Rolling Hills Middle, El Dorado Hills CA

Original Research by School Decision on Rolling Hills Middle

Rolling Hills Middle serves grades six through eight in El Dorado Hills, a fast-growing master-planned community in the Sierra Nevada foothills east of Folsom. The school sits within Buckeye Union Elementary School District, which operates several traditional neighborhood schools alongside a large network of charter programs, including a district-run Montessori and an independent-study charter that draws families from multiple counties.

The school's academic profile shows consistent proficiency across English language arts and mathematics. On the most recent state tests, about three-quarters of students met or exceeded proficiency standards in ELA across the three grades, with sixth-grade performance slightly higher than eighth grade. Math proficiency sits a few percentage points lower, ranging across the grades. In eighth-grade science, proficiency was somewhat lower than in ELA and math. Among the county's districts, Rolling Hills places in the top quartile on an overall proficiency index, a position that reflects solid, above-median performance relative to its peers.

The school's student body reflects the demographics of its upscale, suburban setting. About three-fifths of enrolled students identify as white, with Asian students comprising a meaningful share; Hispanic, multiracial, and other groups are also represented. A small portion of the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, consistent with the area's higher household incomes and home values. The school does not appear to serve a substantial population of students with disabilities or English learners, though those figures were not available in the data.

El Dorado Hills itself is a community defined by planned residential villages, gated neighborhoods, golf courses, and an emphasis on open space and outdoor recreation. Homes are expensive relative to state and national averages, and the area has experienced sustained growth over decades, with multiple large master-planned communities either recently completed or under development. The Town Center serves as a gathering place with restaurants, retail, and a public amphitheater, though much of the community is car-oriented. Schools are distributed across the residential villages rather than clustered downtown. Employment centers include the El Dorado Hills Business Park and nearby Folsom, and many families commute into Sacramento for work.

The community's broader school context is complex. Buckeye Union has evolved into a large authorizer of charter schools, expanding the choice available to families beyond neighborhood assignment. Clarksville Charter, an independent-study (homeschool) option serving over a thousand students across multiple counties, operates under the district umbrella. This growth in charter options, alongside neighborhood schools and specialty programs like Montessori and Mandarin immersion, means that families in the area have meaningful alternatives to rolling Hills and its sibling middle school, Rescue Union's equivalent. The district also regularly reviews charter renewals, a process that can affect continuity of those choice options.

Rolling Hills functions as a neighborhood school in a community where that concept is less fixed than it once was. For families seeking a traditional middle school experience with solid, above-average test results and a peer group broadly reflective of an affluent suburban demographic, it fits that description. Parents interested in exploring alternatives should be aware of the charter and specialty programs available within the district and the region.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 674%

School 74% · District 68% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 771%

School 71% · District 68% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 66% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 679%

School 79% · District 71% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Grade 777%

School 77% · District 78% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 878%

School 78% · District 73% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 865%

School 65% · District 65% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 881%

School 81% · District 79% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

This schoolBuckeye Union 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-income70%Higher-income80%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income50%Higher-income81%31 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income73%Higher-income78%6 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income61%Higher-income76%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income75%37 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income46%Higher-income72%27 pp gap