Public school with a magnet program · Bakersfield City

Bessie E. Owens Elementary — Rating & test scores

815 Potomac Avenue, Bakersfield · 867 students · Grades TK–6

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Campus map · © OpenStreetMap

Drawn from OpenStreetMap. Volunteers map it, so a new building may be missing. Buildings with no mapped height are drawn one storey high.

A picture of the campus, not an attendance boundary or a rating.

Schools maintain a closed campus policy. For students’ safety, visitors may enter a campus only with the school’s official permission; this drawing implies no permission to enter.

Scope Score 76

Scope Score · 56th percentile. Higher than 56 in 100 of the 5,726 California public elementary schools we score.

75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How the score is built

Below California in English, well below in math: 38% and 29% scored Proficient or Advanced in grades 3–5, spring 2026, against 46% and 42%.

Source for this line
Source
California’s state tests (CAASPP), California Department of Education, spring 2026
Students
all students tested in grades 3–5: 351 in English, 353 in math
Comparison
California: CDE’s grade 3, 4 and 5 rows for the whole state combined, weighted by students tested (our calculation; 1,208,894 in English and 1,211,701 in math tested).

This rating covers grades 3–5. Bessie E. Owens Elementary teaches TK–6.

Overview

Is Bessie E. Owens a good elementary school?

Solid. Bessie E. Owens is higher than most California elementary schools on progress in both subjects. Bessie E. Owens is lower than most on test results and attendance.

Test results, spring 2026

English, Proficient or Advanced40th38%
Math, Proficient or Advanced33rd29%
English, Advanced54th21%
Math, Advanced48th14%

Progress in a year, 2025

English93rd+19 pts
Math79th+13 pts

Showing up, 2025–26

Attendance42nd18 in 100
Bessie E. Owens’s percentile among California elementary schoolsBakersfield City’s other elementary schoolsBar colour, from the lowest quarter of schools to the highest

One more thing to know

On spring 2025 tests, students in grades 4–6 scored higher than California students who had the same scores the year before, in English (+19 pts) and math (+13 pts). The state calls both results Accelerated. In grade 6, spring 2026, 26% scored Proficient or Advanced in math, against 37% across California.

Each bar is Bessie E. Owens’s place among 5,726 California public elementary schools we score. Our calculation from California Department of Education records, updated October 15, 2026.

How to read these bars, and their sources

A place counts the schools out of 100 with a lower figure. The dashed line is the middle. Test results are from spring 2026, grades 3–5. Progress is the state’s measure of how the same students’ scores changed against the score it expected, 2025. Attendance counts students who missed 10% or more of school days; fewer is better, so a higher place means fewer such students.

Sentence 1
CDE growth model, 2025. Students with scores in both years in grades 4–6: 340 in English, 344 in math. Points are scale-score points against the state’s expected score for each student; the category is CDE’s, quoted as published. It describes results, not causes.
Sentence 2
California’s state tests (CAASPP), California Department of Education, spring 2026. All students tested in grade 6. California: CDE’s grade 6 rows for the whole state combined, weighted by students tested (our calculation; 415,904 in math tested).

In its own words

What does Bessie E. Owens say about itself?

These lines come from the school’s own website. They are the school’s description. They are not parent reviews or test results.

“At Owens Elementary we work hard each day to provide each child with the attention and instruction needed to ensure the best education possible.”
owens.bcsd.com (opens in a new tab), read October 23, 2026

Every line here is from owens.bcsd.com, read October 23, 2026.

Progress

Did students here score higher than students who started at the same place?

Yes, in both subjects. In 2025, students here in grades 4–6 scored 19 points higher in English than California students who had the same score the year before. The state calls that Accelerated. In math, they scored 13 points higher, which the state calls Accelerated.

English

+19

points higher than California students who had the same score a year earlier. The state calls it Accelerated, the fourth of its five growth levels.

By student group · students counted

Low-income310+18 points
Hispanic or Latino284+18 points
English learners141+11 points
Students with disabilities47+1 points
Black or African American32+11 points

Math

+13

points higher than California students who had the same score a year earlier. The state calls it Accelerated, the fourth of its five growth levels.

By student group · students counted

Low-income314+14 points
Hispanic or Latino286+12 points
English learners143+13 points
Students with disabilities48+7 points
Black or African American34+16 points

Grades 4–6, 2025, 340 students in English, 344 in math with scores in both years. Faded rows have fewer than 40 students. It describes results, not causes. Source: California Department of Education, growth model.

How the state’s growth measure works

The state calls this comparison an expected score. It sets one for each student from that student’s own score the year before.

California uses each student’s English and math scores from the year before to set an expected score, based on how students with similar earlier scores did across the state. Zero would mean students here scored as expected. In English they scored 19 points above that expected score, and in math 13 points above it. Unlike the growth in our Scope Score, it follows the same students from one year to the next.

The state sorts every school’s growth result into five growth levels, from Minimal to Exceptional.

Here, as at most schools, the state’s figure blends the two most recent years, so it moves more slowly than one year’s scores.

Our Scope Score measures growth another way. It compares the latest grade 5 scores here with the school’s grade 3 scores two years earlier (partly different children), then places that change among California schools at the same level. The state’s measure counts only students who took California’s test the year before, so the two can point different ways.

SchoolScope elementary standardized cohort gain: approximately 92nd percentile on a calibrated reference scale, not an empirical school rank. This score compares school-level grade groups across English and math, not matched students in California's separate growth model.

Nearby

How does it compare with schools nearby?

1 of the 7 elementary schools nearby have a higher Scope Score than Bessie E. Owens. Each school is compared with every California elementary school.

Scope Score

8 elementary schools within 1.6 miles, highest score first. Under each name is how the school takes students.

  1. DowntownNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 8280th
  2. Bessie E. OwensScope Score 7656th
  3. WilliamsNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 7230th
  4. Mt. VernonNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 6912th
  5. McKinleyNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 6912th
  6. JeffersonNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 6810th
  7. FremontNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 677th
  8. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Neighborhood school · by addressScope Score 663rd
Bakersfield City

Scope Score from California Department of Education state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, grades 3–5. Distance is a straight line from this campus and is not an attendance boundary. See these schools on the map

Scores and family income

Further right, more students are from low-income families. Higher up, more students scored Proficient or Advanced in English.

25%50%75%0%25%50%75%100%

3 of 8 schools are named on the chart. Point at a dot or tap it to read any school.

English results: California Department of Education state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, grades 3–5. Low-income is the share of students who qualified for free or reduced-price meals, 2024–25. The chart compares results, not causes.

Schools like it

How does Bessie E. Owens compare with schools like it?

Bessie E. Owens’s Scope Score is 76. 1,554 California elementary schools, counting Bessie E. Owens, have a similar share of students from low-income families. Their typical score is 71. Bessie E. Owens’s result is higher than 1,322 of them.

The five schools with the highest results of the 1,554

  1. Students from low-income families: 85%

    Scope Score 94Strong · 97th percentile

  2. Students from low-income families: 88%

    Scope Score 89Strong · 92nd percentile

  3. Students from low-income families: 95%

    Scope Score 87Strong · 89th percentile

  4. Students from low-income families: 88%

    Scope Score 87Strong · 89th percentile

  5. Students from low-income families: 91%

    Scope Score 87Strong · 89th percentile

1,554 California public elementary schools where 84% to 96% of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. The chart compares results, not causes. Our calculation from California Department of Education records, spring 2026.

How the group is chosen

The group is every California public elementary school we score where 84% to 96% of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. That is within 6 points of Bessie E. Owens’s share. The count includes Bessie E. Owens. Typical means the median: half are higher and half are lower. Schools differ in more than family income, and no score is changed for it. Our calculation from California Department of Education records: state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, and school meal eligibility, 2024–25.

Over time

Have results changed?

Results in both subjects were similar to 2025. English stayed at 38% and math stayed at 29%.

Share at the state’s top two test levels, 2023 to 2026

Grades 3–5. Point at a year, tap it or use the arrow keys to read its figures.

English

25%50%75%202320242025202627%28%46%CaliforniaCalifornia38%Bessie E. OwensThis school29%Bakersfield CityDistrict

Math

25%50%75%202320242025202618%23%42%CaliforniaCalifornia29%Bessie E. OwensThis school19%Bakersfield CityDistrict

Each spring tests a different group of students. Bakersfield City’s line combines its 33 elementary schools we score (our calculation). Faint lines are its other schools. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

Each year’s results

The top two levels were called Met or Exceeded before 2026 and are called Proficient or Advanced now. Bakersfield City’s figure weights each school by the students it tested.

English, grades 3–5: share at the top two levels
SpringBessie E. OwensBakersfield CityCaliforniaTested here
202328%27%44%388
202433%27%45%380
202538%28%46%377
202638%29%46%351
Math, grades 3–5: share at the top two levels
SpringBessie E. OwensBakersfield CityCaliforniaTested here
202323%18%40%388
202427%18%41%381
202529%18%41%380
202629%19%42%353

Tests

How did students here do on state tests?

Below California in English (reading and writing); well below it in math.

English

38%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

41211721
Bakersfield City29%California46%

Math

29%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

47241514
Bakersfield City19%California42%
MinimalDeveloping levelProficientAdvanced

In grades 3–5, spring 2026, 38% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and 29% in math, against 46% and 42% across California.

The state published these results on October 15, 2026. What changed across California. Spring 2026, grades 3–5 combined. From spring 2026, the state calls its top two levels “Proficient or Advanced” (formerly “Met or Exceeded”). Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

How does grade 6 do?

Near California in English; well below it in math. In grade 6, spring 2026, 45% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and 26% in math, against 48% and 37% across California.

English

45%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

34212421
Bakersfield City32%California48%

Math

26%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

4727917
Bakersfield City16%California37%

School pattern · grades 3–5 · spring 2026

Grade-to-grade gains
From grade 3 in spring 2024 to grade 5 in spring 2026, results here rose more than at the average California elementary school. Students move in and out, so these are partly different children. The Score factors record below gives the figure.

What patterns mean

Results for each grade, spring 2026

What each level means: California's level descriptions.

English

English, grades 3–5: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 3Grade 4Grade 5
Proficient or Advanced30%36%46%
Advanced17%18%25%
Proficient13%18%21%
Developing level27%18%19%
Minimal43%46%35%
Tested105119127
California44%46%49%
Difference−14−10−3
English, grade 6: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 6
Proficient or Advanced45%
Advanced21%
Proficient24%
Developing level21%
Minimal34%
Tested121
California48%
Difference−3

California is CDE’s statewide English row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

Math

Math, grades 3–5: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 3Grade 4Grade 5
Proficient or Advanced36%26%27%
Advanced21%8%15%
Proficient15%18%12%
Developing level18%26%25%
Minimal46%48%48%
Tested105120128
California47%42%37%
Difference−11−16−10
Math, grade 6: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 6
Proficient or Advanced26%
Advanced17%
Proficient9%
Developing level27%
Minimal47%
Tested121
California37%
Difference−11

California is CDE’s statewide math row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

A grade the school doesn't teach has no row. “Suppressed” marks a result CDE blanks because fewer than 11 students tested (CDE’s reporting rule); “none tested” marks a grade CDE lists with no students tested; “not on file” marks a result missing from the records we hold. None of them means zero.

All four test levels, with the number of students tested
Share of students tested at each level, spring 2026. The state’s test levels Advanced, Proficient, the Developing level (formerly Nearly met) and Minimal.
StudentsAdvancedProficientDeveloping levelMinimalTested
English, grades 3–5 · This school21%17%21%41%351
English, grades 3–5 · California24%22%21%33%1,208,894
English, grades 3–5 · Bakersfield City11%18%24%47%8,568
Math, grades 3–5 · This school14%15%24%47%353
Math, grades 3–5 · California21%21%25%33%1,211,701
Math, grades 3–5 · Bakersfield City6%13%26%55%8,570
English, grade 6 · This school21%24%21%34%121
English, grade 6 · California20%28%24%28%415,439
English, grade 6 · Bakersfield City9%23%26%42%2,970
Math, grade 6 · This school17%9%27%47%121
Math, grade 6 · California21%16%25%38%415,904
Math, grade 6 · Bakersfield City6%10%24%60%2,967

Spring 2026, grades 3–5 combined: 351 tested in English, 353 tested in math. California combines the state’s results for the same grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

Who goes here

Who goes here?

Hispanic or Latino students are the largest group here, at 82% of students. 152 of 867 students missed 10% or more of school days.

Missing school, 2025–26

18in 100

students were chronically absent. That means they missed 10% or more of school days (152 of 867 students).

At the average Bakersfield City elementary school: 17 in 100. At the average California elementary school: 17 in 100.

Suspensions: 2.0% of students were suspended at least once (18 of 901). Average California elementary school 1.6%.

Students, 2024–25

867

students in grades TK–6.

Hispanic or Latino 82%Black or African American 11%White 5%

Family income

90%

of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25, 776 of 867. California: 63%.

Teachers, 2024–25

45

teachers, with 14 years of experience on average.

18% were in their first year.

97% of teaching positions had the right credential, 2021–22.

English learners

46%

of English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top, spring 2025 to spring 2026 (87 of 188 students).

Bakersfield City: 51%. California: 47%.

It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent. Sources: California Department of Education and the California School Dashboard. Each tile names its year.

Full student mix, 2025–26
StudentsHere
Hispanic or Latino82%
Black or African American11%
White5%
Asian—
Filipino—
Two or more races—
American Indian or Alaska Native—
Pacific Islander—
Not reported—
Where these figures come from

Attendance and suspensions: California Department of Education, 2025–26. Student mix: the students the state’s attendance file counts, 2025–26; a dash means our records hold no count. English learner progress: California School Dashboard, 2026 . Student count: California Department of Education enrollment, 2024–25. Teachers: California Department of Education staffing files, 2024–25.

Teaching credentials: California’s School Accountability Report Card, 2024–25, measured in 2021–22: 32.3 of 33.3 full-time teaching positions. It counts positions, not individual teachers.

Student groups

How do kids like mine do here?

English learners scored below the same group across California in math.

This schoolThe same group, California
  • Hispanic or Latino397 tested29%California 30%
  • Low-income438 tested26%California 30%
  • Students with disabilities51 tested10%California 14%
  • English learners106 tested5%California 14%

5% of English learners scored Proficient or Advanced in math (grades 3–6, spring 2026), against 14% for the same group across California. Every group’s English results are in the table below.

Share who scored Proficient or Advanced, grades 3–6 math, spring 2026. Each group is compared with the same group in the same grades. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

Every group’s results, with the district

Low-income is the state’s “socioeconomically disadvantaged” group.

Proficient or Advancedgrades 3–6 · spring 2026
Group and subjectHerevs Bakersfield Cityvs California
Low-income · 436 tested in English, 438 in math
English37%+928%+136%
Math26%+1016%−430%
Hispanic or Latino · 395 tested in English, 397 in math
English39%+930%+237%
Math29%+1217%−130%
English learners · 106 tested
English11%+65%−112%
Math5%05%−914%
Students with disabilities · 49 tested in English, 51 in math · grades 4–6 only
English12%+48%−517%
Math10%+55%−414%

Each gap is to the same group, grades and subject: in Bakersfield City, and across California. No group that is behind across California does 10 or more points better here.

Black or African American students, 47 tested: no rate for grades 3 and 4 in our records, and fewer than 30 tested in the grades with one. No published rate here for Asian, Filipino, White, American Indian or Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, homeless and military-family students, students of two or more races and foster youth. That can reflect privacy rules or small numbers; it isn’t evidence of a gap. This table covers groups by income, race or ethnicity, language and disability; girls and boys aren’t split out.

Family and staff answers

What would families and staff tell you?

Families can answer a short set of questions about Bessie E. Owens. These are not star ratings or reviews.

  1. Family answers show once 20 families have answered.Until then this page shows how many have answered.
  2. The questions are about the school, never a person.No question asks about a named teacher or staff member.
  3. Answers are never part of the Scope Score.They sit beside the state’s records and do not change a school’s score.

Families

No family answers yet

0 of 20 needed before answers show

  • Does the school tell you how your child is doing, in a way you understand, before report cards arrive?Usually · Sometimes · Rarely
  • When you contact the school with a question, do you hear back within two school days?Usually · Sometimes · Rarely · Haven’t contacted them
  • Can you get school information in the language you read best?Yes · Mostly · No
  • And 4 more questions.

Answer the family questionsResponder en españolHow family answers work

Staff

Staff can’t answer for this school yet

We don’t check staff emails for Bakersfield City yet. Tell us your district’s email domain and we’ll work on adding it.

Ask us to add your district

The school day

What is the school day like?

Bessie E. Owens has transitional kindergarten (TK). Our records do not hold school hours or before- and after-school care yet. Ask the office.

Transitional kindergarten (TK), 2025–26

42

TK students in 2025–26.

TK is California’s free public program for four-year-olds.

TK count: California Department of Education, Census Day enrollment, 2025–26. Find TK schools near you

Money

Where does the money go?

$21,888 for each student in 2024–25. California’s elementary schools spent $20,291 for each student. Bakersfield City’s plan for 2026–27 covers $213 million.

$21,888

for each student at this school, 2024–25
Spent at the school
$13,582
The school’s share of district office costs
$8,306
Of the total, from federal funds
$4,850
  • Bessie E. Owens$21,888
  • Bakersfield City elementary schools$22,309
  • California elementary schools$20,291

The district and California figures combine their elementary schools, weighted by enrollment (our calculation, 5,057 California schools). Spending does not show how well money is used. Source: California Department of Education, per-school spending report, 2024–25. Funding records ↓

Bakersfield City’s yearly plan

$213million

in the district’s plan for 2026–27

$130million

planned for services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth

This is the district’s plan. It is not this school’s own budget. The plan has 8 goals. The district’s page lists each one. The plan covers $213 million of $710 million in total budgeted spending. Source: Bakersfield City Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), 2026–27. Read the district’s plan →

The neighborhood

What is the area around Bessie E. Owens like?

These figures are for everyone who lives in ZIP code 93307. They are not figures for the families at Bessie E. Owens.

Typical household income in a year

$56,446

Typical means half are higher and half are lower. The ZIP code is the school’s address, not its attendance area. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024, ZIP code area 93307.

Typical home value
$272,100
People who live in this ZIP code
85,945
Typical age
28.4 years
Adults 25 and older with a four-year college degree
8%

What you can do

Who can act on Bessie E. Owens’ results?

Bakersfield City’s board decides Bessie E. Owens’ plan.

How to take part

  1. Watch the board’s agenda: the hearing is posted at least 72 hours ahead.
  2. Send written comments on the actions and spending the plan proposes.
  3. Raise questions through the district’s parent advisory committee; the superintendent must answer its comments in writing.
  4. Read the midyear report, due by February 28.

State support

The state hasn’t placed Bessie E. Owens in a support program. Federal designation under the Every Student Succeeds Act, 2025–26. Source 

Extra state help for the district

The state is giving Bakersfield City extra help in 2026. It qualified on the 2025 California School Dashboard. The county office must help the district for at least three years, including a review of its yearly plan.

Extra help for Bakersfield City: CDE’s assistance status file for the 2025 California School Dashboard. Source 

Reading screening in kindergarten through grade 2

California law requires schools to screen kindergartners through second graders for reading difficulties every year, with some exceptions. You get notice at least 15 days before, results within 45 days, and can opt out in writing.

Kindergartners can’t be screened before the 91st school day; transitional kindergarten isn’t covered.

If screening shows your child may be at risk for reading difficulties, the school must provide supports. That result isn’t a diagnosis, and screening can’t be used to delay a special-education evaluation.

Ask how many K–2 students screening found at risk last year, and how many got extra reading help.

California Education Code § 53008. Source 

Questions to ask

What should I ask, and when?

Bring these 6 questions to Bessie E. Owens. Confirm anything about applying with the school itself.

On a tour

  1. What extra help do English learners get, and how do you know it’s working?5% of English learners scored Proficient or Advanced in math, grades 3–6, spring 2026 (106 students tested); the same group across California: 14%
  2. What extra help do students who are behind get, and how do you know it’s working?62% in English and 71% in math scored at the Developing or Minimal level, grades 3–5, spring 2026 (351 tested in English, 353 in math); California: 54% and 58%
  3. What are the school-day hours and after-school care options?
  4. How does this mission show up in an ordinary school day?From its own words, on what it sets out to do.

At the office

  1. What time does the day start and end, and is any day shorter?
  2. Is there care before or after school, and what does it cost?

Getting in

What comes after Bessie E. Owens, and how do I get in?

Ask Bakersfield City which school serves your address.

  1. Elementary · this school
    Bessie E. Owens Elementary
    Grades TK–6Scope Score 76Solid · 56th percentile
  2. Middle
    Compton Junior High
    Scope Score 70Needs Support · 17th percentile · 2026Its zone mostly overlaps this school’s zone on a historical federal map (2015–16)
  3. High
    East Bakersfield High
    Scope Score 64Needs Support · 6th percentile · 2026Inferred through another school · underlying source period unavailable; not a direct feeder

These links come from past records and from distance. Confirm your child’s school with the district. Each school’s standing compares it with California schools at its own level. Explore schools on the map

All recorded links and nearby alternatives

Middle-school links

  • Compton Junior High

    Its zone mostly overlaps this school’s zone on a historical federal map (2015–16)

    Scope Score 70 · Needs Support · 17th percentile · middle · 2026

    100% historical overlap of origin attendance-zone area · not a share of students

  • Abraham Lincoln Jr. High

    Its zone mostly overlaps this school’s zone on a historical federal map (2015–16)

    Scope Score 67 · Needs Support · 4th percentile · middle · 2026

    100% historical overlap of origin attendance-zone area · not a share of students

High-school links

  • East Bakersfield High

    Inferred through another school · underlying source period unavailable; not a direct feeder

    Scope Score 64 · Needs Support · 6th percentile · high · 2026

  • Mira Monte High

    Inferred through another school · underlying source period unavailable; not a direct feeder

    Scope Score 64 · Needs Support · 7th percentile · high · 2026

  • Bakersfield High

    Inferred through another school · underlying source period unavailable; not a direct feeder

    Scope Score 65 · Needs Support · 8th percentile · high · 2026

Links do not guarantee placement. Charter, magnet, transfer and other admission routes can differ. Each school’s percentile compares it with California schools at its own level (continuation and alternative schools only with their own kind); the stages are not one ranking. Older zone links come from the federal School Attendance Boundary Survey (NCES SABS).

Where the path ends: East Bakersfield High
East Bakersfield HighScope Score 64 · Needs Support · 6th percentile · 2026estimated path

An inferred path through a middle-school overlap points to East Bakersfield High. UC records 14 enrollees from East Bakersfield High for fall 2025. The AP Course Audit lists 11 AP courses its teachers are authorized to teach in 2025–26. Those figures come from dated records. If a child starting here today later attended East Bakersfield High, that would be around 2036, and a school can change a lot in 10 years. By the state’s 2023 count, 50% of the students who finished high school at East Bakersfield High enrolled in college within 12 months, UC or not.

14 UC enrollees (fall 2025) · 11 authorized AP courses (AP Course Audit 2025–26) → full record on East Bakersfield High's page
Source: UC & College Board AP Course Ledger

Where it is

Where is Bessie E. Owens?

Address
815 Potomac Avenue, Bakersfield 93307Get directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Administrator
Loren AnthonyAs the state’s school directory lists it, last updated March 6, 2024.

A school’s place on the map is its address in the state directory. It does not show which homes the school serves. See nearby schools on the map

Short answers to 7 common questions

How do I get in?

Ask Bakersfield City which school serves your address. See the details ↓

Is Bessie E. Owens a good elementary school?

Bessie E. Owens Elementary has a Scope Score of 76. It scored higher than 56 in 100 of California’s 5,726 scored public elementary schools (Solid, 56th percentile, spring 2026). See the details ↓

How often do students miss school or get suspended?

In 2025–26, 18 in 100 students missed 10% or more of school days, against 17 in 100 at the average Bakersfield City elementary school. 2.0% of students (18 of 901) were suspended at least once in 2025–26, against 1.6% at the average California elementary school. See the details ↓

Did students here score higher than students who started at the same place?

Yes, in both subjects. In 2025, students here in grades 4–6 scored 19 points higher in English than California students who had the same score the year before. The state calls that Accelerated. In math, they scored 13 points higher, which the state calls Accelerated.

  • Included in this measure: 340 students in English, 344 in math

See the details ↓

How do kids like mine do here?

In spring 2026, 37% of low-income students in grades 3–6 at Bessie E. Owens Elementary in Bakersfield scored Proficient or Advanced in English, against 36% for the same group across California. See the details ↓

Where does it lead?

In the 2015–16 federal attendance-boundary survey, most of Bessie E. Owens Elementary's attendance area fell inside the attendance area of Compton Junior High and Abraham Lincoln Jr. High. Boundaries come from the U.S. Department of Education’s School Attendance Boundary Survey, a 2015-16 collection and the most recent national one — they are approximate and may since have changed. A boundary doesn’t guarantee placement; confirm your address with the district.

  • Compton Junior High: Scope Score 70, Needs Support, 17th percentile among California’s regular public and charter middle schools, 2026 results
  • Abraham Lincoln Jr. High: Scope Score 67, Needs Support, 4th percentile among California’s regular public and charter middle schools, 2026 results

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What should I ask on a visit?

The questions drawn from this page are under Questions to ask, ready to copy. See the details ↓

The full record

Source records

This page is built from 12 sets of records from public data sources. Every figure keeps its source, grades, year and count.

Data updated

October 15, 2026

Record sets on this page
12
Sources
California Department of EducationU.S. Census Bureau
State test years
2017–2026

Results

Students

Money and staff

Place, downloads and method

Score factorssource values, index and weights · 2025–26 · ranked #2,465 of 5,726 California elementary schools we score · #3 of 33 in Bakersfield City
Score factors, 2025–26
FactorSchoolIndexWeight
Advancedaverage of English and math18%4642%
Proficient or Advancedaverage of English and math34%4323%
5th graders in 2026 against 3rd graders in 2024 (partly different children)+87 scale-score pts7020%
Chronically absent18 in 100495%
Suspension rate2.0% (18 of 901)475%
English learners: top level12%435%

Index is where the school's value sits among the California elementary schools we score, from 0 to 100, where 50 is their average; it is not a percentile. School values are from 2025–26. Chronic absence and suspension are CDE's all-students school rates; the score uses an adjusted version of each that pulls small schools toward the average, so their index can sit nearer 50 than the rate suggests. Growth is the change between the school's earlier and later grade-level groups, in scale-score points; it does not follow the same students.

Scope Score by year2022–23 to 2025–26 · each year’s inputs, and the score for each year we could verify

Scope Score

School yearScope ScorePercentileRankComparison group
2025–267656#2465California elementary schools · 5,726 schools · current formula

2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25 have records on file but no Scope Score we could verify against that year’s source files, so no score is shown for them.

School yearChronic absenceSuspensionGrade gap (points)
2022–23not on filenot on file−1
2023–2430 in 1001.7% (17 of 1,030)+5
2024–2519 in 1001.8% (18 of 998)+7
2025–2618 in 1002.0% (18 of 901)+4

Chronic absence and suspension are CDE’s all-students school rates for each year.

Grade gap: the same year’s grade 3 and grade 5 results, side by side. They are different children, so the gap describes one year, not any child’s progress. The Scope Score’s growth measure is a different comparison, shown in Score factors above (how it’s built).
Every tested year2017–2026 · rates, tested counts, and each grade

English and math by test year · all tested grades

Year · subjectStudents with scoresTop levelTop two levels
2026 · English47221%40%
2026 · Math47415%28%
2025 · English50821%39%
2025 · Math51217%30%
2024 · English50820%33%
2024 · Math50914%26%
2023 · English53416%28%
2023 · Math53412%24%
2022 · English17511%21%
2022 · Math1749%19%
2019 · English16228%46%
2019 · Math16325%42%
2018 · English18429%42%
2018 · Math18422%38%
2017 · English16927%38%
2017 · Math17118%40%

Each year names its school year end (2026 = 2025–26). “Students with scores” counts each subject on its own, so don’t add the English and math counts together. A dash is unavailable, not zero.

Earlier years · grade and subject

Year · grade · subjectStudents with scoresMet or exceeded
2025 · Grade 3 · English12525%
2025 · Grade 4 · English12746%
2025 · Grade 5 · English12542%
2025 · Grade 6 · English13142%
2025 · Grade 3 · Math12628%
2025 · Grade 4 · Math12836%
2025 · Grade 5 · Math12625%
2025 · Grade 6 · Math13233%
2024 · Grade 3 · English12328%
2024 · Grade 4 · English11528%
2024 · Grade 5 · English14241%
2024 · Grade 6 · English12833%
2024 · Grade 3 · Math12328%
2024 · Grade 4 · Math11627%
2024 · Grade 5 · Math14227%
2024 · Grade 6 · Math12823%
2023 · Grade 3 · English12628%
2023 · Grade 4 · English13326%
2023 · Grade 5 · English12930%
2023 · Grade 6 · English14627%
2023 · Grade 3 · Math12625%
2023 · Grade 4 · Math13326%
2023 · Grade 5 · Math12919%
2023 · Grade 6 · Math14626%
2022 · Grade 3 · English14923%
2022 · Grade 4 · English264%
2022 · Grade 3 · Math15021%
2022 · Grade 4 · Math244%
2019 · Grade 3 · English16246%
2019 · Grade 3 · Math16342%
2018 · Grade 3 · English18442%
2018 · Grade 3 · Math18438%
2017 · Grade 3 · English16938%
2017 · Grade 3 · Math17140%

Current 2025–26 grade results are under Academic achievement, in Results for each grade. “Students with scores” counts the students tested in that grade, subject and year. A missing result is not zero, and each year’s row is a different group of children.

Science (CAST)schoolwide · spring 2026
Science (CAST)TestedAdvancedProficientDeveloping levelMinimal
Schoolwide12615%17%51%17%

CAST is tested in grades 5 and 8, then once in grade 10, 11, or 12. This row is the school's all-student aggregate. Not part of the Scope Score.

Student groups: test resultsEnglish · spring 2026 · against the same group in the district and California
Group · EnglishTestedProficient or Advancedvs districtvs California
Low-income43637%+9+1
Hispanic or Latino39539%+9+2
English learners10611%+6−1
Student groups: the state’s growth measureCalifornia School Dashboard 2025 · points above or below what the state expected · shown, not part of the score
GroupEnglishnCDE categoryMathnCDE category
All students+19340Accelerated+13344Accelerated
Low-income+18310Accelerated+14314Accelerated
Hispanic or Latino+18284Accelerated+12286Accelerated
English-only students+23172not categorized+11174not categorized
English learners+11141Accelerated+13143Accelerated
English learners only−487not categorized+688not categorized
Recently reclassified as fluent in English+3754not categorized+1755not categorized
Students with disabilities+147Average+748Accelerated
Black or African American+1132Accelerated+1634Accelerated
White+2522Exceptional+1422Accelerated
Homeless−115Average+1315Accelerated

CDE reports scale-score points against the state’s expected score — not a percentage or percentile. The table keeps the group records SchoolScope imported for this school, including rows below our narrative display threshold. Muted rows have fewer than 30 students with a valid growth score. SchoolScope uses that threshold for the shorter narrative view; the reported values stay visible here. “Not categorized” means this imported CDE row has a growth value without a performance category. At least one estimate here is a CDE weighted estimate; that describes how CDE combines years, not a year-over-year trend. A group absent from this table has no imported record shown here. Its absence alone does not establish its size or performance. CDE growth covers grades 4–8; here that is grades 4–6. SchoolScope does not use these CDE figures in its Scope Score.

Growth recordsthe state’s student-by-student measure, and grade 5 against the same school’s grade 3 two years earlier, partly different children · two different measures

Grade 5 in 2026 against grade 3 in 2024 · English

English · 2024 · Grade 3
23%
exceeded standard · 28% met or exceeded
CDE CAASPP 2024 · 123 English test records with scores
English · 2026 · Grade 5
25%
Advanced · 46% Proficient or Advanced
CDE CAASPP 2026 · 127 English test records with scores

Minimum rounded subject-mean records with scores at the endpoints: 123 (school-grade cohort proxy).

These paired percentages describe English results for grade groups at this school in two years. The groups are not matched students. SchoolScope's scored growth measure uses a different school-level scale-score proxy across English and math; California's matched-student model is a separate measure.

California growth model · points vs expected

State model · English+19 pts vs expected

matched students, grades 4–6

CDE California growth model · 2025 Dashboard

Weighted school estimate; assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25

All students, grades 4–6

340 students

CDE growth category: Accelerated

California growth model, English: +19 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Accelerated, against SchoolScope's +2-point median for California elementary school records.

State model · math+13 pts vs expected

matched students, grades 4–6

CDE California growth model · 2025 Dashboard

Weighted school estimate; assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25

All students, grades 4–6

344 students

CDE growth category: Accelerated

California growth model, math: +13 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Accelerated, against SchoolScope's +2-point median for California elementary school records.

Source notes. CDE reports scale-score points against the state’s expected score for matched students, never a percentage. Among SchoolScope's retained California elementary school records, the median English estimate is +2 and the middle half fall between −5 and +9 scale-score points — the spread is wide, so read the figure against it, not its sign alone. CDE's 2025 Dashboard weighted school estimate uses assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25; adjacent reporting editions should not be read as independent annual changes. The CDE measure covers grades 4–8; here that is grades 4–6, and it is not part of the Scope Score.

Attendance and suspensionsState records · this school and each student group · 2018–19 and 2025–26

CDE’s all-students school rates for 2024–25 and 2025–26; the change is the difference between the two rates as printed.

Year-over-year school rates
Chronic absenteeism2024–25 · 19 in 100 → 2025–26 · 18 in 100 · −1 in 100
Suspension rate2024–25 · 1.8% (18 of 998) → 2025–26 · 2.0% (18 of 901) · +0.2 percentage points
Group2018–192025–26Change
Female23 in 10016 in 100−7 in 100
Male17 in 10019 in 100+2 in 100
Black or African American26 of 9628 of 95—
Hispanic or Latino17 in 10016 in 100−1 in 100
American Indian or Alaska Native4 of 9——
White13 of 4710 of 47—
Students with disabilities21 of 8927 in 100—
English learners13 in 1009 in 100−4 in 100
Homeless15 of 5014 of 42—
Military families3 of 362 of 55—
Low-income20 in 10018 in 100−2 in 100
All students20 in 10018 in 100−2 in 100
Foster youth—10 of 26—

Two reported school years only; no intervening-year result is implied. Where fewer than 100 students were counted, the cell shows the count and no change is printed. Source: CDE school-level chronic absenteeism by student group.

Fundingschool and district spending, from state and federal finance records · each row names its fiscal year and measure

Per-pupil spending

District · current expense$15,168 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · fall district membership: 29,307 pupils

California · selected district mean$14,491 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · SchoolScope’s unweighted mean across 818 selected California district finance records

School-level federal expenditures$2,620 per pupil

CDE ESSA · school-attributed per-pupil record · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 867

Central federal expenditures attributed here$2,230 per pupil

CDE ESSA · central expenditures attributed to this school · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 867

District current expense · FY 2024–25$22,638 per ADA

CDE SACS Current Expense of Education · district fiscal year ending 2025 · average daily attendance denominator

These figures are not directly comparable: school ESSA attributed spending and NCES district current expense use different measures and populations. Their fiscal years are labeled above.

How the California mean was selected

SchoolScope starts with its selected California finance records, not every NCES California district. For FY 2020–21, it calculates an unweighted mean of NCES F-33 current expense per pupil. District records contribute once, regardless of enrollment. The calculation keeps records with positive per-pupil current expense, enrollment over 100, CCD agency type 1, and a recorded district name; it excludes names ending in County Office of Education, Department of Education, or Superintendent of Schools. This is a SchoolScope calculation, not a state-published spending average.

Selected General Fund operating costs · FY 2024–⁠25 · SchoolScope calculation
Instruction 65%Instruction support 11%Student services 10%Administration 5%Buildings & maintenance 9%
The arithmetic behind these shares · FY 2024–25
GroupDollarsShare, to two decimalsPrinted
Instruction$389,369,28364.64%65%
Instruction support$68,787,26911.42%11%
Student services$59,533,9589.88%10%
Administration$28,067,5064.66%5%
Buildings & maintenance$55,801,3349.26%9%
Total$602,358,796100.00%100%

These shares are our arithmetic: each group’s dollars divided by the $602,358,796 total of the groups shown, rounded to whole percents by largest remainder so they add up to 100. Dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar, so they can differ from the total by a dollar. SchoolScope groups district-level CDE SACS UserGL actuals from Fund 01, using operating objects 1000–5999 and excluding retiree benefits, food and community services, facilities acquisition, other outgo, and nonagency goals. These shares use that filtered total; they do not exactly break down CDE's official current expense per ADA above. The school-level ESSA figure uses a separate source.

NCES F-33 district fiscal-year history, 2017–⁠2021; latest district record shown: 2021
2021$15,168 per pupil
2020$13,998 per pupil
2019$14,646 per pupil
2018$13,609 per pupil
2017$12,715 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

Staffing recordsstate teacher credential-and-placement and district salary records · each for its own year

Additional workforce records

Properly assigned intern credential holders3.0%

CDE 2024–25 SARC, Teacher Preparation and Placement table; measured school year 2021–22. Share of reported school teaching-position full-time equivalents assigned to properly assigned intern credential holders. A reported 0.0% is shown; unavailable rates are omitted. This is a position share, not a count of current teachers or of emergency permits.

The surrounding ZIP codeCensus Bureau survey, 2020–2024 · ZIP 93307 · not the school’s students
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · 2020–2024 · ZIP 93307 area
MeasureEstimate
Median household income$56,446
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)8%
ZIP-area population85,945
Median age28.4 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Median household income covers the past 12 months and is reported in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. Bachelor's degree or higher uses adults age 25 and over as its population. A dash is unavailable, not zero; a reported zero remains zero. ZIP-area figures do not establish the school's attendance area or describe its enrolled students. These figures are not part of the Scope Score. See all schools in ZIP code 93307 →

Downloads, embed and methodologyCSV · embed code · sources · corrections

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Data sources: public data sources, including the California Department of Education · state tests (CAASPP) 2025–26 · Scope Score from 2025–26 results, compared across 5,726 elementary schools · attendance and suspensions by student group from 2018–19 and 2025–26 · district finance for the year each row names · Census survey (ACS) 2020–2024 · Data updated October 15, 2026

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