Rafer Johnson Junior High

Rafer Johnson Junior High sits in Kingsburg, a small San Joaquin Valley town with a strong Scandinavian heritage and a tight-knit community feel — the kind of place where kids still know their neighbors and Friday nights revolve around local sports. The school holds its own academically, with solid English and math scores that outpace many schools in the region, though science is an area worth keeping an eye on. Families who value a smaller-town upbringing with a genuine sense of community, and who want a school where their seventh or eighth grader isn't lost in the crowd, will find Kingsburg a genuinely appealing place to put down roots.