School Profile · Arcata
Laurel Tree Charter: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Laurel Tree Charter posts low test scores — and suspensions run below the state rate (0.5% vs 1.6%). If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
2730 Foster Ave, 95521 (opens in new tab)·Northern Humboldt Union High·Arcata·Grades K-12·197 students·54% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(707) 683-5708·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
27
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #4,834 statewide
Laurel Tree Charter scores 27 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 16th 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 “28% proficient” and call it done. Laurel Tree Charter deserves a closer read. The school sits in Arcata, where more than half of 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.
As a charter, Laurel Tree Charter enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.
The 4 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
5.9%
State 21.3%
15.4pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
28.3%
State 42.7%
14.4pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
24.6%
State 17.9%
6.7pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.5%
State 1.6%
1.1pp 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.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
Estimated K-12 Path
Elementary
Laurel Tree Charter
27
This school
→
Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Planning ahead? 3 licensed preschools near this school →
Your other options
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 65
Union Street Charter
Arcata Elementary · 1.9 mi
Strong
81/100
Jacoby Creek
Jacoby Creek Elementary · 2.8 mi
Solid
60/100
Northcoast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy
Humboldt County Office of Education · 1.9 mi
Solid
55/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic8.1%
White74.6%
Asian0.5%
Black1.0%
Other15.7%
GenderFemale 37.6%Male 61.4%Non-binary 1.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 54.3% (9pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
197
1,003 below CA avg (~1,200)
Transitional Kindergarten
TK status unconfirmed
No TK enrollment is on file with the state for this school — that isn't the same as “no TK.” Confirm directly with the district.
Student-Teacher Ratio
28:1
7 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$14,551
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
At Laurel Tree Charter in Arcata, 17.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the Math standard in 2025, compared to 20.2% district-wide and 26.2% statewide. Laurel Tree Charter trails its district average for low-income students by 2.8 percentage points in Math. Other subgroups: White students (41.5% ELA proficient); White students (35.0% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 23 students tested.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income23 tested
Math 17.4%
White53 tested
ELA 41.5%·Math 35.0%· -20.8pp 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
$53K
$32K below CA median
Median Home Value
$501K
$158K below CA median
Bachelor's+
46%
11pp above 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
15.1 years avg experience
14 teachers · 7% second-year
Teacher Credentials
45% 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 →
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 · 43%
5.9%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 35th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
28.3%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 39th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
24.6%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 39th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.5%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 59th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 13 | 0% | 15% | 38% | 46% | 15% | −28 |
| Grade 4 | 20 | 0% | 30% | 20% | 50% | 30% | −15 |
| Grade 5 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 6 | 20 | 5% | 40% | 35% | 20% | 45% | −2 |
| Grade 7 | 17 | 12% | 35% | 35% | 18% | 47% | −1 |
| Grade 8 | 16 | 6% | 19% | 38% | 38% | 25% | −21 |
| Grade 11 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 13 | 8% | 23% | 31% | 38% | 31% | −15 |
| Grade 4 | 19 | 16% | 21% | 21% | 42% | 37% | −5 |
| Grade 5 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 6 | 21 | 0% | 19% | 24% | 57% | 19% | −16 |
| Grade 7 | 17 | 12% | 24% | 41% | 24% | 35% | +1 |
| Grade 8 | 13 | 38% | 15% | 8% | 38% | 54% | +22 |
| Grade 11 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 27 | 7% | 33% | 44% | 15% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 53 | 41.5% | −21 | −20 |
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Tree Charter ← | — | 27 | 5.9% | 28.3% | — | 0.5% |
| Union Street Charter | 1.9 mi | 81 | 56.4% | 86.1% | +22.9 | 0.4% |
| Jacoby Creek | 2.8 mi | 60 | 35.8% | 65.6% | −3.3 | 0.2% |
| Northcoast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy | 1.9 mi | 55 | 25.9% | 59.1% | +18.1 | 0.7% |
| California average | — | 43 | 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 #3925 → #3964 → #2696 → #4739 → #4834
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.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Frequently asked questions
Is Laurel Tree Charter a good elementary school?
Laurel Tree Charter has a Scope Score of 27 out of 100, placing it in the 16th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #4,834 statewide. 5.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 15.4 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 Laurel Tree Charter's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 28.3% of students at Laurel Tree Charter met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 5.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 5.9% 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. 65 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Laurel Tree Charter rank in California?
Laurel Tree Charter ranks #4,834 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 16th 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 Laurel Tree Charter?
24.6% of students at Laurel Tree Charter are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.5%, 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 Laurel Tree Charter compare to other schools in Arcata?
Laurel Tree Charter scores 27/100 (16th 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 197 students. Use the schools in Arcata page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Laurel Tree Charter serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Laurel Tree Charter in Arcata, 17.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the Math standard in 2025, compared to 20.2% district-wide and 26.2% statewide. Laurel Tree Charter trails its district average for low-income students by 2.8 percentage points in Math. Other subgroups: White students (41.5% ELA proficient); White students (35.0% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 23 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.