Bella Vista Elementary, Bella Vista CA

Original Research by School Decision on Bella Vista Elementary

Bella Vista Elementary sits on Old Alturas Road in an unincorporated rural community about nine miles northeast of Redding, in Shasta County. It serves kindergarten through eighth grade, making it the only school in its district and the full span of a child's K-8 education in one place. Enrollment puts it on the smaller side for a K-8 school, and a majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning the school serves a community with a meaningful share of economic need.

The student body is predominantly white, with Hispanic students making up the next largest group, and smaller numbers of students identifying as two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Asian. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available in what was provided.

On state assessments, the picture is mixed and worth looking at carefully. In English language arts, results vary noticeably by grade. Some grades, particularly fourth, fifth, and eighth, show a majority or near-majority of students meeting or exceeding standards. Others, especially third and sixth grade, are lower. Math is weaker across the board. Most grades tested fall below half proficient, and third and fifth grade results are particularly low. Science scores at both tested grade levels land in the mid-to-upper-thirties on a proficiency basis. Across tested subjects and grades combined, the school sits above the midpoint among districts in Shasta County, which is the relevant comparison group. That position is real, but parents who want to understand grade-specific trajectories, especially in math, may want to ask the school directly about what supports are in place. Trend data was not available because only one year of results was reported.

A graduation rate does not apply here. The school serves only through eighth grade, so there is no high school completion measure.

The community itself is genuinely rural. Bella Vista has no traditional downtown, no walkable commercial core, and nearly all residents depend on cars. The area is characterized by oak-studded hills, ranchland, and multi-acre residential lots. Most civic and employment activity is in Redding, a short drive away. The area skews older, with a notable share of residents at or past retirement age. Publicly reported sources describe the setting as a suburban-rural mix where most residents own their homes.

On housing, the local market sits well below the California statewide median, though it is above the national median. Values dipped slightly in the past year. Most housing stock is detached single-family homes, with a share of mobile homes, and most of it was built in the second half of the twentieth century. New construction is limited, and a proposed large subdivision between Bella Vista and nearby Palo Cedro has drawn community opposition, publicly reported, over traffic, water supply, and infrastructure capacity. Voters approved a general obligation bond in November 2024 to fund facility improvements at the school itself, including roof repairs, systems modernization, classroom upgrades, and replacement of portable classrooms with permanent structures. That bond is repaid through an added property tax on assessed value, a carrying cost for any homebuyer in the district going forward, while the underlying improvements are expected to benefit the school's physical plant for years.

Families drawn to a small, rural K-8 community with a single-campus feel, minimal commute from home to school, and a quieter pace than Redding will find Bella Vista consistent with that preference. The academic results are uneven enough, especially in math in the lower grades, that a parent wanting to understand what interventions or enrichment the school provides would do well to raise those questions directly with the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 28%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 45%

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

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 2 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 31% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 742%

School 42% · District 42%

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

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 22%

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

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 61%

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

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 41% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 753%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 64%

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

Science

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 37%

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

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 36%

▲ 10 pts above state median · even with county median

Social studies

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 54%

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

This schoolBella Vista 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-income19%Higher-income27%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income64%Higher-income54%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income40%Higher-income65%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income58%Higher-income77%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income29%Higher-income27%1 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income23%Higher-income39%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income47%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income42%Higher-income54%12 pp gap