Best Special Needs Schools in Shafter, California (2026)

Central Valley High School has served Shafter, Buttonwillow, Belridge and the surrounding rural communities since 1971 as one of five continuation high schools in the Kern High School District. We serve students ages 16 to 18 in grades 11 and 12 who have fallen behind on credits at a traditional high school. Most come from Shafter High School, and enrollment runs above 110 students a year. Our seven teachers work alongside an on-campus interventionist, an intervention specialist, a bilingual instructional assistant and a counselor, and our support team includes a social worker, school psychologist, mental health clinician and substance abuse specialist. Small classes and individualized instruction let students earn up to 25 credits each grading period, with more credits available through community service, work experience and summer school. After-school tutoring runs three afternoons a week, and many students return to their home school once they catch up. Beyond English, math, science and social studies, students take business, physical education and fine arts, with CTE pathways in business and art and dual enrollment art credit through Bakersfield College. Each student receives a Chromebook, and our school is WASC accredited.

• Public continuation high school (11-12)
• Continuation high school
• Credit recovery
• Small class sizes