Public school · Panama-Buena Vista Union

Buena Vista Elementary — Rating & test scores

6547 Buena Vista Road, Bakersfield · 713 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 80

SolidScope Score · 71st percentile. Higher than 71 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

Well above California in English (reading and writing) and math, grades 3–5, spring 2026: 63% and 52% scored Proficient or Advanced, 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: 288 in English, 287 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. Buena Vista Elementary teaches TK–6.

Overview

Is Buena Vista Elementary a good elementary school?

Solid. Buena Vista Elementary is higher than most California elementary schools on test results. Buena Vista Elementary is lower than most on progress in both subjects and attendance.

Test results, spring 2026

English, Proficient or Advanced8063%
Math, Proficient or Advanced7252%
English, Advanced7632%
Math, Advanced6723%

Progress in a year, 2025

English29−3 pts
Math45+1 pts

Showing up, 2025–26

Attendance4317 in 100
Buena Vista Elementary’s place among California elementary schools, out of 100Panama-Buena Vista Union’s other elementary schoolsBar colour, from the lowest quarter of schools to the highest

One more thing to know

In grade 6, spring 2026, 64% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and 51% in math, against 48% and 37% across California.

Each bar is Buena Vista Elementary’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.

Source for the sentence
California’s state tests (CAASPP), California Department of Education, spring 2026. All students tested in grade 6: 104. California: CDE’s grade 6 rows for the whole state combined, weighted by students tested (our calculation; 415,439 in English and 415,904 in math tested).

In its own words

What does Buena Vista Elementary say about itself?

We haven’t read Buena Vista Elementary’s website yet. Until we do, the school’s own site is the best place to hear it in its own words.

Open pbvusd.k12.ca.us (opens in a new tab)

Progress

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

About the same, in both subjects. In 2025, students here in grades 4–6 scored 3 points lower in English than California students who had the same score the year before. The state calls that Average. In math, they scored 1 point higher, which the state calls Average.

English

−3

points lower than California students who had the same score a year earlier. The state calls it Average, the third of its five growth levels.

By student group · students counted

Low-income205−6 points
Hispanic or Latino162−2 points
White55−6 points
English learners37−3 points
Students with disabilities36−19 points

Math

+1

point higher than California students who had the same score a year earlier. The state calls it Average, the third of its five growth levels.

By student group · students counted

Low-income205+1 points
Hispanic or Latino162−1 points
White55−1 points
English learners37+3 points
Students with disabilities36−11 points

Grades 4–6, 2025, 291 students 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 3 points below that expected score, and in math 1 point 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 51st 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 Buena Vista Elementary. Each school is compared with every California elementary school.

Scope Score

8 elementary schools within 3.2 miles, highest score first. Under each name is how the school takes students.

  1. HighgateNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 8993rd
  2. Buena VistaScope Score 8071st
  3. Leo B. HartNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 7654th
  4. Grow Public SchoolsCharter · its own lotteryScope Score 7653rd
  5. Sing LumNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 7547th
  6. Christa McAuliffeNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 7337th
  7. Old RiverNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 7336th
  8. Donald E. SuburuLakeside Union · by addressScope Score 6810th
Panama-Buena Vista UnionA neighborhood school in another districtCharter

A neighborhood school in another district takes students who live in its area. Ask that district about a transfer. A charter school takes applications from any family and holds a lottery when it has more applicants than seats.

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%

6 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 Buena Vista Elementary compare with schools like it?

Buena Vista Elementary’s Scope Score is 80. 861 California elementary schools, counting Buena Vista Elementary, have a similar share of students from low-income families. Their typical score is 74. Buena Vista Elementary’s result is higher than 758 of them.

The five schools with the highest results of the 861

  1. Students from low-income families: 65%

    Scope Score 90Strong · 94th percentile

  2. Students from low-income families: 65%

    Scope Score 90Strong · 94th percentile

  3. Students from low-income families: 71%

    Scope Score 89Strong · 92nd percentile

  4. Students from low-income families: 73%

    Scope Score 89Strong · 92nd percentile

  5. Students from low-income families: 73%

    Scope Score 89Strong · 92nd percentile

861 California public elementary schools where 65% to 77% 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 65% to 77% of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. That is within 6 points of Buena Vista Elementary’s share. The count includes Buena Vista Elementary. 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?

English results were higher than in 2025; math results were similar. English went from 58% to 63% and math from 54% to 52%.

Share at the state’s top two test levels, 2017 to 2026

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

English

No comparable testsNo tests25%50%75%2017201820192022202320242025202647%52%63%Buena Vista ElementaryThis school46%CaliforniaCalifornia45%Panama-Buena Vista UnionDistrict

Math

No comparable testsNo tests25%50%75%20172018201920222023202420252026Both 35%52%Buena Vista ElementaryThis school42%CaliforniaCalifornia36%Panama-Buena Vista UnionDistrict

The lines break where a year has no comparable state test results. Each spring tests a different group of students. Panama-Buena Vista Union’s line combines its 21 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. Panama-Buena Vista Union’s figure weights each school by the students it tested.

English, grades 3–5: share at the top two levels
SpringBuena Vista ElementaryPanama-Buena Vista UnionCaliforniaTested here
201752%47%45%403
201856%51%49%379
201958%53%50%393
202264%46%45%312
202356%44%44%304
202457%43%45%293
202558%44%46%313
202663%45%46%288
Math, grades 3–5: share at the top two levels
SpringBuena Vista ElementaryPanama-Buena Vista UnionCaliforniaTested here
201735%35%40%403
201847%39%42%378
201950%43%44%392
202245%35%38%312
202350%36%40%306
202446%36%41%294
202554%35%41%313
202652%36%42%287

Tests

How did students here do on state tests?

Well above California in both subjects.

English

63%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

17203132
Panama-Buena Vista Union45%California46%

Math

52%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

16322923
Panama-Buena Vista Union36%California42%
MinimalDeveloping levelProficientAdvanced

In grades 3–5, spring 2026, 63% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and 52% 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 math compare with English?

In grades 3–5, spring 2026, math trails English by 11 percentage points in the share who scored Proficient or Advanced, against 4 points across California. The grades 3–5 cards above give each subject’s share.

How does grade 6 do?

Well above California in both subjects. In grade 6, spring 2026, 64% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and 51% in math, against 48% and 37% across California.

English

64%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

9273430
Panama-Buena Vista Union48%California48%

Math

51%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

18312823
Panama-Buena Vista Union32%California37%
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 Advanced63%62%65%
Advanced24%39%31%
Proficient39%23%34%
Developing level20%19%20%
Minimal17%19%15%
Tested7811397
California44%46%49%
Difference+19+16+16
English, grade 6: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 6
Proficient or Advanced64%
Advanced30%
Proficient34%
Developing level27%
Minimal9%
Tested104
California48%
Difference+16

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 Advanced62%58%37%
Advanced23%32%12%
Proficient39%26%25%
Developing level22%31%41%
Minimal16%11%22%
Tested7711397
California47%42%37%
Difference+15+160
Math, grade 6: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 6
Proficient or Advanced51%
Advanced23%
Proficient28%
Developing level31%
Minimal18%
Tested104
California37%
Difference+14

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 school32%31%20%17%288
English, grades 3–5 · California24%22%21%33%1,208,894
English, grades 3–5 · Panama-Buena Vista Union21%24%22%33%5,875
Math, grades 3–5 · This school23%29%32%16%287
Math, grades 3–5 · California21%21%25%33%1,211,701
Math, grades 3–5 · Panama-Buena Vista Union15%21%27%37%5,881
English, grade 6 · This school30%34%27%9%104
English, grade 6 · California20%28%24%28%415,439
English, grade 6 · Panama-Buena Vista Union19%29%26%26%2,147
Math, grade 6 · This school23%28%31%18%104
Math, grade 6 · California21%16%25%38%415,904
Math, grade 6 · Panama-Buena Vista Union16%16%27%41%2,147

Spring 2026, grades 3–5 combined: 288 tested in English, 287 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 54% of students. 132 of 761 students missed 10% or more of school days.

Missing school, 2025–26

17in 100

students were chronically absent. That means they missed 10% or more of school days (132 of 761 students).

At the average Panama-Buena Vista Union elementary school: 20 in 100. At the average California elementary school: 17 in 100.

Suspensions: 0.1% of students were suspended at least once (1 of 774). Average California elementary school 1.6%.

Students, 2024–25

713

students in grades TK–6.

Hispanic or Latino 54%Asian 19%White 16%Black or African American 7%Two or more races 2%Not reported 1%

Family income

71%

of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25, 505 of 713. California: 63%.

Teachers, 2024–25

28

teachers, with 12 years of experience on average.

4% were in their first year.

92% of teaching positions had the right credential, 2021–22.

English learners

48%

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 (30 of 62 students).

Panama-Buena Vista Union: 52%. 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 Latino54%
Asian19%
White16%
Black or African American7%
Two or more races2%
Not reported1%
Filipino—
American Indian or Alaska Native—
Pacific Islander—
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: 28.5 of 31 full-time teaching positions. It counts positions, not individual teachers.

Student groups

How do kids like mine do here?

Low-income and Hispanic or Latino students here scored well above the same groups across California in English.

This schoolThe same group, California
  • Asian70 tested76%California 71%
  • White56 tested68%California 61%
  • Low-income297 tested60%California 36%
  • Hispanic or Latino214 tested57%California 37%

Both groups score below California’s rate for all students statewide. 60% of low-income students scored Proficient or Advanced in English (grades 3–6, spring 2026), against 36% for the same group across California. Hispanic or Latino students: 57% in English, against 37% for the same group across California. Every group’s math results are in the table below.

Share who scored Proficient or Advanced, grades 3–6 English, 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 Panama-Buena Vista Unionvs California
Low-income · 297 tested in English, 296 in math
English60%+1941%+2436%
Math48%+1929%+1830%
Hispanic or Latino · 214 tested
English57%+1641%+2037%
Math45%+1629%+1530%
Asian · 70 tested
English76%+1165%+571%
Math63%+558%−871%
White · 56 tested · grades 4–6 only
English68%+959%+761%
Math59%+1247%+752%

Each gap is to the same group, grades and subject: in Panama-Buena Vista Union, and across California. ■ Green: a group that is behind across California does much better here, by 10 points or more and more than twice the margin of error.

English learners, 32 tested: no rate for grades 4–6 in our records, and fewer than 30 tested in the grades with one. Students with disabilities, 31 tested: no rate for grades 3, 5 and 6 in our records, and fewer than 30 tested in the grades with one. No published rate here for Black or African American, Filipino, 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 Buena Vista Elementary. 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 Panama-Buena Vista Union 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?

Buena Vista Elementary 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

76

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?

$16,504 for each student in 2024–25. California’s elementary schools spent $20,288 for each student. Panama-Buena Vista Union’s plan for 2026–27 covers $110 million.

$16,504

for each student at this school, 2024–25
Spent at the school
$11,583
The school’s share of district office costs
$4,921
Of the total, from federal funds
$1,203
  • Buena Vista Elementary$16,504
  • Panama-Buena Vista Union elementary schools$16,832
  • California elementary schools$20,288

The district and California figures combine their elementary schools, weighted by enrollment (our calculation, 5,053 California schools). Spending does not show how well money is used. Source: California Department of Education, per-school spending report, 2024–25. Funding records ↓

Panama-Buena Vista Union’s yearly plan

$110million

in the district’s plan for 2026–27

$80million

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 7 goals. The district’s page lists each one. The plan covers $110 million of $416 million in total budgeted spending. Source: Panama-Buena Vista Union Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), 2026–27. Read the district’s plan →

The neighborhood

What is the area around Buena Vista Elementary like?

These figures are for everyone who lives in ZIP code 93311. They are not figures for the families at Buena Vista Elementary.

Typical household income in a year

$116,263

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 93311.

Typical home value
$459,500
People who live in this ZIP code
55,555
Typical age
32.4 years
Adults 25 and older with a four-year college degree
40%

What you can do

Who can act on Buena Vista Elementary’s results?

Panama-Buena Vista Union’s board decides Buena Vista Elementary’s plan.

When the plan is set

Panama-Buena Vista Union’s board must adopt its yearly plan (LCAP) by July 1, after at least one public hearing at an earlier meeting.

Read the 2026–27 plan (LCAP, PDF)

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 Buena Vista Elementary 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 Panama-Buena Vista Union 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 Panama-Buena Vista Union: 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 4 questions to Buena Vista Elementary. Confirm anything about applying with the school itself.

On a tour

  1. What changes for a student who falls behind in English?3 points lower in English than California students who had the same score the year before, grades 4–6, 2025 (291 students)
  2. What are the school-day hours and after-school care options?

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 Buena Vista Elementary, and how do I get in?

Ask Panama-Buena Vista Union which school serves your address.

  1. Elementary · this school
    Buena Vista Elementary
    Grades TK–6Scope Score 80Solid · 71st percentile
  2. Middle
    Earl Warren Junior High
    Scope Score 83Strong · 83rd percentile · 2026Its zone mostly overlaps this school’s zone on a historical federal map (2015–16)
  3. High
    Stockdale High
    Scope Score 80Solid · 73rd percentile · 2025Inferred 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

  • Earl Warren Junior High

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

    Scope Score 83 · Strong · 83rd percentile · middle · 2026

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

High-school links

  • Stockdale High

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

    Scope Score 80 · Solid · 73rd percentile · high · 2025

  • Independence High

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

    Scope Score 75 · Solid · 52nd percentile · high · 2025

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: Stockdale High
Stockdale HighScope Score 80 · Solid · 73rd percentile · 2025estimated path

An inferred path through a middle-school overlap points to Stockdale High. UC records 55 enrollees from Stockdale High for fall 2025. The AP Course Audit lists 23 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 Stockdale High, that would be around 2036, and a school can change a lot in 10 years. By the state’s 2023 count, 69% of the students who finished high school at Stockdale High enrolled in college within 12 months, UC or not.

55 UC enrollees (fall 2025) · 23 authorized AP courses (AP Course Audit 2025–26) → full record on Stockdale High's page
Source: UC & College Board AP Course Ledger

Where it is

Where is Buena Vista Elementary?

Address
6547 Buena Vista Road, Bakersfield 93311Get directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Administrator
Daniel HansfordAs the state’s school directory lists it, last updated February 9, 2023.

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 Panama-Buena Vista Union which school serves your address. See the details ↓

Is Buena Vista Elementary a good elementary school?

Buena Vista Elementary has a Scope Score of 80. It scored higher than 71 in 100 of California’s 5,726 scored public elementary schools (Solid, 71st percentile, spring 2026). See the details ↓

How often do students miss school or get suspended?

In 2025–26, 17 in 100 students missed 10% or more of school days, against 20 in 100 at the average Panama-Buena Vista Union elementary school. 0.1% of students (1 of 774) 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?

About the same, in both subjects. In 2025, students here in grades 4–6 scored 3 points lower in English than California students who had the same score the year before. The state calls that Average. In math, they scored 1 point higher, which the state calls Average.

  • Included in this measure: 291 students

See the details ↓

How do kids like mine do here?

In spring 2026, 60% of low-income students in grades 3–6 at Buena Vista 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 Buena Vista Elementary's attendance area fell inside the attendance area of Earl Warren Junior 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.

  • Earl Warren Junior High: Scope Score 83, Strong, 83rd percentile among California’s regular public and charter middle schools, 2026 results

See the details ↓

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 #1,620 of 5,726 California elementary schools we score · #4 of 21 in Panama-Buena Vista Union
Score factors, 2025–26
FactorSchoolIndexWeight
Advancedaverage of English and math27%5542%
Proficient or Advancedaverage of English and math58%6223%
5th graders in 2026 against 3rd graders in 2024 (partly different children)+76 scale-score pts5020%
Chronically absent17 in 100495%
Suspension rate0.1% (1 of 774)625%
English learners: top level18%535%

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 year2018–19 to 2025–26 · each year’s inputs, and the score for each year we could verify

Scope Score

School yearScope ScorePercentileRankComparison group
2025–268071#1620California elementary schools · 5,726 schools · current formula

2018–19, 2021–22, 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)
2018–197 in 1001.1% (11 of 1,015)−4
2021–22not on filenot on file−13
2022–23not on filenot on file−11
2023–2419 in 1001.5% (12 of 775)−17
2024–2512 in 1000 of 760−10
2025–2617 in 1000.1% (1 of 774)−12

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).
No 2019–20 or 2020–21 records in this SchoolScope series
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 · English39232%64%
2026 · Math39123%52%
2025 · English42226%57%
2025 · Math42221%48%
2024 · English42028%59%
2024 · Math42217%45%
2023 · English43325%55%
2023 · Math43520%47%
2022 · English41732%64%
2022 · Math41618%45%
2019 · English50531%56%
2019 · Math50424%48%
2018 · English53527%54%
2018 · Math53418%41%
2017 · English52726%54%
2017 · Math52612%35%

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 · English11756%
2025 · Grade 4 · English9160%
2025 · Grade 5 · English10559%
2025 · Grade 6 · English10953%
2025 · Grade 3 · Math11764%
2025 · Grade 4 · Math9157%
2025 · Grade 5 · Math10540%
2025 · Grade 6 · Math10930%
2024 · Grade 3 · English9461%
2024 · Grade 4 · English10160%
2024 · Grade 5 · English9850%
2024 · Grade 6 · English12763%
2024 · Grade 3 · Math9552%
2024 · Grade 4 · Math10157%
2024 · Grade 5 · Math9829%
2024 · Grade 6 · Math12843%
2023 · Grade 3 · English10057%
2023 · Grade 4 · English9252%
2023 · Grade 5 · English11257%
2023 · Grade 6 · English12955%
2023 · Grade 3 · Math10063%
2023 · Grade 4 · Math9247%
2023 · Grade 5 · Math11440%
2023 · Grade 6 · Math12941%
2022 · Grade 3 · English8467%
2022 · Grade 4 · English10565%
2022 · Grade 5 · English12363%
2022 · Grade 6 · English10562%
2022 · Grade 3 · Math8454%
2022 · Grade 4 · Math10555%
2022 · Grade 5 · Math12331%
2022 · Grade 6 · Math10444%
2019 · Grade 3 · English12960%
2019 · Grade 4 · English12652%
2019 · Grade 5 · English13861%
2019 · Grade 6 · English11250%
2019 · Grade 3 · Math12856%
2019 · Grade 4 · Math12647%
2019 · Grade 5 · Math13848%
2019 · Grade 6 · Math11240%
2018 · Grade 3 · English12857%
2018 · Grade 4 · English13753%
2018 · Grade 5 · English11459%
2018 · Grade 6 · English15649%
2018 · Grade 3 · Math12851%
2018 · Grade 4 · Math13644%
2018 · Grade 5 · Math11445%
2018 · Grade 6 · Math15628%
2017 · Grade 3 · English14244%
2017 · Grade 4 · English11055%
2017 · Grade 5 · English15156%
2017 · Grade 6 · English12460%
2017 · Grade 3 · Math14243%
2017 · Grade 4 · Math11039%
2017 · Grade 5 · Math15124%
2017 · Grade 6 · Math12335%

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
Schoolwide977%29%60%4%

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-income29760%+19+24
Hispanic or Latino21457%+16+20
Asian7076%+11+5
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−3291Average+1291Average
English-only students−3247not categorized+1247not categorized
Low-income−6205Moderate+1205Average
Hispanic or Latino−2162Average−1162Average
White−655Moderate−155Average
English learners−337Average+337Average
Students with disabilities−1936Moderate−1136Moderate
Asian+1431Accelerated+1131Accelerated
Black or African American−927Moderate−727Moderate
Recently reclassified as fluent in English+620not categorized+1020not categorized
English learners only−1117not categorized−1117not categorized

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
35%
exceeded standard · 61% met or exceeded
CDE CAASPP 2024 · 94 English test records with scores
English · 2026 · Grade 5
31%
Advanced · 65% Proficient or Advanced
CDE CAASPP 2026 · 97 English test records with scores

Minimum rounded subject-mean records with scores at the endpoints: 95 (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−3 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

291 students

CDE growth category: Average

California growth model, English: −3 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Average, against SchoolScope's +2-point median for California elementary school records.

State model · math+1 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

291 students

CDE growth category: Average

California growth model, math: +1 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Average, 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 · 12 in 100 → 2025–26 · 17 in 100 · +5 in 100
Suspension rate2024–25 · 0 of 760 → 2025–26 · 0.1% (1 of 774) · +0.1 percentage points
Group2018–192025–26Change
Female5 in 10020 in 100+15 in 100
Male8 in 10015 in 100+7 in 100
Asian2 in 10010 in 100+8 in 100
Black or African American3 of 6512 of 52—
Hispanic or Latino8 in 10022 in 100+14 in 100
Two or more races5 of 242 of 12—
White5 in 10010 in 100+5 in 100
Students with disabilities12 in 10022 in 100+10 in 100
English learners5 in 1009 of 89—
Foster youth0 of 13——
Homeless4 of 26——
Low-income8 in 10020 in 100+12 in 100
All students7 in 10017 in 100+10 in 100

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$13,968 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · fall district membership: 18,262 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$928 per pupil

CDE ESSA · school-attributed per-pupil record · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 760

Central federal expenditures attributed here$275 per pupil

CDE ESSA · central expenditures attributed to this school · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 760

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,661 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 62%Instruction support 10%Student services 13%Administration 5%Buildings & maintenance 10%
The arithmetic behind these shares · FY 2024–25
GroupDollarsShare, to two decimalsPrinted
Instruction$212,047,32462.36%62%
Instruction support$32,881,0639.67%10%
Student services$44,161,46612.99%13%
Administration$18,531,4045.45%5%
Buildings & maintenance$32,361,6249.52%10%
Total$340,029,752100.00%100%

These shares are our arithmetic: each group’s dollars divided by the $340,029,752 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$13,968 per pupil
2020$11,905 per pupil
2019$11,864 per pupil
2018$11,008 per pupil
2017$10,161 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 holders3.2%

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 93311 · not the school’s students
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · 2020–2024 · ZIP 93311 area
MeasureEstimate
Median household income$116,263
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)40%
ZIP-area population55,555
Median age32.4 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 93311 →

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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