Caruthers Elementary, Caruthers CA

Original Research by School Decision on Caruthers Elementary

Caruthers Elementary serves kindergarten through eighth grade in a small, agricultural farming community in Fresno County where the local economy centers on almond and grape orchards. The school sits within a rural setting where the majority of families work in farming or farm-adjacent jobs, and the peer environment reflects this: the enrollment is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. This is a school that serves a working-class, agricultural community and shapes itself around that reality.

The state test results show students working below the state midpoint across both English language arts and mathematics. In English, proficiency runs from roughly the mid-forties in grades six and seven down to the mid-to-upper thirties in grades four and eight. In mathematics, the pattern is similar, with a modest showing in grade three but a steeper decline through the upper elementary and middle grades, bottoming near the low thirties in grades five, seven, and eight. Science results are much lower, with single-digit to low-teen proficiency in the tested grades. These outcomes are below what a parent would see in many California schools, and a parent should look into what supports the school is putting in place to move those numbers upward. The data available does not cover trends over time, so it is not clear whether proficiency has been rising, stable, or falling. State test data for earlier grades or information on growth trajectories would help clarify the trajectory.

Compared to other school districts in Fresno County, Caruthers Elementary falls into the top quartile on an overall proficiency index across tested subjects, meaning it outperforms a meaningful share of Fresno County schools. That position reflects the fact that some district schools in the county perform significantly lower; even so, the absolute numbers at Caruthers show work ahead.

The school does not report chronic absenteeism or four-year graduation rate, which reflects that it serves only through eighth grade and does not track cohorts to high school completion. No data on English learner enrollment or special education enrollment rates was available. The school's enrollment is stable at around five hundred students, with relatively even distribution across grade levels.

The district has recently added arts and music instruction funding through Proposition 28, and Caruthers Elementary operates an expanded learning program offering before and after-school care. These are meaningful supports for working families who need both structured supervision and enrichment during out-of-school hours.

The housing market in Caruthers reflects a rural, working-class community. Median home values are notably below California and national benchmarks, and the affordability ratio is tighter than the national standard, meaning that buying power relative to local incomes is tighter than in many parts of the state. Rents are estimated below mortgage equivalents, suggesting that a meaningful share of residents rent rather than own. This is a community with modest housing costs relative to many California towns, but also lower incomes, so the math does not favor quick accumulation of home equity.

For a parent weighing Caruthers Elementary, the school serves a predominantly Hispanic, economically working population in a rural agricultural setting. The test outcomes are below the California mainstream, and a parent may want to look into what academic supports, intervention structures, and instructional approaches the school uses, particularly in mathematics and science where the numbers are lowest. The school does offer continuity from kindergarten through eighth grade and is the community's main public school serving these grades. The expanded learning program and new arts instruction are tangible additions for working families in a town where after-school care is otherwise limited.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 356%

School 56% · District 54% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 41% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 33%

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 40% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 733%

School 33% · District 33% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 29% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 347%

School 47% · District 44% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 35%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 42% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 51%

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

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 52% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 42% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Science

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 17% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 86%

School 6% · District 8% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 42%

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

This schoolCaruthers 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 6Lower-income46%Higher-income73%28 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income51%Higher-income83%33 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income40%Higher-income60%20 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income30%Higher-income67%37 pp gap