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Excellent

#1205 of 9,539 schools in CA

Top 13% in state

Downtown Elementary

Elementary School · Bakersfield City · Bakersfield, CA

A Bakersfield City elementary school where students score 8 points above what's typical for similar communities.

2021 M St., Bakersfield, CA 93301

  • Math 53% vs CA 37% (2024)
  • Reading 62% vs CA 46% (2024)
  • 22.8:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress7.8Very Good50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data12
Annual Change-0.88 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendStable
Academics8.5Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency53.4% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency62.2% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg+7.7 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+19.5 pts
Overall Proficiency58% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)50% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected+8.2 pts
Adjusted Percentile77th
Resources & Environment8.7Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio22.8:1
District spending per student$19,155
Chronic Absenteeism3.4%

Students at Downtown Elementary score 58% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 50%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency53%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
37%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency62%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
46%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

↓ Declining

Proficiency has fallen 17 points since 2018, to 58% in 2024, across a 16-year record (2009–2024).

Show all 12 years
2009
Math
72%
ELA
77%
2010
Math
72%
ELA
82%
2011
Math
77%
ELA
72%
2012
Math
82%
ELA
77%
2014
Math
52%
ELA
57%
2015
Math
62%
ELA
77%
2016
Math
62%
ELA
77%
2017
Math
62%
ELA
82%
2018
Math
67%
ELA
82%
2019
Math
67%
ELA
82%
2022
Math
53%
ELA
75%
2024
Math
53%
ELA
62%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 61% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 71% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

Based on 36 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

43.9%

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 Downtown 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 78Very Walkable
  • Transit 49Some Transit
  • Bike 51Bikeable
  • City Safety: High3,028/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Bakersfield), 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

$40,725

Median home value

$264,300

Median rent

$1,129/mo

College educated

19.7%

Homeownership

38.7%

Poverty rate

38.8%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 93301; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Kern County CommunityEnrollment path unverified5.7K–120.2 mi368Compare →
Kern County Juvenile CourtEnrollment path unverified5.8K–120.2 mi236Compare →
Kern County Special EducationEnrollment path unverified4.0K–120.2 mi412Compare →
Rafer JohnsonEnrollment path unverified6.4K–80.8 mi43Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Bakersfield City

Schools in district
45
Rank in district
#1 of 44
District spending per student
$19,155NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
33.7%Census SAIPE · 2024

Downtown Elementary is listed in Bakersfield City; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Downtown Elementary

Downtown Elementary is a public elementary school in Bakersfield, CA, part of Bakersfield City, serving approximately 319 students in grades Kindergarten-8th with a 22.8:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.2 out of 10 and ranks #1,205 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 61% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 71% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Downtown Elementary

What grades does Downtown Elementary serve?

Downtown Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 8th.

How many students attend Downtown Elementary?

Downtown Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 319 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Downtown Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Downtown Elementary is 22.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Downtown Elementary rank in CA?

Downtown Elementary ranks #1,205 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is Downtown Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Downtown Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.2 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 Downtown Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Downtown Elementary has 61% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 71% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Downtown Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Downtown Elementary a Title I school?

No, Downtown Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

43.9% of students at Downtown 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 – 8th
Enrollment
319
Student-Teacher Ratio
22.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
14
Type
regular
Setting
Large City
County
Kern County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
3.4%
Area population (ZIP 93301)
14,026
Area average commute
22.8 min
Area median age
34.3
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 93301; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

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

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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