Ridgecrest Elem Acad for Language Music and Sci, Ridgecrest CA

Original Research by School Decision on Ridgecrest Elem Acad for Language Music and Sci

Ridgecrest Elementary Academy for Language Music and Science is a charter school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Ridgecrest, a small high-desert city in eastern Kern County. The school has a deliberate academic focus: its name reflects a curriculum centered on language, music, and science, positioning it as a specialized school within the broader Ridgecrest education landscape.

The school enrolls a small population of students, with a notably young student body in the lower elementary grades that tapers toward the upper grades. The enrollment is diverse: roughly half the students are Hispanic, with substantial representation from white students, students of two or more races, and smaller numbers of Black and Asian students. More than half of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects both the local economic profile and a student population with significant economic need.

State testing results from the most recent school year show weak performance across both English language arts and mathematics. In grades tested, proficiency rates in ELA ranged from the low teens to around one-fifth of students, while math proficiency was somewhat higher, stretching into the low thirties for fourth grade but dipping below one-fifth for fifth and sixth grades. Science proficiency in the tested grade was similarly low. Viewed against other districts in Kern County, this school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile of the county's districts. These are areas parents may want to understand more deeply through conversation with school leadership, particularly if academic acceleration or strong foundational skills in reading and mathematics are priorities for a child.

The school operates as a charter within what appears to be its own single-school district structure, which is administratively distinct from the large Ridgecrest Unified School District. This governance model gives the school autonomy in curriculum and operations. Its mission around language, music, and science suggests an intentional programmatic identity, though the current test data does not show that identity translating into measurable academic gains in the tested core subjects.

Ridgecrest itself is a car-dependent city built around a commercial corridor and the nearby Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, the region's dominant employer. The community is affordable relative to the rest of California, with a median home value well below state and national benchmarks. The city supports civic amenities including a strong library branch and parks with sports facilities, and public transit is available through a city dial-a-ride system. For families working at or connected to the defense and research sectors centered on China Lake, or those seeking affordable housing in a small, established community, Ridgecrest offers a stable residential base, though parents considering this school should weigh the current academic performance data carefully against their child's needs and the school's specialized mission.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 325%

School 25% · district not reported

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · district not reported

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

Grade 514%

School 14% · district not reported

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 619%

School 19% · district not reported

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

English language arts

Grade 319%

School 19% · district not reported

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 420%

School 20% · district not reported

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

Grade 514%

School 14% · district not reported

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 619%

School 19% · district not reported

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Science

Grade 519%

School 19% · district not reported

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

This schoolDistrict average, 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-income5%Higher-income35%30 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income26%Higher-income58%32 pp gap

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

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income21%Higher-income29%8 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income7%Higher-income37%29 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income11%Higher-income17%6 pp gap