Paloma Elementary, Temecula CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Paloma Elementary

Paloma Elementary is a kindergarten through fifth-grade school in Temecula, part of Temecula Valley Unified. The school enrolled roughly five hundred students across its six grade levels, with roughly a third of the student body qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is racially mixed, with white and Hispanic students forming the two largest groups, followed by students identifying as multiracial, Asian, and smaller populations of Black and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. Specific counts for English learners and students with individualized education plans were not available.

On California's 2024-25 assessments, Paloma's proficiency rates showed uneven performance across subjects and grades. In English language arts, third grade students performed strongest, while fourth graders lagged slightly behind. Fifth graders came in just below third grade. In mathematics, results dipped. Third graders reached about two-thirds proficiency, but fourth graders fell to roughly half, with fifth graders recovering to nearly three-fifths. Science, tested only in fifth grade, showed about half the students meeting proficiency. Across all tested grades and subjects, Paloma's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile when compared against the other districts in Riverside County, a meaningful position. However, a parent may want to look into the mathematics gap in fourth grade further with the school, as the drop from third to fourth is notable.

The school serves a suburban residential setting in rapid growth. Temecula has expanded substantially over recent decades and continues to do so, with major new residential and mixed-use developments such as the Altair Specific Plan now underway west of downtown. The city itself functions as a regional hub for shopping, wine, and tourism, situated between San Diego and Los Angeles. Civic life is anchored in Old Town Temecula, a walkable historic district of a few blocks where city government, museums, and the farmers market cluster, though outside that core the area is auto-oriented. Housing in the zip code where Paloma sits is relatively expensive compared to national norms, and rents have risen modestly. Median household income countywide is solidly middle to upper-middle class.

Temecula Valley Unified has been navigating significant curriculum and policy conflicts. In 2023 the district, under state pressure, adopted a social studies curriculum including LGBTQ+ history that the board had initially rejected. The board also passed resolutions banning the teaching of critical race theory and established a policy requiring notification to parents if a child shows signs of being transgender. A flag policy bars all flags except the U.S. and California flags from school grounds and classrooms except in specific educational contexts. These policies and the board actions that created them have been matters of litigation and community debate. In June 2024, voters recalled the board president in a special election, shifting the composition of the five-seat board and leaving the future of these policies uncertain. For families, these district-level dynamics may bear on classroom environment and curriculum choices, and a parent may want to learn the current board's stance on these policies as it evolves.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 364%

School 64% · District 61% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 58% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 559%

School 59% · District 49% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 370%

School 70% · District 62% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Grade 465%

School 65% · District 63% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 64% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Science

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 45% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

This schoolTemecula Valley 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-income63%Higher-income74%11 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income47%Higher-income77%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income55%Higher-income78%23 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income92%Higher-income96%4 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income56%Higher-income68%12 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income36%Higher-income68%32 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income45%Higher-income68%23 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income87%Higher-income94%7 pp gap