Ronald Reagan Elementary, Bakersfield CA

Original Research by School Decision on Ronald Reagan Elementary

Ronald Reagan Elementary sits in southwest Bakersfield, serving kindergarten through sixth grade in a regular public school setting within the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District. The school draws from a stable enrollment of about that size for its grade band, with a diverse student body: roughly equal shares identify as Asian, Hispanic, and white, with smaller populations of other backgrounds. About two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating moderate economic diversity within the school's population.

Test results show a school performing at roughly the level of the median among Kern County's district schools. In English language arts, the school performed stronger in upper grades, particularly in sixth grade, while proficiency rates in earlier grades and in mathematics showed more uneven patterns. In math, fourth and sixth grades reached solid performance, while fifth grade proficiency notably lagged. Science results, available only for fifth grade, reflected similar patterns of partial proficiency. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places the school in the upper range relative to peer districts in the county, though the variation by grade and subject suggests the school may want to examine where instructional support is concentrated and whether strategies in stronger grades can be extended to weaker ones.

Bakersfield itself is among California's fastest-growing large cities, shaped by energy, agriculture, and healthcare industries. The city is largely car-dependent, though downtown offers walkability around a straightforward grid with restored storefronts and public spaces. The Kern River Parkway anchors outdoor recreation along the city's eastern edge, while civic services cluster downtown. Housing in the area is relatively affordable compared to much of California, though recent growth and construction activity have begun shifting values and rents upward. The school's location in the 93311 zip code sits in the broader southwest expansion zone where the district has announced a new school opening for the 2025-26 year with accompanying attendance boundary changes, a factor families relocating or planning ahead would want to track with the district directly.

The Panama-Buena Vista Union district approved a sizable bond measure in 2022 to address aging infrastructure, remove hazardous materials, and add capacity. This construction agenda is ongoing and visible across the district's footprint. For families considering the area, the bond carries a direct annual property tax cost that homebuyers factor into affordability calculations.

Ronald Reagan Elementary offers a straightforward elementary pathway without specialized programs noted in available data. The school environment information, such as discipline practices, attendance rates, and staffing details, was not available, so prospective families may want to contact the school directly to understand classroom practices, support services, and the daily rhythm of school life.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 363%

School 63% · District 41% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 39% · ▲ 28 pts above district

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

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 26% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 670%

School 70% · District 32% · ▲ 38 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 49 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 360%

School 60% · District 42% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 474%

School 74% · District 45% · ▲ 28 pts above district

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

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 45% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 683%

School 83% · District 50% · ▲ 33 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 47 pts above county median

Science

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 28% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

This schoolPanama-Buena Vista Union, 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-income41%Higher-income75%33 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income57%Higher-income86%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income42%Higher-income78%36 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income76%Higher-income88%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income47%Higher-income75%28 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income52%Higher-income79%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income21%Higher-income57%36 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income56%Higher-income80%24 pp gap