Ione Elementary, Ione CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ione Elementary

Ione Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in a small Gold Country town where the school landscape reflects both the pastoral character of the community and the economic complexity of a place anchored by a major state prison. The school sits in southwestern Ione on its own campus, drawing from a student body that is predominantly white with a meaningful presence of Hispanic students and smaller representations of other backgrounds.

Academic performance at Ione Elementary is low across tested subjects. State assessment results from the most recent year show that in mathematics, proficiency ranges from the high teens to the mid-twenties across grades three through five, with fifth grade showing the lowest attainment. English language arts proficiency sits in the high twenties to low thirties across the same grades, and science proficiency in fifth grade is in the low thirties. These results place the school above the midpoint of proficiency among Amador County districts, though the absolute levels across the school remain well below the state benchmark. A parent may want to look into the school's reading and math intervention strategies and support structures with staff, particularly for students entering fourth and fifth grades.

The school's enrollment is moderate for its grade band, with the largest cohort in kindergarten and generally declining numbers through the upper elementary grades. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting economic stress in the household base. Data on English learners and students with individualized education plans was not available, so prospective families should ask the school directly about the availability and reach of those support services.

Ione sits in the rolling oak country west of the Sierra Nevada foothills, a setting that has drawn residential growth in recent years. The Castle Oaks master-planned community, the city's largest subdivision near the golf course, has expanded in phases with newer neighborhoods like Hampton Village adding three and four bedroom homes. Home values in the zip code are moderate by California standards, and the mortgage-to-income ratio suggests affordability relative to the national median, though families should understand that Ione's population figures include the incarcerated population at Mule Creek State Prison, the city's dominant employer, which can affect how official census and civic data are interpreted. The school district also operates Ione Junior High in town, and secondary students attend Amador High in Sutter Creek or Argonaut High, both in other county towns.

The town itself pairs a compact, walkable historic Main Street with Victorian-era brick storefronts and newer residential areas. Parks including Pioneer Park and Howard Park provide recreation and green space. Transit is limited to weekday-only fixed-route service on Amador Transit's Route 7 to the Sutter Hill Transit Center. The Ione Library serves as a civic anchor with programming and free wifi.

A family considering Ione Elementary should expect a small-town environment where academic performance is below state averages, assess whether the school's current interventions align with their child's needs, and understand the school's role within a community defined by both family-oriented residential growth and the presence of a large state correctional facility.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 32% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 33% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 24% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 329%

School 29% · District 33% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 37% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 36% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median

Science

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 29% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median

This schoolAmador County 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 3Lower-income21%Higher-income35%15 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income29%Higher-income31%2 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income34%9 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income25%Higher-income30%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income17%Higher-income26%9 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income0%Higher-income23%23 pp gap