Cesar Chavez Elementary, Calexico CA

Original Research by School Decision on Cesar Chavez Elementary

Cesar Chavez Elementary is a kindergarten-through-sixth-grade school in Calexico, a small border city in Imperial County that sits directly across from Mexicali, Mexico. The school serves a student body that is almost entirely Hispanic, with a large majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic reality of a working-class border community. The enrollment is stable and moderate in size for an elementary school.

Recent state test results show proficiency rates that are below the midpoint for schools in Imperial County when compared across tested subjects and grades. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from the mid-twenties in third grade to the mid-forties in sixth grade. In mathematics, the picture is somewhat less favorable, with results in the low-twenties to mid-thirties across tested grades, and fifth grade performing notably lower than the school's other grade levels. Science proficiency in fifth grade sits in the mid-twenties. These results suggest that students face substantive academic gaps, particularly in mathematics, and a parent may want to look into what interventions or support structures the school has in place to address this. The school has only one year of comparable test data at this point, so trend information is not yet available.

Calexico itself is an economically working community anchored by cross-border commerce, health care, and public service employment. Housing is relatively affordable by state standards, and the city is in an active growth phase, with new residential projects underway and a housing plan that contemplates significant infill development over the next several years. The district recently passed a bond measure that is funding modernization of Calexico High School and reorganizing its high school campus structure, which will affect students' pathways as they move through grades. These are lasting changes to the district that families considering the area should be aware of.

The school itself is embedded in a predominantly Hispanic, bilingual, working-class community with a strong cross-border character. Walkability concentrates near the downtown border crossing; most of the city is car-oriented. Parks, libraries, and public services exist, and the broader Imperial Valley offers employment and commercial activity. Families drawn to Calexico Elementary are typically those with roots or employment ties to the border region, who value proximity to Mexicali, or who are seeking affordable housing in a growing community. The school's low proficiency rates suggest parents should ask directly about classroom-level support, English learner services, and any specific reading and math interventions the school offers, and should understand that academic performance here is well below state expectations.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 24% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 19% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 16% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 636%

School 36% · District 24% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 24% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 22% · ▲ 17 pts above district

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

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 25% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 32% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Science

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 13% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

This schoolCalexico Unified, 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-income24%Higher-income37%12 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income34%Higher-income61%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income23%Higher-income47%24 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income45%Higher-income44%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income31%Higher-income37%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income24%Higher-income52%29 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income16%Higher-income37%21 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income31%Higher-income52%21 pp gap