Panama-Buena Vista Union: Panama-Buena Vista Union schools score 5.6 points below the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 5.4 points.
Panama-Buena Vista Union has 20 ranked schools across elementary levels with an average Scope Score of 39.2/100 — 5.6 points below the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Highgate Elementary at 74/100, where 48.5% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $13,968 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 3 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 18.9%, near the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
Panama-Buena Vista Union's elementary schools average 39.2/100 — 5.6 points below the state average with a −5.4pp declining trajectory.
District Analysis
Panama-Buena Vista Union has 20 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 39.2/100 — 5.6 points below the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
District-wide elementary growth averages -5.4pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.
Score range of 53.4 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 18.9%, 1.0pp near the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 1.3%, near the state average of 1.6%.
Highgate Elementary leads the district at 74 with 48.5% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Panama-Buena Vista Union
Hidden gems: 4 schools in Panama-Buena Vista Union are classified as Growth Engine (3) or On the Rise — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.
Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more
Student demographics
District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data
District Funding
Panama-Buena Vista Union spends $13,968 per student in current expenditures — $846 below the state average of $14,815.
Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020
Teacher compensation
CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25
Every school in Panama-Buena Vista Union
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (20)
Panama-Buena Vista Union has 20 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 39.2 — 5.6 points below the state average of 44.8. 1 of 20 elementary schools score above 70.
Growth averages -5.4pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Highgate Elementary with a Scope Score of 74 and 48.5% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Highgate Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Strong All-Around | 48.5% | Strong 74/100 |
| 2 | Ronald Reagan Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Culture First | 37.4% | Solid 58/100 |
| 3 | Stockdale Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Growth Engine | 32.2% | Solid 57/100 |
| 4 | Buena Vista Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Culture First | 26.2% | Solid 51/100 |
| 5 | Old River Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Growth Engine | 20.1% | Developing 47/100 |
| 6 | Leo B. Hart Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Growth Engine | 21.1% | Developing 45/100 |
| 7 | Douglas J. Miller Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Culture First | 18.0% | Developing 43/100 |
| 8 | Christa McAuliffe Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Building Momentum | 16.9% | Developing 41/100 |
| 9 | Sing Lum Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Building Momentum | 11.9% | Developing 39/100 |
| 10 | Dolores S. Whitley TK-8 Panama-Buena Vista Union Building Momentum | 18.0% | Developing 38/100 |
| 11 | Panama Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Building Momentum | 18.9% | Developing 38/100 |
| 12 | Roy W. Loudon Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Building Momentum | 11.5% | Developing 38/100 |
| 13 | Bill L. Williams Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Building Momentum | 14.5% | Developing 36/100 |
| 14 | Laurelglen Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Building Momentum | 9.3% | Developing 33/100 |
| 15 | Amy B. Seibert Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union On the Rise | 5.5% | Needs Support 29/100 |
| 16 | Stine Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Building Momentum | 7.1% | Needs Support 27/100 |
| 17 | Louise Sandrini Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Building Momentum | 16.1% | Needs Support 25/100 |
| 18 | Berkshire Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Building Momentum | 9.6% | Needs Support 24/100 |
| 19 | Charles H. Castle Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Building Momentum | 7.6% | Needs Support 22/100 |
| 20 | Wayne Van Horn Elementary Panama-Buena Vista Union Building Momentum | 6.1% | Needs Support 21/100 |
Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology
Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.
Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology