Yuba River Charter, Grass Valley CA

Original Research by School Decision on Yuba River Charter

Yuba River Charter is a small K–8 charter school in Grass Valley with about that many students, serving the foothills community of Nevada County. The school draws roughly half its enrollment from families qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, a proxy for economic need that sits modestly above the county median; nearly four-fifths of enrollment is white, with a smaller share of multiracial students and a handful of Hispanic and Asian students.

The school's testing profile shows uneven performance across grades and subjects. In English language arts, early elementary (grades three and four) shows modest proficiency, but performance strengthens notably by grade five and peaks in grade seven, where proficiency is strong. Grade eight dips somewhat but remains solid. Mathematics tells a different story: grades three through six show low to modest proficiency, a sharp upward jump occurs in grade seven, and grade eight maintains that higher level. Science proficiency, assessed in grades five and eight, sits at a moderate mark. Overall, across all tested subjects and grades, the school's proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Nevada County districts, though this aggregate masks significant variation by grade level.

The pattern invites notice: lower elementary and upper elementary math struggle, while middle grades seven and eight perform substantially better in both subjects. Some of this variation may reflect cohort differences or grade-specific instruction. A parent considering Yuba River Charter may want to look into what drives the sharp gains in grades seven and eight, and what support is in place for students in the earlier grades, especially in mathematics.

The school is small and its demographic composition is relatively homogeneous. Housing in the 95945 zip code, which encompasses Grass Valley, runs modestly above the state median; rents are moderate. The area is in the midst of its largest development project in decades, Loma Rica Ranch, which will add hundreds of homes over the coming years and may shift the character of enrollment and family composition over time.

The school is a charter operated by Yuba River Charter District, a single-school district. Data on staffing, programs, classroom structure, or the school's pedagogical approach was not available to us. Parents considering enrollment may want to request information directly from the school about its curriculum, class size, and any specialty programs or teaching methods that distinguish it.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 329%

School 29% · district not reported

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 417%

School 17% · district not reported

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 534%

School 34% · district not reported

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

Grade 636%

School 36% · district not reported

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

Grade 764%

School 64% · district not reported

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 870%

School 70% · district not reported

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

English language arts

Grade 341%

School 41% · district not reported

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

Grade 449%

School 49% · district not reported

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 556%

School 56% · district not reported

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

Grade 655%

School 55% · district not reported

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

Grade 789%

School 89% · district not reported

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Grade 867%

School 67% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 550%

School 50% · district not reported

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

Grade 850%

School 50% · district not reported

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above 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-income26%Higher-income73%47 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income53%Higher-income44%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income56%Higher-income57%2 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income30%Higher-income100%70 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income91%Higher-income88%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income50%Higher-income85%35 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income26%Higher-income36%10 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income18%Higher-income17%1 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income33%Higher-income36%2 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income20%Higher-income64%44 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income64%Higher-income65%1 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income57%Higher-income85%28 pp gap