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Vallecitos Elementary · Rainbow

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

Vallecitos posts 40% meeting the standard and 16.3% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

5211 Fifth Street, 92028 (opens in new tab)·Vallecitos Elementary·Rainbow·Grades TK-8·195 students·81% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 728-7092
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4445
% Exceeded16%21%
% Met+40%43%
Growth-14.8-2.9
Absence10.5%17.9%
Suspension1.0%1.6%
Scope Score
44
🤝 Culture First · Developing
ranked #2,649 statewide

Vallecitos Elementary scores 44 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 54th 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 →

🤝 Culture First — Ask whether the low absenteeism and suspension numbers come from what the school does or from the community it serves — both can produce the same numbers, and only a visit tells you which.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “40% proficient” and call it done. Vallecitos deserves a closer read. The school sits in Rainbow, 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 35th to the 54th percentile since 2019 — past roughly 1000 elementary schools.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased)MathYellow(Declined Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 40% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 365%52%33%30%62%
Grade 438%40%50%43%43%
Grade 543%39%50%50%29%
Grade 637%47%22%47%42%
Grade 764%50%40%46%58%
Grade 878%45%74%56%46%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 350%46%50%26%33%
Grade 421%33%50%39%39%
Grade 538%26%22%33%36%
Grade 620%35%22%21%46%
Grade 754%30%30%21%21%
Grade 852%32%35%44%11%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
16.3%
State 21.3%
5.0pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-14.8pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
40.4%
State 42.7%
2.2pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
10.5%
State 17.9%
7.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.0%
State 1.6%
0.6pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
9.5%
State 18.0%
8.5pp 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 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 Vallecitos Elementary in Rainbow, 40.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Vallecitos Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (24.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (42.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 8.7 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 98 students tested.

All students at this school: 38% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 38%, district —, state 43%38%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 35%, district 35%, state 32%35% · −3 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 32%, district 32%, state 32%32% · −6 vs school
MaleMale: this school 40%, district 40%, state 42%40% · +2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 30%, district 30%, state 44%30% · −8 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 23%, district 23%, state 11%23% · −15 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: too few students to report‹11
WhiteWhite: too few students to report‹11
AsianAsian: too few students to report‹11
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: too few students to report‹11
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 math proficiency rises by 1.3pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +1.3pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 10.5%, district 10.5%, state 17.9%10.5% · −7.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.0%, district —, state 1.6%1.0% · −0.6pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly three times the rate of Grades 7–8 students (22.9% vs 4.1%). 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 4–65.3%
Grades 7–84.1%
TK/K22.9%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 22:1, district 22:122:1
Teaching staff10 teachers
Avg. experience12.2 years
Fully credentialed100%
First-year teachers20%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$51,831 – $111,155
Principal salary$128,135 – $0
Superintendent salary$172,550

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,637, CA average $14,815$18,637 · spent at this school
Federal share$542 per student

$542 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$19,538 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
Instruction58%
Instruction support9%
Student services9%
Administration14%
Buildings & maintenance9%
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$19,316 per pupil
2019$15,677 per pupil
2018$13,634 per pupil
2017$7,157 per pupil
2016$8,208 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic84.1%
District 84.1% · CA 56.1%
White13.3%
District 13.3% · CA 19.9%
Asian1.5%
District 1.5% · CA 10.2%
Black0.5%
District 0.5% · CA 4.8%
Other0.5%
District 0.5% · CA 9.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 81.0% (17pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$111K · CA $85K
Median home value$843K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+36% · CA 35%
ZIP population52,227
Median age39 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 195 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), 28% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Vallecitos Elementary a good elementary school?

Vallecitos Elementary has a Scope Score of 44 out of 100, placing it in the 54th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #2,649 statewide. 16.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 5.0 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 Vallecitos Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 40.4% of students at Vallecitos Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 16.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 16.3% 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. 123 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Vallecitos Elementary rank in California?

Vallecitos Elementary ranks #2,649 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 54th 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 Vallecitos Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Vallecitos 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 Vallecitos Elementary?

10.5% of students at Vallecitos 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 1.0%, 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 Vallecitos Elementary compare to other schools in Rainbow?

Vallecitos Elementary scores 44/100 (54th 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 195 students. Use the schools in Rainbow page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

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

At Vallecitos Elementary in Rainbow, 40.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Vallecitos Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (24.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (42.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 8.7 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 98 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%
16.3%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 45th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-14.8pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 54th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
40.4%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 48th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
10.5%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 62th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.0%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 55th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
9.5%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 41th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 31323%38%31%8%62%+18
Grade 42317%26%30%26%43%−1
Grade 52417%13%42%29%29%−19
Grade 62623%19%35%23%42%−4
Grade 71921%37%32%11%58%+10
Grade 82818%29%36%18%46%+0
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3157%27%13%53%33%−12
Grade 42326%13%22%39%39%−2
Grade 5258%28%28%36%36%+1
Grade 62627%19%12%42%46%+11
Grade 71911%11%32%47%21%−13
Grade 8287%4%32%57%11%−22
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11536%23%60%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 Disadvantaged9840.8%+0+3
Hispanic/Latino10142.6%+0+4
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Vallecitos Elementary ←—4416.3%40.4%−14.81.0%
California average—4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193635#359920.9%42.3%7.4%0.9%-16.9pp
20223239#352118.6%39.4%21.3%1.1%-16.4pp
20234462#214622.1%42.6%23.8%4.4%-5.5pp
20244149#294418.6%37.1%10.5%1.1%+13.4pp
20254454#264916.3%40.4%10.5%1.0%-14.8pp
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.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female7.5%7.4%-0.1pp
Male7.1%9.8%+2.7pp
Hispanic/Latino5.3%8.0%+2.7pp
Students with Disabilities10.3%2.7%-7.6pp
English Learners4.7%7.0%+2.3pp
Military-Connected3.8%2.7%-1.1pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged7.3%8.4%+1.1pp
All Students7.3%8.7%+1.4pp
Homeless—4.8%—
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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