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School Profile · Somerset

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

Pioneer posts low test scores — and grade 5 tests above grade 3 here this year, by 3.6pp. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

6860 Mount Aukum Road, 95684 (opens in new tab)·Pioneer Union·Somerset·Grades TK-5·162 students·46% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 620-7210
Scope Score
30
📈 On the Rise · Developing
ranked #4,755 statewide

Pioneer Elementary scores 30 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 17th 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 “27% proficient” and call it done. Pioneer deserves a closer read. The school sits in Somerset, where two 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 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.

14%
81%
Grade 3 · 19% proficient
15%
27%
58%
Grade 4 · 42% proficient
21%
74%
Grade 5 · 26% proficient

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
8.8%
State 21.3%
12.6pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+3.6pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
26.6%
State 42.7%
16.0pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
19.1%
State 17.9%
1.2pp above state avg
Suspension rate
3.8%
State 1.6%
2.2pp 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
Pioneer Elementary
30/100
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.

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.

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic18.5%
White69.8%
Asian2.5%
Other9.3%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 45.7% (18pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
162
318 below CA avg (~480)
Transitional Kindergarten
24 TK students
13% of a 178-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
41:1
20 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$13,557
District avg: $12,402 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
Teacher Salary Range
$47,601 – $107,304
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Pioneer Elementary in Somerset, 26.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Pioneer Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 3.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.0% Math proficient); White students (31.9% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 23 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Low-Income+6.5pp
25.6% vs 19.1% overall · n=90
Suspension · Homeless+6.2pp
10.0% vs 3.8% overall · n=20

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income23 tested
ELA 26.1%·Math 13.0%· -3.8pp vs district
White47 tested
ELA 31.9%·Math 25.5%· -7.8pp 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
Instruction 50%Support 44%Other 6%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$87K
$2K above CA median
Median Home Value
$622K
$37K below CA median
Bachelor's+
31%
4pp 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
11.3 years avg experience
8 teachers · 13% first-year · 13% second-year
Teacher Credentials
100% 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 Pioneer Elementary a good elementary school?
Pioneer Elementary has a Scope Score of 30 out of 100, placing it in the 17th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #4,755 statewide. 8.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 12.6 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 Pioneer Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 26.6% of students at Pioneer Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 8.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 17.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 8.8% 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. 134 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Pioneer Elementary rank in California?
Pioneer Elementary ranks #4,755 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 17th 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 Pioneer Elementary getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Pioneer Elementary increases by 3.6 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 Pioneer Elementary?
19.1% of students at Pioneer Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 3.8%. 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 Pioneer Elementary compare to other schools in Somerset?
Pioneer Elementary scores 30/100 (17th 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 162 students. Use the schools in Somerset page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Pioneer Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Pioneer Elementary in Somerset, 26.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Pioneer Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 3.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.0% Math proficient); White students (31.9% ELA 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.

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%
8.8%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 38th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+3.6pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 42th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
26.6%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 38th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
19.1%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 48th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.8%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 32th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 32214%5%41%41%18%−25
Grade 42615%27%12%46%42%−2
Grade 5195%21%32%42%26%−22
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3229%18%45%27%27%−18
Grade 4264%15%42%38%19%−22
Grade 5195%21%26%47%26%−9
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111911%16%63%11%

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 Disadvantaged2326.1%−4−12
White4731.9%−8−30
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Pioneer Elementary ←308.8%26.6%+3.63.8%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
30%30%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #4596 → #4212 → #3927 → #4888 → #4755
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 12 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