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Heritage Elementary · Tulare

Heritage Elementary: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Heritage posts 33% meeting the standard and 12.4% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

895 West Gail Avenue, 93274 (opens in new tab)·Tulare City·Tulare·Grades TK-6·597 students·85% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(559) 685-7360·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3945
% Exceeded12%21%
% Met+33%43%
Growth-3.2-2.9
Absence5.9%17.9%
Suspension0.9%1.6%
Scope Score
39
🤝 Culture First · Developing
ranked #3,479 statewide · #3 of 9 in Tulare City

Heritage Elementary scores 39 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 39th 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 →

🤝 Culture First — Ask whether the low absenteeism and suspension numbers come from what the school does or from the community it serves — both can produce the same numbers, and only a visit tells you which.

Most rating sites would stop at “33% proficient” and call it done. Heritage deserves a closer read. The school sits in Tulare, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 5.9% 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 16th to the 39th percentile since 2019 — past roughly 1100 elementary schools.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 33% of students meet the standard today, above the 27% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 334%16%44%34%36%
Grade 436%22%13%36%33%
Grade 520%31%36%27%40%
Grade 638%29%26%21%24%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 331%9%41%28%34%
Grade 434%14%16%32%30%
Grade 510%13%8%11%23%
Grade 620%18%18%8%8%

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.

11%
25%
64%
Grade 3 · 36% proficient
13%
20%
67%
Grade 4 · 33% proficient
13%
27%
60%
Grade 5 · 40% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 2.0pp across grades; the floor rises 4.4pp. 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
12.4%
State 21.3%
8.9pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-3.2pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
32.6%
State 42.7%
10.1pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
5.9%
State 17.9%
12.0pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.9%
State 1.6%
0.7pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
7.9%
State 18.0%
10.0pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • 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 Heritage Elementary in Tulare, 32.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 30.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Heritage Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (21.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (33.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 18.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 293 students tested.

All students at this school: 28% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 28%, district —, state 43%28%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 27%, district 24%, state 32%27% · −1 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 29%, district 26%, state 32%29% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 26%, district 27%, state 42%26% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 30%, district 28%, state 44%30% · +2 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 14%, district 10%, state 11%14% · −14 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 rises by 2.6pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: -3.9pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 5.9%, district 12.5%, state 17.9%5.9% · −12.0pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.9%, district —, state 1.6%0.9% · −0.7pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly three times the rate of Grades 4–6 students (13.1% vs 2.9%). 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 4–62.9%
TK/K13.1%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Heritage Elementary
39/100
This school
High School
No feeder data available for this level

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 23:125:1
Teaching staff24 teachers
Avg. experience14.3 years
Fully credentialed93%
First-year teachers4%
Intern / emergency permit3.7%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$67,304 – $131,180
Principal salary$163,743 – $0
Superintendent salary$230,420

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,614, CA average $14,815$19,614 · spent at this school
Federal share$431 per student

$431 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$19,006 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 support12%
Student services11%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance13%
Other3%

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$12,996 per pupil
2019$12,068 per pupil
2018$12,773 per pupil
2017$11,692 per pupil
2016$11,047 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic84.9%
District 81.2% · CA 56.1%
White6.7%
District 11.9% · CA 19.9%
Black3.2%
District 2.8% · CA 4.8%
Asian3.0%
District 1.6% · CA 10.2%
Other2.2%
District 2.4% · CA 9.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 85.4% (22pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$73K · CA $85K
Median home value$330K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+12% · CA 35%
ZIP population80,026
Median age30 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), 25% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Heritage Elementary a good elementary school?

Heritage Elementary has a Scope Score of 39 out of 100, placing it in the 39th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,479 statewide. 12.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 8.9 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 Heritage Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 32.6% of students at Heritage Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 20.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.4% 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. 484 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Heritage Elementary rank in California?

Heritage Elementary ranks #3,479 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 39th 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 Heritage Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Heritage Elementary decreases by 3.2 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 Heritage Elementary?

5.9% of students at Heritage 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 0.9%, 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 Heritage Elementary compare to other schools in Tulare?

Heritage Elementary scores 39/100 (39th 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 597 students. Use the schools in Tulare page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

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

At Heritage Elementary in Tulare, 32.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 30.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Heritage Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (21.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (33.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 18.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 293 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%
12.4%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 41th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-3.2pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 49th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
32.6%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 42th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
5.9%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 69th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.9%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 56th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
7.9%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 37th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 37311%25%22%42%36%−8
Grade 48213%20%32%35%33%−12
Grade 58513%27%31%29%40%−8
Grade 6912%22%36%40%24%−22
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 37412%22%23%43%34%−12
Grade 48313%17%37%33%30%−11
Grade 58711%11%33%44%23%−12
Grade 6932%5%30%62%8%−27
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11876%20%59%16%

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 Disadvantaged29332.1%+2−6
Hispanic/Latino27933.7%+1−5
English Learners8314.5%+3+4
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Heritage Elementary ←3912.4%32.6%−3.20.9%
Pleasant Elementary1 mi4517.7%42.2%−11.80.7%
Mission Valley Elementary2.1 mi4118.0%36.9%+1.80.8%
Wilson Elementary2 mi379.0%28.1%−22.10.1%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20192916#46108.1%27.4%4.0%1.1%-17.3pp
20222929#40535.9%17.4%33.2%0.8%+9.5pp
20232411#50977.3%26.3%18.8%0.6%-20.7pp
20243737#36108.4%28.0%6.5%0.8%-12.0pp
20253939#347912.4%32.6%5.9%0.9%-3.2pp
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
Female3.8%6.1%+2.3pp
Male4.0%4.4%+0.4pp
Asian3.6%0.0%-3.6pp
Black/African American22.2%8.3%-13.9pp
Hispanic/Latino3.5%5.3%+1.8pp
Students with Disabilities5.8%8.8%+3.0pp
English Learners3.0%3.0%+0.0pp
Foster Youth0.0%
Homeless10.5%15.6%+5.1pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged4.4%5.5%+1.1pp
All Students3.9%5.2%+1.3pp
Military-Connected0.0%
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