School Profile · New Cuyama
Cuyama Elementary: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Cuyama posts low test scores — and suspensions run below the state rate (0.8% vs 1.6%). If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
2300 Highway 166, 93254 (opens in new tab)·Cuyama Joint Unified·New Cuyama·Grades TK-8·107 students·78% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(661) 766-2642·Website
Scope Score
27
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #5,109 statewide
Cuyama Elementary scores 27 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 11th 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 “18% proficient” and call it done. Cuyama deserves a closer read. The school sits in New Cuyama, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The headline number: 33.3% of English learners reached the top ELPAC level, versus 18.0% statewide.
The 5 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
3.6%
State 21.3%
17.7pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
17.9%
State 42.7%
24.8pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
18.7%
State 17.9%
0.8pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.8%
State 1.6%
0.8pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
33.3%
State 18.0%
15.4pp 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.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Cuyama Elementary
27/100
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
Hispanic73.8%
White24.3%
Other1.9%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 77.6% (14pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
107
513 below CA avg (~620)
Transitional Kindergarten
7 TK students
9% of a 78-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
3 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$21,896
District avg: $16,634 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
33.3% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$49,768 – $90,535
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Cuyama Elementary in New Cuyama, 25.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 25.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Cuyama Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (20.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (36.0% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 35 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Disabilities+18.8pp
37.5% vs 18.7% overall · n=16
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income35 tested
ELA 25.7%·Math 20.0%· +0.0pp vs district
Hispanic25 tested
ELA 36.0%·Math 16.0%· +0.0pp 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.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$61K
$24K below CA median
Median Home Value
$224K
$435K below CA median
Bachelor's+
21%
14pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
5.8 years avg experience
6 teachers · 50% first-year
Teacher Credentials
72% 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 Cuyama Elementary a good elementary school?
Cuyama Elementary has a Scope Score of 27 out of 100, placing it in the 11th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #5,109 statewide. 3.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 17.7 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 Cuyama Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 17.9% of students at Cuyama Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 3.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 14.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 3.6% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 28 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Cuyama Elementary rank in California?
Cuyama Elementary ranks #5,109 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 11th 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.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Cuyama Elementary?
18.7% of students at Cuyama Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.8%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does Cuyama Elementary compare to other schools in New Cuyama?
Cuyama Elementary scores 27/100 (11th 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 107 students. Use the schools in New Cuyama page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Cuyama Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Cuyama Elementary in New Cuyama, 25.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 25.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Cuyama Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (20.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (36.0% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 35 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%
3.6%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 33th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
17.9%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 31th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
18.7%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 49th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.8%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 56th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
33.3%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 61th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 4 | 14 | 7% | 14% | 36% | 43% | 21% | −23 |
| Grade 5 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 6 | 14 | 0% | 21% | 57% | 21% | 21% | −25 |
| Grade 7 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 8 | 17 | 12% | 29% | 29% | 29% | 41% | −5 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 4 | 14 | 0% | 14% | 50% | 36% | 14% | −27 |
| Grade 5 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 6 | 14 | 0% | 14% | 43% | 43% | 14% | −21 |
| Grade 7 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 8 | 17 | 0% | 24% | 29% | 47% | 24% | −9 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 25 | 4% | 16% | 72% | 8% |
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 | 35 | 25.7% | +0 | −13 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 25 | 36.0% | +0 | −3 |
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuyama Elementary ← | — | 27 | 3.6% | 17.9% | — | 0.8% |
| 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 #5065 → #2658 → #5599 → #4913 → #5109
What we can't show
- — Growth data isn't available — the state needs matched grades across years to compute it.
- — 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 13 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