The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Math. The lowest is 46% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Hughson Elementary
Hughson Elementary serves kindergarten through third grade in a small agricultural town in Stanislaus County's Central Valley, southeast of Modesto. The school sits on the east side of town along East Whitmore Avenue, part of the Hughson Unified School District's network across five sites.
The enrollment is small for an elementary school. A little over half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating moderate economic need. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial white minority and very small populations of other groups represented. Data on English learners and special education enrollment was not available.
On California's 2024-25 state assessments, third graders at Hughson Elementary met or exceeded proficiency benchmarks at just under half in both English language arts and math. These results place the school in the top quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades when compared to other schools and districts in Stanislaus County, a meaningful position given the county's diverse performance landscape. The school only has one year of recent test results in the available data, so trends cannot be assessed. Grade-level proficiency data for kindergarten through second grade is not reported by the state since those grades are not tested.
Hughson is itself in the midst of rapid growth. The town has roughly doubled in population over recent decades and is now adding subdivisions and new housing that will bring hundreds more residents in coming years. The largest employers are in education, manufacturing, and health care; agriculture and food processing anchor the local economy. Housing values in the area are moderate relative to California, though mortgage costs and the rent-to-income burden both affect affordability. The town has a compact historic downtown along Hughson Avenue with walkable local businesses and restaurants, but most daily life is car-dependent. Civic anchors include a county library branch and Fox Grove Park on the Tuolumne River, and regional transit connects to Modesto and Ceres.
The Hughson Unified School District has recently passed a voter-approved bond measure to address aging facilities. The work will include roof and mechanical system repairs or replacement, campus safety upgrades, added classrooms to handle growth, and renovation or replacement of aged buildings. This is a multi-year infrastructure effort that will reshape the physical plant students experience. Parents may want to check with the school about any current construction schedules and their impact on daily operations.
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