Longfellow Elementary, Bakersfield CA

Original Research by School Decision on Longfellow Elementary

Longfellow Elementary is a public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Bakersfield, located on Stockton Street. The school enrolls a small-to-mid-sized student body drawn almost entirely from the surrounding neighborhood. The great majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student population is predominantly Hispanic, with substantial representation of Black students and smaller numbers of white and Asian students.

State assessment results for the 2024-25 school year show student proficiency well below state expectations across all tested subjects and grades. In mathematics, proficiency ranges from very low in the upper grades to low-to-moderate in the lower tested grades, with students in fifth grade showing particularly limited proficiency. English language arts proficiency is similarly modest across grades three through six, with the highest performance in sixth grade but still well below grade-level standards. A science assessment in fifth grade also showed limited proficiency. The school's overall proficiency index, when measured across all tested subjects and grades, places it in the bottom quartile among districts in Kern County.

A parent or resident considering this school should understand that it is serving a student population with significant academic gaps. The school's testing results are not competitive with stronger elementary schools nearby, and the pattern across grades suggests that students are not meeting California's proficiency benchmarks. The data provided does not include information on attendance, discipline, staffing, or specialized programming that might characterize the school's approach, so a parent may want to look into those dimensions directly with the school to understand what support structures or instructional strategies are in place.

Bakersfield itself is a fast-growing city with a car-dependent layout and a diverse, relatively affordable housing market. The city's economy is anchored by energy, agriculture, and healthcare. Downtown holds shops, cultural spaces, and riverfront parks, while neighborhoods spread across a flat grid ranging from upscale subdivisions to older historic districts. Housing values in the area where Longfellow sits are moderate by state standards, and rents have risen modestly in recent months. The Bakersfield City School District, which operates Longfellow, is one of California's largest and is among the state's most diverse districts.

Recent district changes include a new ethnic studies curriculum initiative approved in late 2025, a smartphone-use policy set to begin in fall 2026, and a religious opt-out policy following a Supreme Court ruling. These changes will shape the instructional environment and daily school life across the district's schools.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 312%

School 12% · District 24% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 411%

School 11% · District 18% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 51%

School 1% · District 13% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 68%

School 8% · District 16% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 27% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 418%

School 18% · District 27% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 59%

School 9% · District 29% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 619%

School 19% · District 29% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 17% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

This schoolBakersfield City, 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.