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Public elementary school · Pacific Union Elementary · Arcata, California

Pacific Union Elementary

Pacific Union Elementary rates 5.9, right at the middle of Pacific Union Elementary'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.
5.9this school

5.9 on a one-to-ten scale; the Pacific Union Elementary median is 5.9.

#5,963 of 9,557 schools in California · Pacific Union Elementary: 1 elementary schools rated, median 5.9

The brief

An elementary school in Arcata, CA serving grades Kindergarten – 8th.

It ranks 5,963 of 9,557 schools in California and 1 of 1 in Pacific Union Elementary.

Pacific Union Elementary is listed in Pacific Union Elementary, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math39%1 point above the California average of 38%2025 CAASPP
Reading48%Level with the California average of 48%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency is down 12 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 43% recently.2025 CAASPP; 54 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
5.3
50% of the rating
Academics
7.0
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.9
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 41% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 50% (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 95521; 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.
Pacific Union 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
$54,324
Median home value
$478,600
Median rent
$1,300/mo
College educated
45%
Homeownership
36.7%
Poverty rate
26.7%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 95521; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
14
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
71
Very Bikeable
City reported crime
2,097/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Arcata. 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 (Arcata), 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
57.1%
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. Coastal Grove Charter1.3 mi · charter
    7.2Compare →
  2. 6.7Compare →
  3. Union Street Charter2.4 mi · charter
    6.5Compare →
  4. 6.0Compare →
  5. Pacific Union Elementarythis school
    5.9
  6. Laurel Tree Charter0.6 mi · charter
    5.5Compare →
  7. 4.9Compare →
  8. Fuente Nueva Charter1.1 mi · charter
    4.6Compare →
Seven grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and four rate higher than Pacific Union 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.

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.

The record

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

Questions families ask

What grades does Pacific Union Elementary serve?

Pacific Union Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 8th.

How many students attend Pacific Union Elementary?

Pacific Union Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 529 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Pacific Union Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Pacific Union Elementary is 18.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Pacific Union Elementary rank in CA?

Pacific Union Elementary ranks #5,963 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Pacific Union Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Pacific Union Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.9 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 Pacific Union Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Pacific Union Elementary has 41% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 50% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Pacific Union Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Pacific Union Elementary a Title I school?

No, Pacific Union Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

57.1% of students at Pacific Union 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 – 8th
Enrollment
529
Student-teacher ratio
18.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
29
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Remote Town
County
Humboldt County
Rank in district
#1 of 1
Schools in district
1
District spending per student
$11,205
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
17.2%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 95521)
21,684
Area average commute
18.3 min
Area median age
29.2

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.