The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in Math. The lowest is 3% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cameron Elementary
Cameron Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Barstow, a Mojave Desert crossroads city anchored by rail, logistics, the military, and Route 66 heritage. The school enrolls a small student body that is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school sits in a community where car dependency and economic strain shape daily life, and within a district that has recently expanded early elementary offerings and adopted a district-wide positive behavioral framework.
Academic proficiency at Cameron is low across tested subjects and grade levels. In English language arts, third-grade students scored below fourth-graders, and fourth-grade proficiency remained less than half. Math proficiency was similarly weak in both grades tested, with third grade and fourth grade each showing less than one-third of students meeting standards. Fifth-grade science proficiency was extremely low, with only a small handful of students scoring proficient. The school's overall proficiency index falls below the midpoint when compared against other districts in San Bernardino County. The data captured reflects the 2024-25 school year for math and language arts and the 2023-24 school year for science, and only one year of results is available, so no trend information exists to indicate whether results are improving, declining, or stable.
The school's peer environment is predominantly students of color, with roughly equal shares of Black and Hispanic students, a smaller share of White students, and small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. A substantial majority of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting economic pressure on many families in the area. Specific data on students with disabilities or English learners was not available.
Barstow itself is a car-dependent desert city where much of the historic downtown corridor has aged, with many older commercial buildings shuttered. The housing market reflects modest values and modest rents relative to state and national benchmarks, and the local economy depends on government, military, rail, retail, and hospitality work. A major rail and logistics facility, the Barstow International Gateway, is under development and expected to bring job growth, though residential construction has lagged. For families considering this school, the location offers affordability and proximity to employment in rail, military, and retail sectors, balanced against limited public amenities and low overall academic performance.
A parent evaluating Cameron Elementary should weigh the low proficiency results and may want to look into further detail with the school about intervention supports, classroom composition, and any acceleration pathways for stronger readers and mathematicians. The school is part of a district that has recently invested in early-entry programming and behavioral support systems, which may offer additional context for how the school approaches instruction and student climate.
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