San Lauren Elementary, Bakersfield CA

Original Research by School Decision on San Lauren Elementary

San Lauren Elementary is a kindergarten through sixth-grade school in Bakersfield, California, serving a student body drawn almost entirely from one neighborhood. The enrollment is small and stable, with about equal numbers of students spread across the seven grade bands. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school's demographic makeup is predominantly Hispanic, with substantial Black and white populations and very small numbers of Asian and Native American students.

On the most recent state assessments, academic performance is low across both math and English language arts. In math, proficiency rates range from single digits in sixth grade to low double digits in the upper elementary grades. English language arts shows somewhat better outcomes, with a notable peak in fifth grade, but the school-wide pattern is similarly far below state expectations. Science proficiency, measured only in fifth grade, also sits well below grade-level targets. These results place San Lauren in the bottom quartile when compared to other schools across Kern County's 61 districts.

The parent-relevant context matters here. Bakersfield itself is among California's fastest-growing large cities and has been adding substantial new housing. The immediate neighborhood around San Lauren is a car-dependent, middle to lower-income area. Housing in the school's zip code is affordable relative to state benchmarks, and rents are stable. The city offers parks, trails along the Kern River for recreation, and transit options, though most errands require driving. Downtown Bakersfield holds civic anchors like museums, theaters, and the county library system.

The school sits within Beardsley Elementary, which is the largest elementary school district in California. No major district-level changes or facility investments affecting parent choices were found in recent years, so families here are working with a stable, long-standing district structure.

A parent enrolling a child at San Lauren should understand that the school serves a high-poverty, linguistically and culturally diverse enrollment in a stable neighborhood. The academic data shows that proficiency is substantially below grade level, with particularly steep challenges in math. The school offers a regular public elementary program; no specialized academies, magnet themes, or alternative pedagogies appear in the available information. Students moving from San Lauren to middle school will need to continue building foundational skills in both literacy and numeracy. Parents may want to discuss directly with the school what supports exist for students with learning gaps and what supplementary resources the school can coordinate or recommend.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 17% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 21%

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

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 12% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 68%

School 8% · District 13% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 310%

School 10% · District 22% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 25% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 33% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 22% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 14% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

This schoolBeardsley 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.