Banyan Elementary, Alta Loma CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Banyan Elementary

Banyan Elementary is a traditional public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Alta Loma, a residential foothills neighborhood of Rancho Cucamonga in San Bernardino County. The school enrolls a student body that is roughly split between Hispanic and white students, with a meaningful Asian population and smaller shares of Black students and other groups. About one-third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need that reflects both the overall affluence of the area and the presence of some working and lower-income families within it.

On state assessments in 2024-25, Banyan's results are mixed by grade level. In English language arts, the school shows strength in fifth grade, where proficiency runs above the school's typical performance, while grades three, four, and six cluster closer to the school's overall English proficiency level. Math performance is more consistent but lower across the board, with a notable decline in sixth grade where proficiency dips below the school's mean. Science data are limited to fifth grade only, where proficiency sits at the midpoint. Overall, Banyan's combined proficiency index places it in the top quartile of districts across San Bernardino County, suggesting that while there is room for growth in math and upper-elementary performance, the school is performing above the county median.

The student population is stable and modest in size, with slightly uneven enrollment across grades and a very small enrollment in first grade. Data on special education enrollment and English learner population are not available from the school's published reports. The school serves a semi-rural, affluent foothill community that has retained much of its original character despite decades of residential development. Large lots, trees from the area's agricultural past, and a high rate of homeownership define the landscape. The neighborhood is car-dependent, with modest walkability and minimal commercial street life by design; city ordinance sharply limits business activity above 19th Street. Parks, trails, and equestrian facilities are the social anchors.

Housing costs in the zip code are substantial, with home values well above the California state average and rents climbing modestly. The market is competitive and supply-constrained; new development occurs mainly as small infill projects rather than large subdivisions. Most families commute to jobs elsewhere in the region. Omnitrans bus service exists but is limited; the nearest Metrolink rail station is several miles south.

Banyan sits in a stable, built-out residential area where school enrollment is unlikely to surge. The school's math performance, particularly in the upper grades, may warrant a parent's closer inquiry into the instructional approach and any support structures the school offers for students approaching or not yet at proficiency. The gap between sixth-grade performance and earlier grades could also be worth understanding, whether it reflects the normal transition from elementary to middle-school content or points to a specific instructional concern. For families in the area seeking a neighborhood elementary school with straightforward curriculum and a peer environment drawn largely from the local affluent-to-middle-class residential community, Banyan offers that setting with demonstrated performance above the county average.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 364%

School 64% · District 63%

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

Grade 465%

School 65% · District 60% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 55% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 48% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 363%

School 63% · District 62% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 465%

School 65% · District 62% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 574%

School 74% · District 68% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 668%

School 68% · District 64% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 49% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

This schoolAlta Loma Elementary, 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-income56%Higher-income72%16 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income59%Higher-income71%12 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income75%Higher-income73%2 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income52%Higher-income78%26 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income54%Higher-income74%20 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income59%Higher-income71%12 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income49%Higher-income69%20 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income48%Higher-income53%6 pp gap