Wayne Van Horn Elementary, Bakersfield CA

Original Research by School Decision on Wayne Van Horn Elementary

Wayne Van Horn Elementary is a public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Bakersfield. The school enrolls a substantial number of students, with all grades represented. A large majority of students are economically disadvantaged, qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a meaningful share of Black students and smaller populations of other backgrounds represented.

The school's state testing results are notably low across all measured areas. In English language arts, proficiency rates range from roughly the low teens in grades five and six to roughly one-third in grade four. Math results are even lower, with grade five showing particularly weak performance in the single digits, while other grades tested fall between roughly one-fifth and one-seventh. A science assessment in grade five also shows very low proficiency. Overall, the school's proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among districts in Kern County when measured on tested subjects and grades.

These results reflect a substantial academic challenge. A parent considering this school should understand that most students are not meeting state grade-level standards, and the gap is widest in mathematics. The school data does not include information about English learner status, special education enrollment, or other indicators that might contextualize these performance measures, so a parent may want to look into these further with the school directly, as they often shape academic profiles and available supports.

Bakersfield itself is a fast-growing city anchored by agriculture, energy, and healthcare, with culturally diverse neighborhoods spread across a largely car-dependent grid. Downtown holds civic institutions and cultural sites; outlying areas range from upscale residential subdivisions to older historic neighborhoods. The neighborhood around Wayne Van Horn, located at Kleinpell Avenue in the southern part of the city, sits in a working-class area. Housing in the school's zip code is relatively affordable compared to state benchmarks, and rental prices are moderate. The city continues to add housing at a rapid pace, with new residential and commercial development underway, particularly in downtown and southeast Bakersfield.

Wayne Van Horn's parent district, Panama-Buena Vista Union, approved a major facilities bond in November 2022 to address aging infrastructure including roofs, electrical and plumbing systems, safety upgrades, asbestos and lead pipe removal, and new classroom construction to relieve crowding. This bond will levy an ongoing property tax while outstanding. The district is also opening a new TK-8 school, Mountain View, for the 2025-26 school year, with accompanying boundary changes that will affect which school children in the area attend.

The school's current academic performance and the broader investment activity in the district both merit direct conversation with school leadership about instructional approaches, recent or planned changes, and available supports for students working below grade level.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 41% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 39% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 26% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 32% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 42% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 45% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 45% · ▼ 29 pts below district

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

Grade 638%

School 38% · District 50% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 56%

School 6% · District 28% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below 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 6Lower-income31%Higher-income75%44 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income8%Higher-income50%43 pp gap