Banning USD Shows Big Improvement In Graduation Rate, Attendance, College Readiness

BANNING, CA — The Banning Unified School District saw substantial gains in its graduation rate, attendance figures, and college readiness according to state metrics, district officials announced Thursday.

According to the 2026 California School Dashboard, the district's graduation rate jumped 8.3 percentage points to 92.2% this year, up from 83.9% in 2025 and outpacing California's statewide average of 88.1%. The achievement marks a steady, multiyear climb from 2019, when Banning recorded a graduation rate of 69.6%. The performance earned the district a "Blue" rating, the highest tier in the state’s five-color accountability system.

Student attendance also rebounded significantly. Chronic absenteeism across the district fell to 21% from 27% in 2025, continuing an ongoing recovery after peaking at 44.3% in 2022.

"From expanded learning opportunities and academic interventions to attendance recovery programs and additional student supports, we are making meaningful progress," said Dr. Tonia Causey-Bush, Banning USD assistant superintendent of educational services. "It truly takes a village. Our teachers and school staff are doing the important work every day."

College and career readiness among graduating seniors rose 10.1 percentage points to 38.9%, securing a "Green" rating on the state dashboard. District suspension rates dropped slightly from 5.1% to 4.7%, while 43.7% of English-language learners demonstrated measurable progress toward English proficiency, an increase of 3.1 percentage points.

Several individual campuses posted notable improvements:

• New Horizon High School increased its graduation rate by 28.8 percentage points, rising from 63.3% to 92.1%, while recording zero suspensions.
• Banning Independent Study School achieved a 100% graduation rate, up 17.6 percentage points.
• Banning High School raised its graduation rate to 91.9% and cut its suspension rate to 2%.
• Cabazon Elementary School reduced chronic absenteeism by 19.8 percentage points to 24.3%, while Hemmerling Elementary lowered its rate to 16.6%.
• Nicolet Middle School registered double-digit gains on the state's distance-from-proficiency measure, improving 25 points in math and 14.6 points in English language arts.

Despite the broader upward trend, district administrators acknowledged that challenges remain. Districtwide performance in English language arts and mathematics remains in the state’s second-lowest "Orange" category, and chronic absenteeism continues to sit above the state average.

Officials said the district will continue leaning on summer enrichment classes, Saturday attendance recovery programs, and expanded parent outreach to build on this year's progress.

The California School Dashboard, overseen by the California Department of Education, is an online tool that shows how local educational agencies and schools are performing on indicators included in California's school accountability system.