Arcohe Elementary, Herald CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Arcohe Elementary

Arcohe Elementary serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Herald, a rural unincorporated community in southeastern Sacramento County. The school is the sole campus for the Arcohe Union Elementary School District, sitting on Ivie Road in an agricultural area east of Galt where large-lot residential properties and ranching dominate the landscape.

The school enrolls a mid-sized population spanning nine grades. Enrollment is fairly balanced across the grade bands, with the largest cohort in kindergarten and solid numbers through the middle grades. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the student body in a modest-income bracket, and the enrollment is racially mixed, with roughly equal numbers of white and Hispanic students and smaller Asian and multiracial populations.

In state testing across 2024-25, proficiency rates in both English language arts and math fall below midpoint across the grade band. In math, third graders show stronger performance than those in upper elementary and middle grades, where proficiency dips notably. Fifth grade shows particularly low math proficiency. In English language arts, third and fourth grade performance is slightly stronger, but sixth grade drops sharply, and eighth grade also sits well below half of students. Science testing in grades five and eight similarly reflects low proficiency. Overall, this school's proficiency index sits above the midpoint among the county's school districts in the comparison set, though that positioning reflects the county context rather than strong absolute performance. A parent looking at test data should understand that fewer than four in ten students are meeting state proficiency benchmarks in either subject.

Herald itself is a low-density country community with no downtown or urban center. Civic life is minimal: there is one county park, a single historic store that serves as a gathering place, and no fixed-route transit. Residents commute by car to Galt or Elk Grove for shopping and services. The median home value in the zip code is substantially higher than the California state average, but a parent considering this area should understand that affordability—measured as rent or mortgage relative to typical household income in the region—shows housing costs running notably above the national benchmark, with a median rent burden approaching half of income.

The district sits in a constrained moment. In November 2024, voters rejected a school facilities bond that would have funded classroom expansion, facility repairs, and a community center. The district reports the campus is aging and nearing capacity as enrollment grows, and that rejection leaves these needs unaddressed. No associated property-tax increase was imposed. A family considering this school should be aware of these facility constraints and the district's stated capacity concerns.

Arcohe Elementary is fundamentally a rural, small-district school in a community defined by agricultural land use, long commutes, and minimal urban infrastructure. The school's proficiency data reflects academic struggles across both language arts and math that a parent may want to discuss directly with the school. The combination of facility constraints, below-benchmark proficiency, and rural isolation makes this a school that fits families committed to the country lifestyle and willing to engage closely with the school on academic support.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 36%

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

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 21%

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

Grade 630%

School 30% · District 30%

even with state median · even with county median

Grade 744%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 31%

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 321%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 5 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 620%

School 20% · District 20%

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

Grade 742%

School 42% · District 42%

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

Grade 828%

School 28% · District 28%

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Science

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 3 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 25%

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

Social studies

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

This schoolArcohe Union 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-income9%Higher-income28%19 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income32%Higher-income39%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income24%Higher-income49%25 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income14%Higher-income22%8 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income48%Higher-income39%9 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income10%Higher-income36%27 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income23%Higher-income59%36 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income44%19 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income5%Higher-income31%26 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income14%Higher-income36%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income48%Higher-income42%5 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income24%Higher-income34%10 pp gap