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Tuolumne Elementary · Modesto

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

Tuolumne posts low test scores — and suspensions run below the state rate (0.9% vs 1.6%). If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

707 Herndon Road, 95351 (opens in new tab)·Modesto City Elementary·Modesto·Grades TK-8·624 students·92% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(209) 574-8442·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope2945
% Exceeded5%21%
% Met+19%43%
Growth-7.4-2.9
Absence20.1%17.9%
Suspension0.9%1.6%
Scope Score
29
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #4,954 statewide · #22 of 24 in Modesto City Elementary

Tuolumne Elementary scores 29 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 14th 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 “19% proficient” and call it done. Tuolumne deserves a closer read. The school sits in Modesto, where four 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 seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Has stayed near the 14th percentile since 2019.

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

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 19% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 315%17%20%11%21%
Grade 417%21%12%22%22%
Grade 526%11%6%24%18%
Grade 610%19%18%7%17%
Grade 720%19%18%12%
Grade 817%25%26%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 318%16%22%14%26%
Grade 413%10%7%13%11%
Grade 512%9%9%12%14%
Grade 66%8%14%4%7%
Grade 78%9%14%8%
Grade 83%15%21%

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.

15%
79%
Grade 3 · 21% proficient
17%
78%
Grade 4 · 22% proficient
14%
81%
Grade 5 · 19% proficient

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
4.6%
State 21.3%
16.7pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-7.4pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
18.8%
State 42.7%
23.9pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
20.1%
State 17.9%
2.2pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.9%
State 1.6%
0.8pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
10.5%
State 18.0%
7.5pp 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.

  • 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 Tuolumne Elementary in Modesto, 18.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Tuolumne Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 10.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (15.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (19.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 12.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 354 students tested.

All students at this school: 17% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 17%, district —, state 43%17%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 17%, district 25%, state 32%17% · −0 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 18%, district 25%, state 32%18% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 16%, district 29%, state 42%16% · −1 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 7%, district 9%, state 11%7% · −10 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 18%, district 29%, state 44%18% · +1 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 0%, district 7%, state 15%0% · −17 vs school

7 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 falls by 2.3pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +7.1pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 20.1%, district 15.2%, state 17.9%20.1% · +2.2pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.9%, district —, state 1.6%0.9% · −0.8pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly twice the rate of Grades 7–8 students (27.2% vs 14.6%). 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 4–620.7%
Grades 7–814.6%
TK/K27.2%

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
Tuolumne Elementary
29
This school

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

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 25:1, district 22:125:1
Teaching staff32 teachers
Avg. experience17.3 years
Fully credentialed86%

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,562, CA average $14,815$19,562 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,233 per student

$1,233 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic90.2%
District 72.2% · CA 56.1%
White5.1%
District 14.3% · CA 19.9%
Other2.4%
District 8.0% · CA 9.0%
Black1.8%
District 2.0% · CA 4.8%
Asian0.5%
District 3.6% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 91.7% (28pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$58K · CA $85K
Median home value$344K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+7% · CA 35%
ZIP population48,498
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), 13% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tuolumne Elementary a good elementary school?

Tuolumne Elementary has a Scope Score of 29 out of 100, placing it in the 14th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #4,954 statewide. 4.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 16.7 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 Tuolumne Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 18.8% of students at Tuolumne Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 4.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 14.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 4.6% 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. 408 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Tuolumne Elementary rank in California?

Tuolumne Elementary ranks #4,954 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 14th 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 Tuolumne Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Tuolumne Elementary decreases by 7.4 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 Tuolumne Elementary?

20.1% of students at Tuolumne Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to 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 Tuolumne Elementary compare to other schools in Modesto?

Tuolumne Elementary scores 29/100 (14th 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 624 students. Use the schools in Modesto page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

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

At Tuolumne Elementary in Modesto, 18.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Tuolumne Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 10.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (15.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (19.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 12.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 354 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%
4.6%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 34th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-7.4pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 44th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
18.8%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 32th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
20.1%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 46th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.9%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 56th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
10.5%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 40th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3716%15%30%49%21%−22
Grade 4645%17%13%66%22%−23
Grade 5665%14%21%61%18%−30
Grade 6520%17%19%63%17%−29
Grade 7590%12%25%63%12%−36
Grade 8618%18%34%39%26%−20
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3726%21%22%51%26%−19
Grade 4663%8%29%61%11%−31
Grade 5694%10%19%67%14%−21
Grade 6550%7%16%76%7%−28
Grade 7632%6%30%62%8%−26
Grade 8666%15%12%67%21%−11
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111354%8%52%36%

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 Disadvantaged35418.9%−11−19
Hispanic/Latino33619.9%−10−19
English Learners1748.0%−1−2
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Tuolumne Elementary ←294.6%18.8%−7.40.9%
Lakewood Elementary3.2 mi5535.4%58.4%+0.41.7%
Enslen Elementary2.7 mi5427.4%58.8%−7.31.1%
Aspire University Charter1.5 mi4815.0%33.3%+11.00.8%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20192711#48822.5%16.8%7.2%0.5%+2.2pp
2022175#54603.8%13.9%55.5%3.0%-6.7pp
2023172#55932.6%12.7%26.3%5.7%-13.4pp
2024236#53755.8%16.1%20.3%5.2%+5.2pp
20252914#49544.6%18.8%20.1%0.9%-7.4pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 19 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
Female7.3%19.1%+11.8pp
Male6.9%21.5%+14.6pp
Filipino6.7%
Hispanic/Latino6.8%17.7%+10.9pp
Two or More Races0.0%
Students with Disabilities14.3%21.7%+7.4pp
English Learners4.7%14.8%+10.1pp
Homeless35.3%60.0%+24.7pp
Military-Connected0.0%
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged7.2%21.1%+13.9pp
All Students7.1%20.3%+13.2pp
Black/African American56.3%
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