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Excellent

#3 of 9,539 schools in CA

Top 1% in state

Union Street Charter

Elementary School · Union Street Charter District · Arcata, CA

A charter elementary school in Arcata, CA where students score 41 points above what's typical for similar communities.

Charter

470 Union St., Arcata, CA 95521

  • Math 87% vs CA 39% (2024)
  • Reading 91% vs CA 45% (2024)
  • 16.5:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress9.7Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data6
Annual Change+0.56 pts/yr
Data Period2018–2024
TrendStable
Academics10.0Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency87.2% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency91.5% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg+41.5 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+48.7 pts
Overall Proficiency89% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)49% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected+40.6 pts
Adjusted Percentile100th
Resources & Environment9.7Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio16.5:1
Chronic Absenteeism16.2%

Students at Union Street Charter score 89% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 49%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency87%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
39%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency91%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
45%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency has held near 89% across the 7-year record (2018–2024).

Show all 6 years by subject
2018
Math
85%
ELA
85%
2019
Math
85%
ELA
85%
2020*
Math
85%
ELA
95%
2021*
Math
85%
ELA
95%
2022
Math
83%
ELA
83%
2024
Math
87%
ELA
91%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 86% (multi-year average, 2018-2024) · reading/ELA 90% (multi-year average, 2018-2024)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 18 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

45.5%

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 Union Street Charter 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 55Somewhat Walkable
  • Bike 56Bikeable
  • City Safety: High2,282/100K

Powered byWalk Score

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

$54,324

Median home value

$478,600

Median rent

$1,300/mo

College educated

45%

Homeownership

36.7%

Poverty rate

26.7%

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

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

3 from a 5-mile search

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Arcata Christian SchoolPrivate · tuition4.3privateK–80.7 mi106Compare →
Jacoby CreekEnrollment path unverified7.9K–81.2 mi462Compare →
Arcata ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.3K–51.4 mi253Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

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

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Union Street Charter District

Schools in district
1
Rank in district
#1 of 1
District spending per student
This value was not reported by the source.
District child poverty rate
The source release did not match this district identifier.

Union Street Charter is listed in Union Street Charter District; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Union Street Charter

Union Street Charter is a public elementary school in Arcata, CA, part of Union Street Charter District, serving approximately 99 students in grades Kindergarten-5th with a 16.5:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 9.8 out of 10 and ranks #3 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 86% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2018-2024) and 90% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2018-2024).

What's said publicly about Union Street Charter

Sources:School's website

Synthesized from public, attributable sources. Updated April 2026.

Union Street Charter is a public school serving students from Transitional Kindergarten through 5th grade 1. The school has received multiple designations, including California Distinguished School, Blue Ribbon School, and Exemplary Arts School 1. Its educational philosophy emphasizes the importance of the early school years in shaping a child's future success and attitudes toward learning 1. Teachers aim to provide a nurturing environment that fosters high self-esteem, confidence, and a well-developed sense of self-worth 1. The school encourages students to view themselves as part of a learning community focused on collaboration, critical thinking, and performance 1. Union Street Charter seeks to minimize the pressures of popular culture and the use of academic competition as primary motivators 1. Instead, the school aims to channel students' natural curiosity into a lifelong love of learning 1. The institution values the unique contributions of each student, family, and teacher, both as individuals and as members of the broader school community 1.
Sources (1)
  1. www.unionstreetcharter.org
Generated by AI from public sources. Every claim is grounded in a cited source.Report inaccuracy

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Union Street Charter

What grades does Union Street Charter serve?

Union Street Charter serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Union Street Charter?

Union Street Charter has an enrollment of approximately 99 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Street Charter?

The student-teacher ratio at Union Street Charter is 16.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Union Street Charter rank in CA?

Union Street Charter ranks #3 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is Union Street Charter's MySchoolScout rating?

Union Street Charter has a current MySchoolScout rating of 9.8 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 Union Street Charter?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Union Street Charter has 86% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2018-2024) and 90% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2018-2024).

Is Union Street Charter a charter school?

Yes, Union Street Charter is a charter school. Charter schools are publicly funded but independently operated, often with more flexibility in curriculum and teaching methods.

Is Union Street Charter a Title I school?

No, Union Street Charter is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Union Street Charter?

45.5% of students at Union Street Charter 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
99
Student-Teacher Ratio
16.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
6
Type
regular
Setting
Remote Town
County
Humboldt County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
16.2%
Area population (ZIP 95521)
21,684
Area average commute
18.3 min
Area median age
29.2
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 95521; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2018-2024; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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