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Sutter Creek Elementary · Sutter Creek

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

Sutter Creek posts 44% meeting the standard against 43% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

340 Spanish Street, 95685 (opens in new tab)·Amador County Unified·Sutter Creek·Grades TK-6·387 students·35% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(209) 257-7200
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4445
% Exceeded21%21%
% Met+44%43%
Growth-14.8-2.9
Absence15.4%17.9%
Suspension3.7%1.6%
Scope Score
44
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #2,688 statewide · #1 of 6 in Amador County Unified

Sutter Creek Elementary scores 44 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 53rd 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.

Most rating sites would stop at “44% proficient” and call it done. Sutter Creek deserves a closer read. The school sits in Sutter Creek, where one in three 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

Has stayed near the 53rd percentile since 2019.

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

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 44% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 347%48%32%44%45%
Grade 448%34%34%35%52%
Grade 565%38%37%45%48%
Grade 638%45%42%38%32%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 351%63%26%47%50%
Grade 433%30%40%30%53%
Grade 532%25%22%43%17%
Grade 629%31%25%23%28%

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.

29%
16%
55%
Grade 3 · 45% proficient
26%
26%
48%
Grade 4 · 52% proficient
15%
33%
52%
Grade 5 · 48% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 14.1pp across grades; the floor rises 3.0pp. 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 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
21.2%
State 21.3%
0.1pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-14.8pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
44.1%
State 42.7%
1.5pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
15.4%
State 17.9%
2.5pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.7%
State 1.6%
2.1pp above 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 what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
  • 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 Sutter Creek Elementary in Sutter Creek, 28.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 28.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Sutter Creek Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (25.6% Math proficient); White students (48.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 17.4 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 78 students tested.

All students at this school: 41% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 41%, district —, state 43%41%
WhiteWhite: this school 47%, district 32%, state 56%47% · +5 vs school
MaleMale: this school 41%, district 27%, state 42%41% · −0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 42%, district 32%, state 44%42% · +0 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 27%, district 23%, state 32%27% · −14 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 18%, district 24%, state 32%18% · −23 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 24%, district 13%, state 15%24% · −18 vs school

6 of 13 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 10.5pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +3.8pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 15.4%, district 27.0%, state 17.9%15.4% · −2.5pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.7%, district —, state 1.6%3.7% · +2.1pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly one and a half times the rate of Grades 4–6 students (20.6% vs 12.5%). 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 4–612.5%
TK/K20.6%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Sutter Creek Elementary
44/100
This school

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 28:1, district 23:128:1
Teaching staff19 teachers
Avg. experience14.1 years
Fully credentialed95%
Intern / emergency permit5.0%

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,809, CA average $14,815$19,809 · spent at this school
Federal share$4 per student

$4 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$15,715 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
Instruction51%
Instruction support14%
Student services11%
Administration8%
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$11,146 per pupil
2019$9,176 per pupil
2018$9,890 per pupil
2017$9,411 per pupil
2016$9,154 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White67.2%
District 62.4% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic18.9%
District 25.6% · CA 56.1%
Other12.7%
District 10.8% · CA 9.0%
Asian1.0%
District 0.6% · CA 10.2%
Black0.3%
District 0.5% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 34.6% (29pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$84K · CA $85K
Median home value$569K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+27% · CA 35%
ZIP population4,690
Median age54 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), 24% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sutter Creek Elementary a good elementary school?

Sutter Creek Elementary has a Scope Score of 44 out of 100, placing it in the 53rd percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #2,688 statewide. 21.2% 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 Sutter Creek Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 44.1% of students at Sutter Creek Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 21.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 21.2% 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. 332 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Sutter Creek Elementary rank in California?

Sutter Creek Elementary ranks #2,688 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 53rd 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 Sutter Creek Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Sutter Creek Elementary decreases by 14.8 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 Sutter Creek Elementary?

15.4% of students at Sutter Creek 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 3.7%. 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 Sutter Creek Elementary compare to other schools in Sutter Creek?

Sutter Creek Elementary scores 44/100 (53rd 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 387 students. Use the schools in Sutter Creek page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Sutter Creek Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Sutter Creek Elementary in Sutter Creek, 28.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 28.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Sutter Creek Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (25.6% Math proficient); White students (48.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 17.4 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 78 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%
21.2%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 50th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-14.8pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 49th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
44.1%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 51th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
15.4%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 54th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.7%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 33th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35829%16%31%24%45%+1
Grade 46226%26%23%26%52%+7
Grade 54615%33%20%33%48%−0
Grade 65711%21%28%40%32%−15
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35821%29%29%21%50%+4
Grade 46221%32%34%13%53%+12
Grade 54615%2%35%48%17%−18
Grade 6579%19%25%47%28%−7
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/114613%11%59%17%

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 Disadvantaged7828.2%+0−10
White15848.1%+10−14
Students with Disabilities3823.7%+10+7
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Sutter Creek Elementary ←4421.2%44.1%−14.83.7%
North Star Academy1.5 mi4010.0%26.7%1.8%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194555#245417.7%46.0%6.9%0.2%-1.0pp
20222828#411418.2%39.5%24.8%0.7%-24.1pp
20233949#293415.1%31.7%16.1%1.5%+0.7pp
20243634#376914.6%40.7%13.7%3.2%-1.9pp
20254453#268821.2%44.1%15.4%3.7%-14.8pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 10 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female5.4%13.1%+7.7pp
Male8.2%17.0%+8.8pp
Hispanic/Latino6.0%16.2%+10.2pp
American Indian/Alaska Native7.7%
Two or More Races4.2%18.2%+14.0pp
Students with Disabilities4.4%22.1%+17.7pp
English Learners7.1%
Foster Youth0.0%
Homeless18.2%
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged10.2%24.0%+13.8pp
All Students6.8%15.2%+8.4pp
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