Bellevue Elementary, Atwater CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Bellevue Elementary

Bellevue Elementary is a small public school in Atwater serving kindergarten through sixth grade. The school enrolls a substantial share of students from low-income families, and an overwhelming majority of the student body is Hispanic. The school's location on East Bellevue Road places it in a residential area of this growing San Joaquin Valley city.

Academic performance at Bellevue is below what state standards expect. On the most recent California state assessments, proficiency in English language arts stood around one-third of students across grades three through five, climbing to just under half in grade six. Mathematics proficiency was lower, ranging from around a quarter to four in ten students depending on grade level, with the lowest results in grade six. A very small share of fifth graders met state science standards. These results place the school above the midpoint among the county's districts on overall proficiency, though that comparison reflects the relative weakness of performance across much of Merced County rather than strong absolute achievement. A parent should understand that this school is not meeting grade-level expectations for most of its students, particularly in math. A parent may want to look further with the school about what supports exist for students working below grade level and what the trajectory has been over time.

State data did not include the school's rates for students with disabilities or English learners, so the full picture of how different student populations are performing remains incomplete. The school serves a district that has grown substantially. Atwater Elementary opened its first new school, Juniper Elementary, in August 2023, marking the first addition to the district in several years and reflecting ongoing residential expansion in the area.

Atwater itself is a car-dependent mid-sized city built largely as suburban subdivisions, with food processing, dairy, and light manufacturing as economic anchors alongside retail and health care. Home values are moderate for California, and rental housing is relatively affordable compared to the state. The city has a historic downtown core, and residents can access Merced County Transit bus service, though most commutes are by personal vehicle. The community has grown steadily in recent years and continues to develop, particularly as the former Castle Air Force Base site is redeveloped as a commercial park.

Bellevue Elementary is a neighborhood school without a specialty focus, magnet designation, or charter status. It is a regular public school serving the families in its attendance area.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 339%

School 39% · District 45% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 430%

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

▼ 7 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 30%

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

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 33% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 37% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 44% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 43% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 45% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 26% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 39% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

This schoolAtwater 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 6Lower-income49%Higher-income36%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income23%2 pp gap