Rivergold Elementary, Coarsegold CA

Original Research by School Decision on Rivergold Elementary

Rivergold Elementary is a K-8 public school in the unincorporated community of Coarsegold, a mountain-foothill area in Madera County about an hour from Fresno, characterized by large residential lots, a country lifestyle, and proximity to Yosemite. The school serves roughly mid-sized enrollment spread across kindergarten through eighth grade, drawing from a community where most residents own their homes, many are retirees, and many live on multi-acre properties where horses and animals are common.

The school's academic profile shows areas of growth and areas that need attention. In English Language Arts, results are uneven by grade. Younger students in third and fourth grade show lower proficiency, while performance strengthens noticeably in the upper grades, with eighth grade showing notably stronger outcomes. Math proficiency across all grade levels is consistently low, ranging from roughly one-fifth to just under one-third of students meeting grade-level standards. Science proficiency at fifth grade is modest; at eighth grade it drops considerably. The school's overall proficiency index, when averaged across tested subjects and grades, sits above the midpoint among Madera County districts, a positioning that reflects some strength relative to peers in the county, though the math and upper-grade science results make clear that meaningful work remains.

The student body reflects Coarsegold's character. Just over three-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mix of working families and households with lower incomes. The enrollment is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller numbers of Asian, American Indian Alaska Native, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students learning English as an additional language and on special education enrollment were not available.

The school sits on its own campus rather than in the Coarsegold Historic Village, the closest thing the area has to a walkable town center. The wider community anchors itself around outdoor recreation, tourism, and tribal enterprises; the Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino is the dominant local employer. A parent moving to the area would find low walkability in the residential portions of Coarsegold and limited public transit, with most daily life oriented around driving. School libraries, community centers, regional parks, and access to Sierra National Forest provide recreational outlets.

At the district level, Yosemite Unified has made several parent-relevant structural decisions. The district adopted universal free meals for all students, a benefit that offsets family food costs regardless of income. The school was selected for a California Community Schools Implementation Grant, which expands integrated supports, family engagement, and wraparound services over time. Most notably for families with roots in the area, the district has established a permanent four-year Chukchansi language pathway, taught through collaboration with the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians and Fresno State, with students now able to complete a full language course by high school graduation. A three-year curriculum agreement, ratified in early 2025, replaced prior year-to-year renewals, providing stability for families considering this Indigenous-language opportunity.

Housing in the zip code is relatively affordable within the California context, with a median home value below state benchmarks. The area experienced modest year-over-year appreciation, and mortgage affordability measures suggest monthly payments at or below state and national medians for a down payment of one-fifth. The community is characterized by low-density single-family and mobile-home development on large lots, with the Yosemite Lakes Park subdivision anchoring growth since the 1970s. Families seeking a rural mountain lifestyle with space, relative affordability, and a country setting will recognize this profile. Those prioritizing walkable neighborhoods, robust urban amenities, or high proficiency in math will likely want to look further.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 21% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 24% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 18% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 623%

School 23% · District 23%

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

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 19% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 20% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 29% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 36% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 29% · ▲ 15 pts above district

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

Grade 637%

School 37% · District 32% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 749%

School 49% · District 42% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 857%

School 57% · District 38% · ▲ 19 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 26% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 820%

School 20% · District 17% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · even with county median

Social studies

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 60% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

This schoolYosemite 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 4Lower-income40%Higher-income50%10 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income44%Higher-income44%0 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income50%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income41%Higher-income63%21 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income67%Higher-income46%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income25%3 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income33%8 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income23%Higher-income23%0 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income14%Higher-income38%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income15%Higher-income46%31 pp gap