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Charter elementary school · Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary · Grass Valley, California

Arete Charter Academy

Arete Charter Academy rates 6.7, above the middle of Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary's elementary schools, whose rated median is 6.2.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.7this school

6.7 on a one-to-ten scale; the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary median is 6.2.

#4,141 of 9,557 schools in California · Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary: 3 elementary schools rated, median 6.2

The brief

A Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary charter elementary school where students score 20 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 4,141 of 9,557 schools in California and 2 of 4 in Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary.

Arete Charter Academy is a charter school: it enrolls by application rather than by address, so check its enrollment process directly before choosing a neighborhood for it.

Math35%3 points below the California average of 38%2025 CAASPP
Reading47%1 point below the California average of 48%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency is up 21 points across the 9-year record (2017–2025) and has held near 41% recently.2025 CAASPP; 40 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.7
50% of the rating
Academics
5.4
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.0
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 32% (multi-year average, 2017-2025) · reading/ELA 42% (multi-year average, 2017-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 95949; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2017-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Arete Charter Academy and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$90,309
Median home value
$551,700
Median rent
$1,827/mo
College educated
32.3%
Homeownership
86.2%
Poverty rate
9.3%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 95949; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
3
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
6
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
1,966/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Grass Valley. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Grass Valley), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
28.9%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Arete Charter Academythis school
    6.7
  2. 6.2Compare →
  3. 4.3Compare →
Two grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Arete Charter Academy.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Arete Charter Academy serve?

Arete Charter Academy serves students in grades Kindergarten through 8th.

How many students attend Arete Charter Academy?

Arete Charter Academy has an enrollment of approximately 239 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Arete Charter Academy?

The student-teacher ratio at Arete Charter Academy is 23.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Arete Charter Academy rank in CA?

Arete Charter Academy ranks #4,141 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Arete Charter Academy's MySchoolScout rating?

Arete Charter Academy has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.7 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Arete Charter Academy?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Arete Charter Academy has 32% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2017-2025) and 42% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2017-2025).

Is Arete Charter Academy a charter school?

Yes, Arete Charter Academy is a charter school. Charter schools are publicly funded but independently operated, often with more flexibility in curriculum and teaching methods.

Is Arete Charter Academy a Title I school?

No, Arete Charter Academy is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Arete Charter Academy?

28.9% of students at Arete Charter Academy qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Kindergarten – 8th
Enrollment
239
Student-teacher ratio
23.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
10
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Distant Rural
County
Nevada County
Rank in district
#2 of 4
Schools in district
5
District spending per student
$13,572
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
10.3%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 95949)
20,709
Area average commute
28.9 min
Area median age
54.4

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, California Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.