The Needles Unified School District (NUSD) spans the largest geographical area of any district in the continental United States. NUSD is located in San Bernardino County, but is closer to Arizona and Nevada. Serving approximately 1,335 students, NUSD includes eight schools: five elementary schools, one middle school, one high school and an Educational Training Center. NUSD offers a range of programs, including class size reduction in early grades, GATE services, band, foreign language and computer education from Kindergarten through high school. Needles High School has been featured on the NBC show School Pride, where the community gave the school a makeover. NUSD is committed to excellence for our students and community!
NUSD is committed to providing a strong educational foundation by participating in the Class Size Reduction Act for grades 1 through 3, ensuring that class sizes are capped at 20 students in these early grades. The district maintains an overall teacher-to-student ratio of 19:1. Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs are offered at all schools, with pullout services starting in third grade. Students have the opportunity to explore band and instrument classes beginning in fifth grade, while foreign language instruction starts in sixth grade. Computer education begins in Kindergarten, and every classroom is equipped with internet access. The district’s high school, middle school and in-town elementary schools feature fully equipped computer labs, each with at least 30 stations, including both Macintosh and PC computers.
The median years of teaching experience at NUSD are 15 years. 19% of the Needles High School graduating class attends a 4-year college, 33% attend a 2-year college, and 2% attend a business/technical school. The percentage of seniors taking the SAT is 49%, with average scores of 455 in mathematics and 441 in verbal. NUSD ranked 19th out of 38 school districts in San Bernardino County. During the 2001–2002 school year, there were 4 dropouts—2 each in grade 9, and 1 each in grades 11 and 12. The average absentee rate is 10.2%, and the one-year dropout rate is 7.9%.
- Palo Verde Community College, Needles, CA
Founded in 1947, Palo Verde Community College (PVCC) is a public two-year college with 3,400 students, 200 of whom are enrolled at the Needles, CA satellite campus.
- Mohave Valley Community College, Bullhead City, AZ
Mohave Valley Community College is a two-year college with a total enrollment of 5,200 across its five campuses. Located in Mohave County, AZ, which is the fifth largest in the continental U.S., the area offers a variety of recreational opportunities and is close to major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix.
- Community College of Southern Nevada, Laughlin, NV
The Community College of Southern Nevada (CSN) has a presence in Laughlin, NV. Founded in 1971, CSN serves Southern Nevada with educational services across five areas: occupational training, university transfer preparation, continuing education, developmental education, and counseling.
- Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Northern Arizona University (NAU) has a presence at the Bullhead City campus of Mohave Valley Community College, enrolling 50 full-time students (25 undergraduate and 25 graduate). NAU offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs and has nearly 20,000 students, including over 14,000 in Flagstaff.
