counselors:	127.49
Librarians/Media Specialists:	1.59
Library/Media Support:	0.00
Student Support Services:	65.00
Other Support Services:	738.01

Schools

The Kern High School District operates 25 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

List of schools

SCHOOL NAME	NUMBER OF STUDENTS	GRADES
Arvin High	2,786	9-12
Bakersfield High	3,004	9-12
Centennial High	2,175	9-12
Central Valley High (Continuation)	89	9-12
Del Oro High	873	9-12
East Bakersfield High	2,421	9-12
Foothill High	2,045	9-12
Frontier High	2,072	9-12
Golden Valley High	2,533	9-12
Highland High	2,599	9-12
Independence High	2,394	9-12
Kern Valley High	466	9-12
Kern Workforce 2000 Academy	571	9-12
Liberty High	2,358	9-12
Mira Monte High	2,293	9-12
North High	2,214	9-12
Nueva Continuation High	109	9-12
Ridgeview High	2,688	9-12
Shafter High	1,651	9-12
South High	2,176	9-12
Stockdale High	2,298	9-12
Tierra Del Sol Continuation High	273	9-12
Vista Continuation High	242	9-12
Vista West Continuation High	312	9-12
West High	2,025	9-12

Noteworthy events

2014: Lawsuit alleging racial discrimination filed against district

A lawsuit alleging the Kern High School District's disciplinary policies discriminated against Black and Latino students was filed in Kern County Court on October 8, 2014. Plaintiffs sued the Kern High School District and its board of trustees, in addition to Tom Torlakson, the California Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the California Department of Education. In addition to 10 individuals who were affected by the alleged discrimination, several organizations were involved in the lawsuit, including California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Dolores Huerta Foundation, and Faith in Action Kern County.

The lawsuit challenged the district's expulsion, suspension, and involuntary transfer policies. It claimed that Black and Latino students were more likely to be suspended, expelled, or pushed into alternative schools than their white student counterparts, and for more minor infractions. Before filing the lawsuit, plaintiffs sent a letter to the district, asking for the adoption of a Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports program, the hiring of an independent consultant to analyze the information presented, the organization of a community monitoring system, and the removal of "willful defiance" from the district's disciplinary code. According to Sahar Durali, the plaintiffs' attorney from CRLA, they received no response from the district.

During the 2009-2010 school year, the Kern High School District reported 2,205 expulsions, a number that surpassed the reports of more than a dozen school districts with larger populations to be the highest number of expulsions in the state. The district said it had dramatically cut the number of expulsions since then and had been working on the concerns. In response, the CRLA highlighted the district's use of involuntary transfers to alternative schools in place of expulsions. The lawsuit alleged that students at such alternative schools received inferior educations.

The district requested the lawsuit be dismissed as those involved did not follow the state's Uniform Complaint Procedure, which outlines an administrative process to file complaints. One of the plaintiffs' attorneys said they did not follow the Uniform Complaint Procedure because the process would have been monitored by the people they were suing.

Kern County Superior Court Judge Eric Bradshaw considered written arguments from both sides in March 2015. The district reached a settlement with plaintiffs in 2017.

2013-2014: District receives magazine pouches for semi-automatic rifles

During the 2013-2014 school year, the Kern High School District received 30 magazine pouches for M4 assault rifle ammunition to add to its 25 AR-15 semi-automatic rifles. The weapons were received through the Department of Defense Excess Property Program, or 1033 Program.

The district received grant money from the Kern County Law Enforcement Foundation to buy the rifles and ammunition, paying approximately $22,150 total. The Kern High School District is one of at least six schools in California to have received weapons through the 1033 Program.

Contact information

Kern High School District
5801 Sundale Ave.
Bakersfield, CA 93309
Phone: 661-827-3100

About school boards

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See also

California	School Board Elections	News and Analysis
List of school districts in California School board elections in California Public education in California	School board elections, 2025 California school board elections, 2025	School board election data analysis, 2024 United States school shootings, 1990-present

External links

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• Kern High School District
• California School Boards Association
• California Department of Education