School district · Nevada County

Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary schools

Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary runs schools through 8th grade. Its 3 public elementary schools run from the 35th to the 68th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). High school is run by another district; confirm the school for your address with the district.

Elementary · 3 schools

from 35th to 68th · among 5,726 California elementary schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • Alta Sierra Elementary: 68th percentile, Solid
  • Arete Charter Academy: 67th percentile, Solid
  • Cottage Hill Elementary: 35th percentile, Developing
0Needs Support
1Developing
2Solid
0Strong

Middle · 2 schools

from 57th to 63rd · among 2,529 California middle schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • Magnolia Intermediate: 63rd percentile, Solid
  • Arete Charter Academy: 57th percentile, Solid
0Needs Support
0Developing
2Solid
0Strong

One dot per school. Each stage is placed only among California schools at its own level. 1 of the 4 ranked schools teaches two levels, so it appears in more than one picture.

  • 4 ranked schools
  • 1 of 4 is a charter school

Schools around the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district

4 listed public schools with mapped locations.

Open full map →

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Percentile among California schools at the same level

  • Strong75th+
  • Solid50–74th
  • Developing25–49th
  • Needs Supportbelow 25th
  • Not scored

The school lists on this page are also available without the map.

Elementary schools

Which elementary schools in the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district score highest?

Alta Sierra Elementary is highest, at the 68th percentile.

That’s higher than 68 in 100 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level.

Context

The average elementary school in the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district had 8 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once.

Middle schools

Which middle schools in the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district score highest?

Magnolia Intermediate is highest, at the 63rd percentile.

That’s higher than 63 in 100 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level.

The district

Where does Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary’s money go, and what does it plan?

The Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district spent $14,397 per student in the 2024–25 school year.

The typical California district spent $20,491. About 65 cents of every Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary dollar went to classroom instruction.

Spending by function

Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus.

Share by function, 2024–25

  • Instruction65%
  • Instruction support11%
  • Student services9%
  • Administration7%
  • Buildings & maintenance8%

Shares of the same spending total, by the report’s spending categories, rounded so they add up to 100. Names are simplified from the report’s own categories.

What the district plans

$21.4 million

planned in its 2026–27 plan for 28 funded actions in 4 goals. That’s 85% of its $25.1 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts; the district reports what it spent in a later plan.

The plan in short

Source: the district’s yearly spending plan (Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, 92 pages), as posted to the California School Dashboard.

Where the money goes

Three actions take 64% of the money. The plan itself puts 82% of it toward staff.

  • Appropriately Assigned Teachers (Priority 1) $7.7 million
  • Special Education Support & Professional Development (Priority 4) $4.1 million
  • Support Staff (Priority 1) $1.8 million
  • 25 other actions
Reading, math and catch-up help

7 of the plan’s 28 funded actions name reading, math, catch-up help or English learners in their titles.

Actions whose titles name reading or catch-up help
  • Reading under $0.1 million
  • Catch-up help $2.6 million

Largest of these

  • Academic Support for ELL and Foster Youth Students (Priority 4)$1.0 million
  • Experiential Learning & Tutoring (Priority 4 & 8)$764,668
  • Intensive Intervention (Priority 4)$660,000
For high-need students (English learners, low-income students and foster youth), what changed and what its goals measure
For high-need students

It plans $1.1 million in extra services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth. For 2025–26, it planned $1.1 million and estimates it spent $1.7 million, $0.6 million (51%) more than planned (our arithmetic).

What changed

The total is $261,543 (1%) lower than in the 2025–26 plan. The biggest change in dollars is Family Engagement (Priority 3), which went from $875,164 to $14,604.

Largest cuts

  • Family Engagement (Priority 3)−⁠$860,560
  • Support Staff (Priority 1)−⁠$228,687
  • Facilities Upgrade to Reflect 21st Century Learning Environment (Priority 1)−⁠$204,707

Largest increases

  • Experiential Learning & Tutoring (Priority 4 & 8)+⁠$368,002
  • Curriculum, Supplemental Materials, & Professional Development (Priority 1,2,4,7)+⁠$302,843
  • Appropriately Assigned Teachers (Priority 1)+⁠$222,793

Ask: What did Family Engagement (Priority 3) pay for, and what changes now that the 2026–27 plan gives it $860,560 less?

What its goals measure

Read these state results for the district’s own schools as context for the goals they measure; results alone can’t show what the plan caused.

What its goals measure: state results, 2024–25 and 2025–26
Measure2024–252025–26Change
English, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 251%51%no change
Math, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goals 3 and 441%44%up 3 pts

Goal 1 isn’t shown because it tracks other measures.

Figures from CDE’s state test, chronic absence and suspension files. Test figures cover every grade the district tests (California tests grades 3–8 and 11), so they differ from a profile’s rated grades. We combined the district’s schools ourselves, weighted by students and leaving out charter schools. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days.

The plan’s own titles and amounts
  • Appropriately Assigned Teachers (Priority 1) · $7,740,327
  • Special Education Support & Professional Development (Priority 4) · $4,065,771
  • Support Staff (Priority 1) · $1,832,228
The full plan4 goals, 31 measures and where the money goes

We calculate each action’s share of the plan by dividing its planned amount by the total of the plan’s funded actions ($21.4 million).

Where does the money go?

62% to Goal 4. Each box is one action, sized by its planned dollars and coloured by its change since last year’s plan. Tap a box to open its goal.

G1
G2
G4

Change since the 2025–26 plan, same title

  • fell 25% or more
  • fell 10–25%
  • fell 2–10%
  • within 2%
  • grew 2–10%
  • grew 10–25%
  • grew 25% or more
  • new or renamed title
  • not compared: unconfirmed, or repeated across goals

Every goal, in the plan’s order

Goal 1PRUSD aims to establish an engaging school culture that values diversity, fosters academic excellence, and…$1.1 million5% of action budgets

“PRUSD aims to establish an engaging school culture that values diversity, fosters academic excellence, and promotes mutual respect among students, parents, educators, and the community, as measured by attendance rates, student celebrations, annual surveys, and discipline data. This goal will be measured by after-school activity participation rates, attendance rates, suspension rates, chronic absenteeism rates, middle school drop-out rates, and the condition of facilities. PRUSD developed this goal to address the identified needs of improving student engagement by improving attendance, decreasing chronic absenteeism, and increasing participation beyond the school day while decreasing suspensions of students with disabilities” p. 13 ↗

9 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $1.9 million (−⁠$756,783)

Largest funded actions

  1. SEL, Crisis, and Mental Health Counseling. (Priority 6)$796,069action 1.4 · p. 51 ↗
  2. Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA). (Priority 5)$183,888action 1.5 · p. 51 ↗
  3. Develop a comprehensive Multi-Tier Systems of Support (MTSS). (Priority 6)$73,197action 1.1 · p. 51 ↗
  4. Refine SST, SART, DARB, and 504 Processes. (Priority 5)$45,000action 1.7 · p. 51 ↗
  5. Family Engagement (Priority 3)$14,604action 1.9 · p. 51 ↗

4 more funded actions in this goal

  • Communication (Priority 3) · action 1.6 · p. 51 ↗$10,500
  • Student Celebrations (Priority 6) · action 1.3 · p. 51 ↗$10,000
  • Coordinate Access to Parenting Classes. (Priority 3) · action 1.2 · p. 51 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$5,100
  • Student Transitions. (Home to TK/​K & 5th to 6th) (Priority 8) · action 1.8 · p. 51 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$4,960

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Family Engagement (Priority 3)−⁠$860,560$875,164 → $14,604 · p. 51 ↗
  2. Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA). (Priority 5)+⁠$123,888$60,000 → $183,888 · p. 51 ↗
  3. SEL, Crisis, and Mental Health Counseling. (Priority 6)−⁠$25,211$821,280 → $796,069 · p. 51 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

  • Develop a comprehensive Multi-Tier Systems of Support (MTSS). (Priority 6) · $73,197 → $73,197 · p. 51 ↗unchanged
  • Refine SST, SART, DARB, and 504 Processes. (Priority 5) · $40,800 → $45,000 · p. 51 ↗+⁠$4,200
  • Communication (Priority 3) · $9,500 → $10,500 · p. 51 ↗+⁠$1,000
  • Student Celebrations (Priority 6) · $4,000 → $10,000 · p. 51 ↗+⁠$6,000
  • Coordinate Access to Parenting Classes. (Priority 3) · $5,100 · p. 51 ↗new or renamed
  • Student Transitions. (Home to TK/​K & 5th to 6th) (Priority 8) · $4,960 → $4,960 · p. 51 ↗unchanged

A reworded title counts as new.

How the plan measures it · 9 measures

None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 13 ↗.

Goal 2PRUSD aims to improve students' literacy skills and ensure they are well-prepared for academic success that…$6.7 million31% of action budgets

“PRUSD aims to improve students' literacy skills and ensure they are well-prepared for academic success that is appropriate to their grade level. Students will be equipped for literacy at their grade level through initial direct instruction that covers phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing skills, as demonstrated on the annual CAASPP and local assessments” p. 23 ↗

9 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $6.2 million (+⁠$460,538)

Largest funded actions

  1. Special Education Support & Professional Development (Priority 4)$4.1 millionaction 2.3 · p. 52 ↗
  2. Academic Support for ELL and Foster Youth Students (Priority 4)$1.0 millionaction 2.6 · p. 52 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  3. Experiential Learning & Tutoring (Priority 4 & 8)$0.8 millionaction 2.7 · p. 52 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  4. Intensive Intervention (Priority 4)$0.7 millionaction 2.9 · p. 52 ↗
  5. Curriculum, Supplemental Materials, & PD (Priority 1,2,4,7)under $0.1 millionaction 2.1 · p. 52 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services

4 more funded actions in this goal

  • Literacy Development (Priority 4) · action 2.4 · p. 52 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need servicesunder $0.1 million
  • Common Summative Assessments (Priority 4) · action 2.2 · p. 52 ↗under $0.1 million
  • Tiered Interventions (Priority 4) · action 2.8 · p. 52 ↗under $0.1 million
  • Common Writing Assessments (Priority 4) · action 2.5 · p. 52 ↗under $0.1 million

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Experiential Learning & Tutoring (Priority 4 & 8)+⁠$368,002$396,666 → $764,668 · p. 52 ↗
  2. Special Education Support & Professional Development (Priority 4)+⁠$0.1 million$3.9 million → $4.1 million · p. 52 ↗
  3. Academic Support for ELL and Foster Youth Students (Priority 4)−⁠$22,183$1.0 million → $1.0 million · p. 52 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

  • Intensive Intervention (Priority 4) · $673,000 → $660,000 · p. 52 ↗−⁠$13,000
  • Curriculum, Supplemental Materials, & PD (Priority 1,2,4,7) · $41,000 → $50,000 · p. 52 ↗+⁠$9,000
  • Literacy Development (Priority 4) · $59,731 → $50,000 · p. 52 ↗−⁠$9,731
  • Common Summative Assessments (Priority 4) · $23,589 → $31,000 · p. 52 ↗+⁠$7,411
  • Tiered Interventions (Priority 4) · $30,000 → $30,000 · p. 52 ↗unchanged
  • Common Writing Assessments (Priority 4) · $14,933 → $12,444 · p. 52 ↗−⁠$2,489

How the plan measures it · 8 measures

None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 23 ↗.

Goal 3PRUSD aims to enhance students' mathematical and scientific understanding, proficiency, and application by…$359,2042% of action budgets

“PRUSD aims to enhance students' mathematical and scientific understanding, proficiency, and application by addressing learning gaps, improving instructional quality, and promoting a positive mathematical and Scientific mindset, as demonstrated on the annual CaASPP and local assessments” p. 31 ↗

2 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $98,961 (+⁠$260,243)

Largest funded actions

  1. Curriculum, Supplemental Materials, & Professional Development (Priority 1,2,4,7)$329,204action 3.1 · p. 52 ↗
  2. Tiered Interventions (Priority 4)$30,000action 3.6 · p. 53 ↗

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Curriculum, Supplemental Materials, & Professional Development (Priority 1,2,4,7)+⁠$302,843$26,361 → $329,204 · p. 52 ↗
  2. Tiered Interventions (Priority 4)−⁠$600$30,600 → $30,000 · p. 53 ↗

How the plan measures it · 7 measures

None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 31 ↗.

Goal 4PRUSD will ensure that all students receive a high-quality education supported by well-maintained facilities…$13.2 million62% of action budgets

“PRUSD will ensure that all students receive a high-quality education supported by well-maintained facilities, qualified teachers, and effective implementation of state standards” p. 38 ↗

8 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $13.5 million (−⁠$225,541)

Largest funded actions

  1. Appropriately Assigned Teachers (Priority 1)$7.7 millionaction 4.7 · p. 53 ↗
  2. Support Staff (Priority 1)$1.8 millionaction 4.6 · p. 53 ↗
  3. Facilities Upgrade to Reflect 21st Century Learning Environment (Priority 1)$1.8 millionaction 4.3 · p. 53 ↗
  4. Specialized Services for SWD (Priority 4 & 6)$1.6 millionaction 4.8 · p. 53 ↗
  5. Digital Citizenship (Priority 5)$0.1 millionaction 4.2 · p. 53 ↗

3 more funded actions in this goal

  • Professional Development (Priority 8) · action 4.4 · p. 53 ↗$0.1 million
  • Refreshing Digital Software & Hardware (Priority 8) · action 4.1 · p. 53 ↗under $0.1 million
  • Induction Training (Priority 1) · action 4.9 · p. 53 ↗under $0.1 million

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Support Staff (Priority 1)−⁠$0.2 million$2.1 million → $1.8 million · p. 53 ↗
  2. Appropriately Assigned Teachers (Priority 1)+⁠$0.2 million$7.5 million → $7.7 million · p. 53 ↗
  3. Facilities Upgrade to Reflect 21st Century Learning Environment (Priority 1)−⁠$0.2 million$2.0 million → $1.8 million · p. 53 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

  • Specialized Services for SWD (Priority 4 & 6) · $1.5 million → $1.6 million · p. 53 ↗+⁠$0.1 million
  • Digital Citizenship (Priority 5) · $253,801 → $132,858 · p. 53 ↗−⁠$120,943
  • Professional Development (Priority 8) · $98,197 → $80,000 · p. 53 ↗−⁠$18,197
  • Refreshing Digital Software & Hardware (Priority 8) · $50,000 → $50,000 · p. 53 ↗unchanged
  • Induction Training (Priority 1) · $28,800 → $36,000 · p. 53 ↗+⁠$7,200

How the plan measures it · 7 measures

None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 38 ↗.

All amounts are planned. We read them from the PDF and added up each goal’s actions ourselves. Page links open the plan at that page.

Who goes to the district’s schools
Who attends

Student mix

2024–25 · October enrollment count, 1,443 students
1. White: 70%2. Hispanic or Latino: 16%3. Two or more races: 8%4. Not reported: 4%5. American Indian or Alaska Native: <1%6. Filipino: <1%7. Black or African American: <1%8. Asian: <1%9. Pacific Islander: <1%Student mix2024–25
  1. White70%
  2. Hispanic or Latino16%
  3. Two or more races8%
  4. Not reported4%
  5. American Indian or Alaska Native<1%
  6. Filipino<1%
  7. Black or African American<1%
  8. Asian<1%
  9. Pacific Islander<1%
Shares use the district's own October enrollment counts from the CDE, including its charter schools. Rounded labels may not total 100%; segments use the original shares.

Free or reduced-price meals

34%

Across California, 63% of students qualify.

2024–25 · 484 of 1,440 students qualify, summed from the CDE’s meal counts for every school it lists under the district, charters included. It comes from a different CDE file than the student mix, so the two totals differ.

The district’s state records

Is the state giving the district extra help?

The state is giving Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary extra help in 2026, the second year after it qualified on the 2025 Dashboard.

How English learners moved up on the state’s English test

From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 58% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (7 of 12 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent.

Sources: District help (CDE) ↗ · English learner progress (CDE) ↗. State results from the 2026 California School Dashboard.

Which places nearby can you look at next?

Cities in the district

Common questions

Which public schools in the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district rank highest?

Elementary: Alta Sierra Elementary, 68th percentile (Solid). Middle: Magnolia Intermediate, 63rd percentile (Solid). Each percentile is among the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.

Does living in the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district decide which school my child attends?

Not by itself. Attendance boundaries, programs, transfers and space all matter. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
More questions (5)

Are the public schools in the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district good?

Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary’s 3 public elementary schools run from the 35th to the 68th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 2 Solid and 1 Developing. Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary’s 2 public middle schools run from the 57th to the 63rd percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 2 Solid. A percentile compares a school with California public schools at the same level that we score. How we score schools.

How does chronic absence in the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district compare with California?

The average elementary school in the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district had 8 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once. These are averages of school rates: each school counts once, whatever its size.

How much does the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district spend per student?

The Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district spent $14,397 per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491. About 65 cents of every Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary dollar went to classroom instruction. Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from its annual financial report to the California Department of Education. The district’s spending, by function.

What is in the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district’s 2026–27 spending plan?

The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $21.4 million into 28 funded actions in 4 goals, 85% of its $25.1 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $13.2 million, 62% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.

Where do these results come from?

California’s state tests (CAASPP) from spring 2026 and chronic-absence rates for 2025–26, published by the California Department of Education. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.

Sources and methodology

This page lists the public schools governed and funded by the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district, with the district’s spending and state accountability records.

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2025–26

Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s own calculations from these state files.

View CDE data ↗ (opens in a new tab)How Scope Scores work →

Download these schools (CSV)Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.