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Public elementary school · Panama-Buena Vista Union · Bakersfield, California

Charles H. Castle Elementary

Charles H. Castle Elementary rates 5.4, right at the middle of Panama-Buena Vista Union's elementary schools, whose rated median is 5.7.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.4this school

5.4 on a one-to-ten scale; the Panama-Buena Vista Union median is 5.7.

#6,890 of 9,557 schools in California · Panama-Buena Vista Union: 20 elementary schools rated, median 5.7

The brief

A Panama-Buena Vista Union elementary school serving grades Kindergarten – 6th.

Students at Charles H. Castle Elementary score 22% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 23%).

It ranks 6,890 of 9,557 schools in California and 18 of 25 in Panama-Buena Vista Union.

Math18%22 points below the California average of 40%2025 CAASPP
Reading26%21 points below the California average of 47%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency has fallen 13 points since 2019, to 22% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 CAASPP; 42 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.1
50% of the rating
Academics
4.7
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
2.1
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 24% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 33% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

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 93309; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Charles H. Castle Elementary 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
$62,143
Median home value
$286,600
Median rent
$1,268/mo
College educated
19.9%
Homeownership
48.3%
Poverty rate
17%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 93309; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
36
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
31
Some Transit
Bike Score
48
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,732/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Bakersfield. 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 (Bakersfield), 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
93%
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. 7.8Compare →
  2. 7.6Compare →
  3. 5.6Compare →
  4. Charles H. Castle Elementarythis school
    5.4
  5. 5.3Compare →
  6. 5.0Compare →
  7. 4.9Compare →
  8. 3.4Compare →
  9. 3.3Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and three rate higher than Charles H. Castle Elementary.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 Charles H. Castle Elementary serve?

Charles H. Castle Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.

How many students attend Charles H. Castle Elementary?

Charles H. Castle Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 844 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Charles H. Castle Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Charles H. Castle Elementary is 27.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Charles H. Castle Elementary rank in CA?

Charles H. Castle Elementary ranks #6,890 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Charles H. Castle Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Charles H. Castle Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.4 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 Charles H. Castle Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Charles H. Castle Elementary has 24% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 33% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Charles H. Castle Elementary a charter school?

No, Charles H. Castle Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Charles H. Castle Elementary a Title I school?

No, Charles H. Castle Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Charles H. Castle Elementary?

93.0% of students at Charles H. Castle 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 facts

Grades
Kindergarten – 6th
Enrollment
844
Student-teacher ratio
27.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
31
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large City
County
Kern County
Rank in district
#18 of 25
Schools in district
25
District spending per student
$15,644
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
18.1%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 93309)
63,989
Area average commute
22.2 min
Area median age
31.5

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.