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Public elementary school · Bakersfield City · Bakersfield, California

Harding Elementary

Harding Elementary rates 6.2, right at the middle of Bakersfield City's elementary schools, whose rated median is 5.9.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.2this school

6.2 on a one-to-ten scale; the Bakersfield City median is 5.9.

#5,185 of 9,557 schools in California · Bakersfield City: 34 elementary schools rated, median 5.9

The brief

A Bakersfield City elementary school serving grades Kindergarten – 6th.

Students at Harding Elementary score 28% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 27%).

It ranks 5,185 of 9,557 schools in California and 14 of 44 in Bakersfield City.

Math22%18 points below the California average of 40%2025 CAASPP
Reading35%12 points below the California average of 47%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency has fallen 9 points since 2019, to 28% 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
6.2
50% of the rating
Academics
5.6
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
7.2
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 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 33% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 42% (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 93306; 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, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Harding 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
$66,988
Median home value
$290,700
Median rent
$1,219/mo
College educated
18.2%
Homeownership
63.3%
Poverty rate
20.6%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 93306; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
16
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
27
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.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
87%
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. 7.9Compare →
  2. 7.4Compare →
  3. 6.3Compare →
  4. Harding Elementarythis school
    6.2
  5. 6.1Compare →
  6. 6.1Compare →
  7. 5.0Compare →
  8. 4.8Compare →
  9. 4.2Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and three rate higher than Harding 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 Harding Elementary serve?

Harding Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.

How many students attend Harding Elementary?

Harding Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 546 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Harding Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Harding Elementary is 21:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Harding Elementary rank in CA?

Harding Elementary ranks #5,185 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Harding Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Harding Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.2 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 Harding Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Harding Elementary has 33% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 42% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Harding Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Harding Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

87.0% of students at Harding 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
546
Student-teacher ratio
21:1
Teachers (FTE)
26
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Kern County
Rank in district
#14 of 44
Schools in district
45
District spending per student
$19,155
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
33.7%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 93306)
73,370
Area average commute
24.6 min
Area median age
32.4

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.