School Profile · Dorris
Butte Valley Elementary: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Butte Valley posts low test scores — and test scores are one lens among several. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
615 West Third Street, 97601 (opens in new tab)·Butte Valley Unified·Dorris·Grades TK-8·219 students·87% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 397-3900·Website
Scope Score
18
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #5,660 statewide
Butte Valley Elementary scores 18 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 1st percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →
Most rating sites would stop at “14% proficient” and call it done. Butte Valley deserves a closer read. The school sits in Dorris, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.
The story this school is actually telling
The school, grade by grade
ELA · CAASPP 2024–25Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.
10%
90%
Grade 3 · 10% proficient
11%
11%
78%
Grade 4 · 22% proficient
12%
84%
Grade 5 · 16% proficient
The 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
3.1%
State 21.3%
18.2pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-0.3pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
14.4%
State 42.7%
28.3pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
26.7%
State 17.9%
8.7pp above state avg
Suspension rate
6.9%
State 1.6%
5.2pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
4.8%
State 18.0%
13.1pp below state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Butte Valley Elementary
18/100
This school
Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.
Planning ahead? 1 licensed preschools near this school →
Your other options
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic59.4%
White34.7%
Asian3.6%
Other2.3%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 86.8% (23pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
219
401 below CA avg (~620)
Transitional Kindergarten
2 TK students
1% of a 176-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
31:1
10 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$23,673
District avg: $16,004 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
4.8% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$52,500 – $95,157
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Butte Valley Elementary in Dorris, 13.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 14.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Butte Valley Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 0.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (8.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (14.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 7.2 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 111 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · RW+13.8pp
40.5% vs 26.7% overall · n=74
Suspension · RW+7.4pp
14.3% vs 6.9% overall · n=77
Math · Hispanic−7.2pp
3.1% vs 10.3% overall · n=31
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income111 tested
ELA 13.5%·Math 8.2%· -0.7pp vs district
Hispanic68 tested
ELA 14.7%·Math 10.3%· -0.1pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.
Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 0.9pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: -0.9pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
10.3 years avg experience
11 teachers · 18% first-year · 9% second-year
Teacher Credentials
79% fully credentialed
Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25
Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
Frequently asked questions
Is Butte Valley Elementary a good elementary school?
Butte Valley Elementary has a Scope Score of 18 out of 100, placing it in the 1st percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #5,660 statewide. 3.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 18.2 percentage points below the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Butte Valley Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 14.4% of students at Butte Valley Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 3.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 11.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 3.1% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 127 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Butte Valley Elementary rank in California?
Butte Valley Elementary ranks #5,660 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 1st percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
Is Butte Valley Elementary getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Butte Valley Elementary decreases by 0.3 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the elementary Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Butte Valley Elementary?
26.7% of students at Butte Valley Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 6.9%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does Butte Valley Elementary compare to other schools in Dorris?
Butte Valley Elementary scores 18/100 (1st percentile) among California elementary schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 219 students. Use the schools in Dorris page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Butte Valley Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Butte Valley Elementary in Dorris, 13.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 14.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Butte Valley Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 0.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (8.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (14.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 7.2 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 111 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
For the data nerds
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 38%
3.1%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 32th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-0.3pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 31th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
14.4%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 28th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
26.7%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 36th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
6.9%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 7th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
4.8%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 35th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 20 | 0% | 10% | 20% | 70% | 10% | −33 |
| Grade 4 | 19 | 11% | 11% | 21% | 58% | 21% | −24 |
| Grade 5 | 25 | 4% | 12% | 16% | 68% | 16% | −32 |
| Grade 6 | 23 | 0% | 13% | 17% | 70% | 13% | −34 |
| Grade 7 | 21 | 0% | 19% | 24% | 57% | 19% | −29 |
| Grade 8 | 20 | 0% | 20% | 5% | 75% | 20% | −26 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 20 | 0% | 15% | 30% | 55% | 15% | −31 |
| Grade 4 | 19 | 0% | 16% | 26% | 58% | 16% | −26 |
| Grade 5 | 24 | 4% | 4% | 17% | 75% | 8% | −27 |
| Grade 6 | 23 | 4% | 4% | 17% | 74% | 9% | −26 |
| Grade 7 | 21 | 5% | 10% | 24% | 62% | 14% | −20 |
| Grade 8 | 20 | 0% | 0% | 5% | 95% | 0% | −32 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 44 | 2% | 9% | 41% | 48% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 111 | 13.5% | −1 | −25 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 68 | 14.7% | −0 | −24 |
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte Valley Elementary ← | — | 18 | 3.1% | 14.4% | −0.3 | 6.9% |
| California average | — | 45 | 21.3% | 42.7% | −2.9 | 1.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #2733 → #4726 → #5466 → #3385 → #5660
What we can't show
- — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
- — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 25 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue