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Needs Improvement

#9079 of 9,539 schools in CA

Bess Maxwell Elementary

Elementary School · Del Norte County Unified · Crescent City, CA

A Del Norte County Unified elementary school where students score 15 points below what's typical for similar communities.

1124 El Dorado St., Crescent City, CA 95531

  • Math 13% vs CA 39% (2024)
  • Reading 15% vs CA 45% (2024)
  • 17.8:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress1.7Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data13
Annual Change-3.21 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendDeclining
Academics2.8Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency13% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency14.6% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg-32.7 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-28.2 pts
Overall Proficiency14% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)29% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected-14.9 pts
Adjusted Percentile10th
Resources & Environment8.6Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio17.8:1
District spending per student$19,219
Chronic Absenteeism36.2%

Students at Bess Maxwell Elementary score 14% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 29%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency13%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
39%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency15%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
45%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

↓ Declining

Proficiency has fallen 16 points since 2018, to 14% in 2024, across a 16-year record (2009–2024).

Show all 13 years
2009
Math
67%
ELA
52%
2010
Math
57%
ELA
52%
2011
Math
57%
ELA
37%
2012
Math
67%
ELA
47%
2013
Math
25%
ELA
75%
2014
Math
27%
ELA
22%
2015
Math
27%
ELA
27%
2016
Math
17%
ELA
22%
2017
Math
27%
ELA
27%
2018
Math
27%
ELA
32%
2019
Math
27%
ELA
32%
2022
Math
5%
ELA
18%
2024
Math
13%
ELA
15%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 30% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 31% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

Based on 32 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

81%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Bess Maxwell Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 16Car-Dependent
  • Bike 47Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High7,960/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Crescent City), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$66,817

Median home value

$323,600

Median rent

$1,202/mo

College educated

23%

Homeownership

67.8%

Poverty rate

11.2%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 95531; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Castle RockCharter · enrollment unverified6.8K–120.1 mi337Compare →
Del Norte CommunityEnrollment path unverified5.1K–120.1 mi31Compare →
Mary Peacock ElementaryEnrollment path unverified4.0K–50.7 mi252Compare →
Joe Hamilton ElementaryEnrollment path unverified4.7K–50.8 mi292Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

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

Del Norte County Unified

Schools in district
11
Rank in district
#11 of 11
District spending per student
$19,219NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
22.3%Census SAIPE · 2024

Bess Maxwell Elementary is listed in Del Norte County Unified; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Bess Maxwell Elementary

Bess Maxwell Elementary is a public elementary school in Crescent City, CA, part of Del Norte County Unified, serving approximately 232 students in grades Kindergarten-5th with a 17.8:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 3.4 out of 10 and ranks #9,079 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 30% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 31% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Bess Maxwell Elementary

What grades does Bess Maxwell Elementary serve?

Bess Maxwell Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Bess Maxwell Elementary?

Bess Maxwell Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 232 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Bess Maxwell Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Bess Maxwell Elementary is 17.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Bess Maxwell Elementary rank in CA?

Bess Maxwell Elementary ranks #9,079 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is Bess Maxwell Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Bess Maxwell Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.4 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 Bess Maxwell Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Bess Maxwell Elementary has 30% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 31% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Bess Maxwell Elementary a charter school?

No, Bess Maxwell Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Bess Maxwell Elementary a Title I school?

No, Bess Maxwell Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Bess Maxwell Elementary?

81.0% of students at Bess Maxwell Elementary 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 factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Kindergarten – 5th
Enrollment
232
Student-Teacher Ratio
17.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
13
Type
regular
Setting
Remote Town
County
Del Norte County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
36.2%
Area population (ZIP 95531)
22,491
Area average commute
18.3 min
Area median age
39.4
About this school's data

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

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 · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 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 · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · 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 95531; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2024; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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