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Garretson Elementary · Corona

Garretson Elementary: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Garretson posts 46% meeting the standard against 43% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

1650 Garretson Avenue, 92879 (opens in new tab)·Corona-Norco Unified·Corona·Grades TK-6·859 students·76% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(951) 736-3345·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5445
% Exceeded22%21%
% Met+46%43%
Growth+18.6-2.9
Absence8.8%17.9%
Suspension1.9%1.6%
Scope Score
54
🚀 Growth Engine · Solid
ranked #1,487 statewide · #8 of 34 in Corona-Norco Unified

Garretson Elementary scores 54 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 74th 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 →

🚀 Growth Engine — Ask how the school tracks each kid's growth year to year, and what happens when a kid stalls instead of gaining.

Most rating sites would stop at “46% proficient” and call it done. Garretson deserves a closer read. The school sits in Corona, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 8.8% chronic absenteeism — versus 17.9% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Climbed from the 66th to the 74th percentile since 2019 — past roughly 400 elementary schools.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathYellow(Declined Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 46% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 353%38%46%46%38%
Grade 454%47%41%50%46%
Grade 557%54%52%48%70%
Grade 658%48%52%48%51%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 348%40%49%46%40%
Grade 437%34%34%45%37%
Grade 537%38%33%26%46%
Grade 638%30%36%32%21%

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.

19%
20%
61%
Grade 3 · 39% proficient
22%
23%
55%
Grade 4 · 45% proficient
34%
36%
30%
Grade 5 · 70% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 15.1pp across grades; the floor rises 31.6pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
22.3%
State 21.3%
0.9pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+18.6pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
46.2%
State 42.7%
3.6pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
8.8%
State 17.9%
9.1pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.9%
State 1.6%
0.3pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
16.8%
State 18.0%
1.2pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

  • 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 Garretson Elementary in Corona, 43.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 51.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Garretson Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 7.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (27.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (43.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 35.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 404 students tested.

All students at this school: 44% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 44%, district —, state 43%44%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 35%, district 43%, state 32%35% · −8 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 35%, district 40%, state 32%35% · −9 vs school
MaleMale: this school 47%, district 50%, state 42%47% · +3 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 40%, district 51%, state 44%40% · −4 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 11%, district 13%, state 11%11% · −32 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 26%, district 18%, state 15%26% · −18 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 61%, district 57%, state 56%61% · +18 vs school

8 of 16 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 31.4pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +9.5pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 8.8%, district 16.0%, state 17.9%8.8% · −9.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.9%, district —, state 1.6%1.9% · +0.3pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly twice the rate of Grades 4–6 students (15.0% vs 7.7%). Chronic absence here concentrates in the earliest grades — worth asking how the school works with new families on attendance.

Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–67.7%
TK/K15.0%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 25:1, district 24:125:1
Teaching staff38 teachers
Avg. experience18.9 years
Fully credentialed100%
First-year teachers5%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$75,444 – $141,046
Principal salary$160,728 – $174,967
Superintendent salary$403,129

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,525, CA average $14,815$18,525 · spent at this school
Federal share$388 per student

$388 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,974 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
Instruction65%
Instruction support11%
Student services10%
Administration4%
Buildings & maintenance9%
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$12,310 per pupil
2019$11,703 per pupil
2018$11,658 per pupil
2017$11,351 per pupil
2016$11,206 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic77.8%
District 52.9% · CA 56.1%
White11.9%
District 20.1% · CA 19.9%
Asian4.8%
District 14.1% · CA 10.2%
Other4.2%
District 7.6% · CA 9.0%
Black1.4%
District 5.3% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 76.3% (12pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$92K · CA $85K
Median home value$616K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+24% · CA 35%
ZIP population49,317
Median age37 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 859 students, this school is well above the typical California elementary school (≈480).

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

On the state's science test (CAST), 47% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Garretson Elementary a good elementary school?

Garretson Elementary has a Scope Score of 54 out of 100, placing it in the 74th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,487 statewide. 22.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near 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 Garretson Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 46.2% of students at Garretson Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 22.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 22.3% 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. 786 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Garretson Elementary rank in California?

Garretson Elementary ranks #1,487 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 74th 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 Garretson Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Garretson Elementary increases by 18.6 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. 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 Garretson Elementary?

8.8% of students at Garretson Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 1.9%, 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 Garretson Elementary compare to other schools in Corona?

Garretson Elementary scores 54/100 (74th 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 859 students. Use the schools in Corona page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

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

At Garretson Elementary in Corona, 43.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 51.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Garretson Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 7.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (27.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (43.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 35.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 404 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

Private alternatives nearby

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


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%
22.3%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 51th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+18.6pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 70th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
46.2%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 53th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
8.8%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 65th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.9%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 48th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
16.8%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 49th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 312819%20%28%34%38%−5
Grade 412922%23%19%35%46%+1
Grade 513634%36%15%15%70%+22
Grade 613017%34%25%25%51%+4
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 312916%25%22%37%40%−5
Grade 412916%21%29%34%37%−4
Grade 513527%19%24%30%46%+11
Grade 61308%13%35%44%21%−14
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1113514%33%44%8%

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 Disadvantaged40443.6%−8+5
Hispanic/Latino40143.4%−6+5
English Learners11915.1%+2+5
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Garretson Elementary ←5422.3%46.2%+18.61.9%
Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary2 mi6834.0%66.2%+5.71.9%
Susan B. Anthony Elementary1.5 mi6342.6%71.5%+2.30.7%
Lincoln Fundamental Elementary0.5 mi5631.4%58.9%+6.41.6%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194966#189220.4%47.6%6.2%1.1%-3.9pp
20224467#188620.5%41.7%22.6%2.0%+7.4pp
20234463#214220.9%42.4%19.4%2.8%-4.5pp
20244661#224721.5%43.3%8.5%3.7%-8.6pp
20255474#148722.3%46.2%8.8%1.9%+18.6pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female6.4%8.5%+2.1pp
Male5.9%8.5%+2.6pp
Asian0.0%2.4%+2.4pp
Black/African American0.0%16.7%+16.7pp
Hispanic/Latino6.6%8.8%+2.2pp
Two or More Races8.3%0.0%-8.3pp
Students with Disabilities8.2%11.2%+3.0pp
English Learners6.1%9.5%+3.4pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged8.1%9.7%+1.6pp
All Students6.2%8.5%+2.3pp
Filipino7.1%
Homeless12.5%
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