School Profile
Fruitvale Junior High is revered for its academic and enrichment excellence. FJH received three separate awards during the 2020-21 pandemic year. FJH was named a 2020-21 Kern County Innovative and Impactful school, a 2020-21 California Distinguished School (the only school in Kern County), and lastly redesignated for the second time as a National "School to Watch'' in 2018 by the National Forum for Middle School Reform. FJH was also awarded the 2018-19 Honor Roll School and named a California Gold Ribbon School in 2017. FJH has been recognized six times (1986, 1990, 1994, 1999, 2013, 2020) as a California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education. In 1991, the U.S. Department of Education named Fruitvale Junior High a National Blue Ribbon School. FJH has been recognized as a 2016 and 2019 Honor Roll School. Fruitvale Junior High was designated as a National School To Watch in 2018. Fruitvale Junior High students have repeatedly competed as California State Champions at the National History Day finals in Washington D.C. for the past 25 years, during the 2022-23 school year all FJH History Day teams competed at the state competition. During 2022-2023 school year the FJH Robotics teams advanced to the World Championship after winning the State Vex Championship. Students from FJH earned first place in 1990, 1991, 2002, 2009, and 2010, as well as second place in 1996, 1999, and 2001 in Group Performance. Students also earned first place in 2014 and third place in 2015 for an Individual Paper submission. Students also placed second in Group Documentaries (1999 and 2002), Group Projects (2000), Individual Performance (2002), and third in Historical Paper in 2001. Students placed first in the State Science Fair in 1997, 1998, 2012, 2013, & 2014. Students also annually compete at the State level in the MathCounts Competition. The Fruitvale Junior High electives repeatedly win awards for their contributions in our local and state competitions including Band, Colorguard, AVID, Agriculture, Art, Drama, Robotics, Computer Science, Medical Detectives, Student News/Media, Spanish, Mock Trial, Digital photography, and Orchestra.