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Felix J. Appleby Elementary · Blythe

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

Felix J. Appleby 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.

10321 Vernon Avenue, 92225 (opens in new tab)·Palo Verde Unified·Blythe·Grades TK-8·617 students·86% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 922-7174·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope1745
% Exceeded6%21%
% Met+16%43%
Growth-8.2-2.9
Absence28.3%17.9%
Suspension5.7%1.6%
Scope Score
17
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #5,668 statewide · #4 of 4 in Palo Verde Unified

Felix J. Appleby Elementary scores 17 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 →

🌱 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.

Most rating sites would stop at “16% proficient” and call it done. Felix J. Appleby deserves a closer read. The school sits in Blythe, 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 seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Slipped from the 51st to the 1st percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 16% meet the standard today, versus 35% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 341%32%29%24%15%
Grade 429%30%35%28%17%
Grade 542%24%18%39%21%
Grade 641%37%23%31%30%
Grade 746%64%53%33%44%
Grade 862%48%48%48%27%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 332%31%32%29%31%
Grade 418%21%28%21%8%
Grade 550%10%8%11%8%
Grade 628%12%7%8%14%
Grade 724%27%15%10%11%
Grade 840%25%20%18%10%

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.

8%
86%
Grade 3 · 14% proficient
12%
83%
Grade 4 · 17% proficient
14%
79%
Grade 5 · 21% proficient

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
5.8%
State 21.3%
15.5pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-8.2pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
16.4%
State 42.7%
26.3pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
28.3%
State 17.9%
10.4pp above state avg
Suspension rate
5.7%
State 1.6%
4.1pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
3.4%
State 18.0%
14.6pp 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.

  • Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
  • 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.

How every group of students does here

At Felix J. Appleby Elementary in Blythe, 22.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 21.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Felix J. Appleby Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (11.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (25.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 25.4 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 323 students tested.

All students at this school: 19% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 19%, district —, state 43%19%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 17%, district 16%, state 32%17% · −2 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 19%, district 17%, state 32%19% · −0 vs school
MaleMale: this school 16%, district 15%, state 42%16% · −4 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 23%, district 22%, state 44%23% · +4 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 1%, district 4%, state 15%1% · −18 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 5%, district 28%, state 56%5% · −15 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 10%, district 5%, state 11%10% · −9 vs school

6 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 rises by 4.4pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: -3.7pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 28.3%, district 31.1%, state 17.9%28.3% · +10.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 5.7%, district —, state 1.6%5.7% · +4.1pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–630.8%
Grades 7–827.3%
TK/K36.0%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Felix J. Appleby Elementary
17/100
This school
High School

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 25:1, district 27:125:1
Teaching staff26 teachers
Avg. experience12.0 years
Fully credentialed70%
First-year teachers8%
Intern / emergency permit13.2%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$63,061 – $127,355
Principal salary$145,032 – $153,479
Superintendent salary$210,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $20,462, CA average $14,815$20,462 · spent at this school
Federal share$546 per student

$546 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$22,577 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
Instruction54%
Instruction support12%
Student services12%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance14%
Other1%

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$14,210 per pupil
2019$14,066 per pupil
2018$13,196 per pupil
2017$12,469 per pupil
2016$11,876 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic75.8%
District 54.0% · CA 56.1%
White13.9%
District 25.6% · CA 19.9%
Black6.7%
District 11.2% · CA 4.8%
Other3.4%
District 5.3% · CA 9.0%
Asian0.2%
District 3.9% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 86.1% (22pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$56K · CA $85K
Median home value$218K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+9% · CA 35%
ZIP population20,319
Median age39 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), 7% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Felix J. Appleby Elementary a good elementary school?

Felix J. Appleby Elementary has a Scope Score of 17 out of 100, placing it in the 1st percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #5,668 statewide. 5.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 15.5 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 Felix J. Appleby Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 16.4% of students at Felix J. Appleby Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 5.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 10.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 5.8% 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. 401 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Felix J. Appleby Elementary rank in California?

Felix J. Appleby Elementary ranks #5,668 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 Felix J. Appleby Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Felix J. Appleby Elementary decreases by 8.2 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 Felix J. Appleby Elementary?

28.3% of students at Felix J. Appleby Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 5.7%. 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 Felix J. Appleby Elementary compare to other schools in Blythe?

Felix J. Appleby Elementary scores 17/100 (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 617 students. Use the schools in Blythe page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Felix J. Appleby Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Felix J. Appleby Elementary in Blythe, 22.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 21.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Felix J. Appleby Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (11.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (25.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 25.4 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 323 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


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%
5.8%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 35th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-8.2pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 24th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
16.4%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 30th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
28.3%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 33th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
5.7%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 16th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
3.4%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 31th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3628%6%29%56%15%−29
Grade 4665%12%23%61%17%−28
Grade 5737%14%19%60%21%−27
Grade 6649%20%25%45%30%−17
Grade 7575%39%23%33%44%−4
Grade 8516%22%37%35%27%−19
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 36213%18%23%47%31%−15
Grade 4650%8%31%62%8%−34
Grade 5733%5%22%70%8%−27
Grade 6643%11%17%69%14%−21
Grade 7570%11%28%61%11%−23
Grade 8522%8%19%71%10%−23
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111252%6%60%33%

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 Disadvantaged32322.6%+2−16
Hispanic/Latino28125.6%+2−13
Students with Disabilities512.0%−3−15
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Felix J. Appleby Elementary ←175.8%16.4%−8.25.7%
Margaret White Elementary1.4 mi264.3%16.6%−10.57.2%
Ruth Brown Elementary1 mi235.7%18.7%−15.94.6%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194351#267114.5%35.2%12.5%5.4%+9.6pp
2022197#53128.0%24.8%37.6%4.3%-14.2pp
2023131#56648.4%25.0%41.5%11.2%-17.3pp
20242915#48519.4%25.3%37.2%9.2%-1.1pp
2025171#56685.8%16.4%28.3%5.7%-8.2pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
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 16 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
Female10.6%31.8%+21.2pp
Male14.2%26.6%+12.4pp
Black/African American16.9%42.3%+25.4pp
Hispanic/Latino12.1%27.7%+15.6pp
Two or More Races30.0%46.2%+16.2pp
Students with Disabilities9.4%38.3%+28.9pp
English Learners5.3%16.7%+11.4pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged13.9%31.8%+17.9pp
All Students12.5%29.1%+16.6pp
Foster Youth28.6%
Homeless35.0%
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