Baldy View Elementary, Upland CA

Original Research by School Decision on Baldy View Elementary

Baldy View Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Upland, a residential city in the San Gabriel Mountains foothills of San Bernardino County. The school is part of Upland Unified, which has recently restructured its elementary schools around themed academies. Baldy View operates as a Dual Language Immersion academy, teaching in both English and Spanish to build bilingualism and biliteracy for both native English speakers and multilingual learners.

The school's enrollment is small, concentrated in the early grades, with the largest cohorts in kindergarten through second grade and smaller populations in the upper elementary years. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, and the student body is predominantly Latino, with smaller representations of Black, Asian, and white students. This reflects the economic and demographic makeup of the surrounding neighborhoods.

In state testing, Baldy View's proficiency rates show mixed performance across grade levels and subjects. In mathematics, third and fourth graders score in the middle range, but fifth grade dips notably lower, with sixth grade recovering somewhat. English language arts shows a similar grade-by-grade pattern, with third and fourth graders near or above the low-to-mid range, fifth grade declining, and sixth grade rising to just above mid-range. Fifth-grade science proficiency is notably low. Across tested grades and subjects combined, the school ranks above the midpoint relative to other schools in San Bernardino County. This profile suggests that students in grades three and four have stronger foundational skills, while fifth grade appears to be a transition point where proficiency drops across subjects, before rebounding somewhat in sixth grade. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand whether instructional focus shifts in fifth grade or whether particular supports are in place for that level.

The dual language model is the defining programmatic feature. Families choosing Baldy View should understand that this is a choice school within the district, not based on residence alone, and that the program requires commitment to bilingual instruction as a pedagogical approach. The school's relatively small size and concentration in the primary grades means it serves as a launching point for multilingual students; the upper elementary years are smaller cohorts transitioning toward middle school.

Upland itself is a car-oriented community with mature, tree-lined neighborhoods and a mix of older California and Spanish Colonial Revival homes. The city is investing in downtown revitalization and has several civic anchors including the public library, parks, and the Pacific Electric Trail, a paved walking and biking corridor. The local economy is anchored by healthcare, education, retail, and light manufacturing. Housing values and rents in the zip code are near state average. The district offers universal free meals, a significant household benefit, and will launch an early-college high school in fall of next year, adding a college-credit pathway that may be relevant as families plan for secondary education.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 50% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 40% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 641%

School 41% · District 45% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 53% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 52% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 56% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 62% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Science

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 40% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

This schoolUpland Unified, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income30%Higher-income50%20 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income33%Higher-income50%18 pp gap