Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
The elementary schools sit at the state line (34.7 vs 38.9) — the 16-point school-to-school spread is where the choice lives.
5 elementary schools span 16 points around an average of 34.7.
Students are showing up: chronic absenteeism runs 8.1% against a state average of 17.9%.
The level sits 4.1 points below the state line.
The middle years
One middle school: El Portal Middle at 28/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.
One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.
El Portal Middle is the strongest option at 28/100 — 10.3% of its students exceed the state standard.
The suspension rate averages 9.9% against 3.6% statewide — worth a direct question on a visit.
The high school years
The high schools average 39.9/100 — 14.1 points below the state average. Here is what that number does and doesn't say.
2 high schools span 30 points around an average of 39.9.
1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.
Escalon High is the strongest option at 55/100 — 16.1% of its students exceed the state standard.
29.3% of students are chronically absent (state: 23.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.
What it means for your family
Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Van Allen Elementary at 41/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
1 of the 8 ranked schools is a charter — enrollment paths that don't depend on your address. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, those lotteries and applications are the levers worth the paperwork.
A band is a position, not a prophecy — a school's number can move without your kid's experience moving with it. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.
The strongest-scoring run through the district:
Van Allen Elementary 61st percentile · SolidScope Score 41/100El Portal Middle 30th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 28/100Escalon High 56th percentile · SolidScope Score 55/100
Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.
What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.