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Colfax Elementary · Colfax

Colfax Elementary: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Colfax 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.

24825 Ben Taylor Road, 95713 (opens in new tab)·Colfax Elementary·Colfax·Grades TK-8·345 students·41% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 346-2202·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope2945
% Exceeded8%21%
% Met+25%43%
Growth-16.7-2.9
Absence21.3%17.9%
Suspension9.1%1.6%
Scope Score
29
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #4,915 statewide

Colfax Elementary scores 29 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 14th 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 →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “25% proficient” and call it done. Colfax deserves a closer read. The school sits in Colfax, where two 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 seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Slipped from the 70th to the 14th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 25% meet the standard today, versus 44% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 318%33%18%11%27%
Grade 460%47%34%30%22%
Grade 557%36%50%38%21%
Grade 648%32%35%21%39%
Grade 741%36%24%30%31%
Grade 845%34%32%17%40%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 338%30%28%26%39%
Grade 452%41%38%35%28%
Grade 541%54%33%19%13%
Grade 635%30%39%17%37%
Grade 744%36%24%33%33%
Grade 848%22%25%17%25%

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

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

24%
73%
Grade 3 · 27% proficient
17%
77%
Grade 4 · 23% proficient
8%
13%
79%
Grade 5 · 21% proficient

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
7.9%
State 21.3%
13.5pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-16.7pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
25.0%
State 42.7%
17.7pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
21.3%
State 17.9%
3.4pp above state avg
Suspension rate
9.1%
State 1.6%
7.4pp above 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.

  • Ask what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
  • Ask what changes between grade 3 and grade 5 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Colfax Elementary in Colfax, 24.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 24.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Colfax Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (20.9% Math proficient); White students (28.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 6.8 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 91 students tested.

All students at this school: 30% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 30%, district —, state 43%30%
WhiteWhite: this school 29%, district 29%, state 56%29% · −0 vs school
MaleMale: this school 28%, district 28%, state 42%28% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 32%, district 32%, state 44%32% · +2 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 23%, district 23%, state 32%23% · −7 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 14%, district 14%, state 15%14% · −16 vs school

8 of 14 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 10.1pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: -10.1pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 21.3%, district 21.3%, state 17.9%21.3% · +3.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 9.1%, district —, state 1.6%9.1% · +7.4pp vs state

Grades 7–8 students miss school at roughly twice the rate of TK/K students (27.6% vs 14.6%). Chronic absence here concentrates in the upper grades.

Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–622.1%
Grades 7–827.6%
TK/K14.6%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 20:1, district 20:120:1
Teaching staff19 teachers
Avg. experience11.5 years
Fully credentialed85%

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $16,596, CA average $14,815$16,596 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,334 per student

$1,334 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,575 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction56%
Instruction support7%
Student services11%
Administration14%
Buildings & maintenance8%
Other4%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$12,746 per pupil
2019$12,047 per pupil
2018$12,731 per pupil
2017$10,355 per pupil
2016$11,369 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White78.5%
District 78.5% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic12.5%
District 12.5% · CA 56.1%
Other8.7%
District 8.7% · CA 9.0%
Asian0.3%
District 0.3% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 40.6% (23pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$88K · CA $85K
Median home value$487K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+27% · CA 35%
ZIP population9,448
Median age46 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 20% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Colfax Elementary a good elementary school?

Colfax Elementary has a Scope Score of 29 out of 100, placing it in the 14th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #4,915 statewide. 7.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 13.5 percentage points below the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Colfax Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 25.0% of students at Colfax Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 7.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 17.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 7.9% 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. 216 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Colfax Elementary rank in California?

Colfax Elementary ranks #4,915 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 14th 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 Colfax Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Colfax Elementary decreases by 16.7 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 Colfax Elementary?

21.3% of students at Colfax Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 9.1%. 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 Colfax Elementary compare to other schools in Colfax?

Colfax Elementary scores 29/100 (14th 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 345 students. Use the schools in Colfax page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Colfax Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Colfax Elementary in Colfax, 24.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 24.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Colfax Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (20.9% Math proficient); White students (28.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 6.8 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 91 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.

Your other options

All schools in Colfax →

Private alternatives nearby

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

A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means

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%
7.9%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 37th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-16.7pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 48th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
25.0%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 37th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
21.3%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 44th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
9.1%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 0th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3333%24%42%30%27%−16
Grade 43617%6%25%53%22%−23
Grade 5398%13%36%44%21%−27
Grade 63813%26%21%39%39%−7
Grade 7425%26%45%24%31%−17
Grade 8408%33%43%18%40%−6
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3339%30%33%27%39%−6
Grade 4366%22%28%44%28%−14
Grade 5395%8%33%54%13%−22
Grade 6385%32%32%32%37%+2
Grade 7427%26%40%26%33%−1
Grade 84013%13%33%43%25%−7
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11794%16%62%18%

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

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged9124.2%+0−14
White17228.5%+0−33
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Colfax Elementary ←—297.9%25.0%−16.79.1%
California average—4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195270#167117.5%44.3%11.9%2.7%+20.7pp
20224772#161915.0%40.3%44.1%5.3%+13.5pp
20234666#191711.8%33.2%28.8%3.5%+18.8pp
20243327#42048.1%26.3%25.0%3.9%+9.6pp
20252914#49157.9%25.0%21.3%9.1%-16.7pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 14 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female9.5%23.2%+13.7pp
Male13.8%20.8%+7.0pp
Hispanic/Latino15.7%22.2%+6.5pp
Two or More Races10.0%21.4%+11.4pp
Students with Disabilities17.4%34.4%+17.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged16.3%27.7%+11.4pp
All Students11.9%21.8%+9.9pp
Homeless—33.3%—
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction

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