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School Profile · El Centro

Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences: The score is middle of the pack. The trajectory isn't.

Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences sits mid-pack on raw proficiency — and it's climbing faster than most schools anywhere near it — and that holds when you follow the same students across grades.

1525 West Main Street, 92243 (opens in new tab)·El Centro Elementary·El Centro·Grades TK-6·230 students·77% low-income·Charter·Magnet·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 353-0140·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
49
🚀 Growth Engine · Developing
ranked #1,971 statewide · #4 of 11 in El Centro Elementary

Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences scores 49 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 66th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

Most rating sites would stop at “37% proficient” and call it done. Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences deserves a closer read. The school sits in El Centro, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 23.3% of English learners met the ELA standard — versus 10.4% statewide.

As a charter, Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

9%
22%
69%
Grade 3 · 31% proficient
17%
23%
60%
Grade 4 · 40% proficient
38%
20%
42%
Grade 5 · 58% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 28.8pp across grades; the floor rises 27.1pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
20.6%
State 21.3%
0.7pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+20.5pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
36.6%
State 42.7%
6.0pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
16.3%
State 17.9%
1.7pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.2%
State 1.6%
1.4pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed — new curriculum, new principal, new program. Momentum has a cause, and a visit will find it.

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Ballington Academy for the Art…Magnet
49/100
This school
High School
No feeder data available for this level

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

Your other options

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic97.0%
White1.7%
Asian0.4%
Other0.9%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 76.5% (13pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
230
250 below CA avg (~480)
Transitional Kindergarten
18 TK students
7% of a 250-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
19:1
2 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$15,218
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$72,376 – $145,460
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences in El Centro, 40.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (30.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (42.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 13.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 94 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Math · English Learner−23.3pp
5.6% vs 28.9% overall · n=18
3 more gaps by subject
ELA · English Learner−13.5pp
27.8% vs 41.2% overall · n=18
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−13.3pp
5.6% vs 18.9% overall · n=18
Math Exceeded · English Learner−17.7pp
0.0% vs 17.7% overall · n=18

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income95 tested
ELA 40.4%·Math 30.5%· +1.6pp vs district
Hispanic119 tested
ELA 42.7%·Math 30.3%· +0.7pp vs district
English Learner30 tested
ELA 23.3%·Math 6.7%· +4.2pp vs district

Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.

Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 30.0pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +4.2pp.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 61%Support 32%Other 7%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$55K
$30K below CA median
Median Home Value
$318K
$341K below CA median
Bachelor's+
15%
20pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
7.4 years avg experience
18 teachers · 28% first-year
Teacher Credentials
89% fully credentialed
5.3% on intern/emergency permit

Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25

Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →

Frequently asked questions

Is Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences a good elementary school?
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences has a Scope Score of 49 out of 100, placing it in the 66th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,971 statewide. 20.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 36.6% of students at Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 20.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 16.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 20.6% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 196 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences rank in California?
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences ranks #1,971 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 66th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
Is Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences increases by 20.5 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the elementary Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences?
16.3% of students at Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.2%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences compare to other schools in El Centro?
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences scores 49/100 (66th percentile) among California elementary schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 230 students. Use the schools in El Centro page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences in El Centro, 40.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (30.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (42.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 13.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 94 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 38%
20.6%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 49th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+20.5pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 63th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
36.6%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 45th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
16.3%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 53th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.2%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 62th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3239%22%22%48%30%−13
Grade 43517%23%14%46%40%−5
Grade 54038%20%25%18%58%+10
Grade 62010%25%30%35%35%−12
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 32313%13%43%30%26%−20
Grade 43517%9%46%29%26%−16
Grade 54030%10%18%43%40%+5
Grade 6229%14%23%55%23%−12
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/114018%30%43%10%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged9440.4%+2+2
Hispanic/Latino11742.7%+1+4
English Learners3023.3%+4+13
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences ←4920.6%36.6%+20.50.2%
Imperial Cross Elementary2 mi5422.9%49.3%+2.60.1%
Lincoln Elementary0.3 mi5314.6%41.2%−5.20.6%
De Anza Magnet1 mi5316.9%38.8%+17.22.5%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
38%49%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #3416 → #4367 → #3750 → #3475 → #1971
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue