Jim Maples Academy, Porterville CA

Original Research by School Decision on Jim Maples Academy

Jim Maples Academy is a kindergarten-through-sixth-grade school in Porterville, serving a school community where economic need is substantial. A vast majority of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the broader economic profile of the area. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller Asian, multiracial, and white population, and very few students from other groups. The enrollment sits at a modest size for its grade span.

State testing data from the most recent school year shows proficiency rates that are well below what the school will want to achieve. In English language arts, students across the school's grade band averaged roughly in the range of the lower third of tested performance; fourth and fifth graders performed somewhat better than third and sixth graders. In mathematics, performance was notably lower, with only a small fraction of students meeting state proficiency benchmarks. Third and sixth graders scored in single digits, while fourth and fifth graders fared somewhat better but still fell short of half the rate seen in ELA. Science proficiency in fifth grade was similarly low. Within the set of school districts across Tulare County, Jim Maples Academy's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint, a signal that the school will benefit from close attention to instructional design and assessment.

A parent may want to look into further with the school what reading and math support systems are in place, how classroom-level data is being used to identify students who need additional help, and what the school's improvement plans are over the coming year. Understanding the school's approach to literacy and numeracy in the early grades, where foundational skills are critical, would give important insight into trajectory.

Porterville itself is a mid-sized city in the San Joaquin Valley, home to a mix of agriculture, retail, healthcare, and education employment. Housing in the area is relatively affordable compared to state and national medians, making it accessible to families on modest incomes. The city maintains parks, trails, transit service, and a historic downtown, though much daily activity centers on auto-oriented commercial corridors. The Burton Elementary School District, which oversees Jim Maples Academy, approved a facilities bond in late 2024 to repair and upgrade school buildings, roofing, electrical systems, and technology infrastructure, an investment that will carry an ongoing property tax cost for residents.

The school offers the full range of elementary coursework and serves students in grades where state testing begins in third grade. No data on special education enrollment or English learner support populations was available, and enrollment counts by special population were not disclosed. Any family considering Jim Maples Academy should speak directly with the school about how it identifies and serves students with learning gaps and what parent engagement and home support are expected as part of that work.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 310%

School 10% · District 37% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 32% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 29%

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

Grade 610%

School 10% · District 26% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 35% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 431%

School 31% · District 35% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 44% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 45% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 23% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

This schoolBurton 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.