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Romero Elementary · Santa Nella

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

Romero posts 35% meeting the standard and 13.3% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

13500 West Luis Road, 95322 (opens in new tab)·Gustine Unified·Santa Nella·Grades TK-5·225 students·83% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(209) 854-6177·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3945
% Exceeded13%21%
% Met+35%43%
Growth-20.0-2.9
Absence30.4%17.9%
Suspension0.2%1.6%
Scope Score
39
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #3,434 statewide

Romero Elementary scores 39 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 40th 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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “35% proficient” and call it done. Romero deserves a closer read. The school sits in Santa Nella, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Climbed from the 29th to the 40th percentile since 2019 — past roughly 500 elementary schools.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 35% of students meet the standard today, above the 27% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 331%19%32%36%33%
Grade 426%39%21%30%37%
Grade 537%44%36%28%38%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 326%16%36%38%57%
Grade 421%50%24%25%30%
Grade 522%24%48%14%12%

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.

20%
13%
67%
Grade 3 · 33% proficient
9%
28%
63%
Grade 4 · 37% proficient
35%
61%
Grade 5 · 39% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 16.1pp across grades; the floor rises 5.1pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
13.3%
State 21.3%
8.0pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-20.0pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
34.6%
State 42.7%
8.1pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
30.4%
State 17.9%
12.5pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.2%
State 1.6%
1.4pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
10.3%
State 18.0%
7.7pp 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 how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
  • 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 Romero Elementary in Santa Nella, 33.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 24.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Romero Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 9.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (32.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (34.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 17.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 84 students tested.

All students at this school: 35% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 35%, district —, state 43%35%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 32%, district 19%, state 32%32% · −2 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 33%, district 19%, state 32%33% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 30%, district 21%, state 44%30% · −5 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 21%, district 7%, state 11%21% · −14 vs school
MaleMale: this school 44%, district 20%, state 42%44% · +9 vs school

5 of 11 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 12.1pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +9.7pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 30.4%, district 27.5%, state 17.9%30.4% · +12.5pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.2%, district —, state 1.6%0.2% · −1.4pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly twice the rate of Grades 4–6 students (45.0% vs 21.3%). 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 4–621.3%
TK/K45.0%

Where the path goes

The path below is estimated from nearby schools in the same district — scores shown for each next step.

Estimated K-12 Path
Elementary
Romero Elementary
39
This school
→
Middle
Gustine Middle
23
→
High
Pioneer High (Continuatio…
No score

Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

Planning ahead? 1 licensed preschools near this school →

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 20:1, district 21:120:1
Teaching staff14 teachers
Avg. experience14.7 years
Fully credentialed79%
Intern / emergency permit7.1%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$59,677 – $112,214
Principal salary$153,378 – $167,522
Superintendent salary$214,264

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $38,827, CA average $14,815$38,827 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,255 per student

$1,255 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$21,251 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 services12%
Administration9%
Buildings & maintenance11%
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$13,082 per pupil
2019$12,221 per pupil
2018$12,810 per pupil
2017$11,500 per pupil
2016$11,060 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic89.8%
District 87.6% · CA 56.1%
White4.9%
District 8.1% · CA 19.9%
Other4.9%
District 3.6% · CA 9.0%
Asian0.4%
District 0.5% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 82.7% (19pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$66K · CA $85K
Median home value$444K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+8% · CA 35%
ZIP population9,506
Median age41 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 225 students, this school is much smaller than 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), 15% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Romero Elementary a good elementary school?

Romero Elementary has a Scope Score of 39 out of 100, placing it in the 40th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,434 statewide. 13.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 8.0 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 Romero Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 34.6% of students at Romero Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 13.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 21.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 13.3% 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. 204 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Romero Elementary rank in California?

Romero Elementary ranks #3,434 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 40th 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 Romero Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Romero Elementary decreases by 20.0 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 Romero Elementary?

30.4% of students at Romero Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.2%, 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 Romero Elementary compare to other schools in Santa Nella?

Romero Elementary scores 39/100 (40th 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 225 students. Use the schools in Santa Nella page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

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

At Romero Elementary in Santa Nella, 33.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 24.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Romero Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 9.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (32.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (34.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 17.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 84 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

A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means

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%
13.3%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 42th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-20.0pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 53th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
34.6%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 44th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
30.4%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 30th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.2%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 62th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
10.3%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 41th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 33020%13%13%53%33%−10
Grade 4469%28%17%46%37%−8
Grade 5264%35%23%38%38%−9
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 33030%27%17%27%57%+11
Grade 44617%13%28%41%30%−11
Grade 5260%12%42%46%12%−24
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11260%15%58%27%

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 Disadvantaged8433.3%+9−5
Hispanic/Latino8834.1%+10−5
English Learners5018.0%+10+8
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Romero Elementary ←—3913.3%34.6%−20.00.2%
California average—4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193429#39106.2%27.0%10.8%3.3%+0.7pp
20224570#173815.7%31.9%38.0%0.1%+16.2pp
20234258#243111.0%32.7%31.3%0.1%+8.0pp
20244045#31527.5%28.3%26.7%1.0%-16.2pp
20253940#343413.3%34.6%30.4%0.2%-20.0pp
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
Female8.4%30.9%+22.5pp
Male13.2%33.6%+20.4pp
Hispanic/Latino11.2%32.2%+21.0pp
Students with Disabilities13.3%25.6%+12.3pp
English Learners9.4%27.7%+18.3pp
Homeless16.7%——
Military-Connected0.0%——
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged9.6%34.5%+24.9pp
All Students10.8%32.2%+21.4pp
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

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