Northlake Hills Elementary, Castaic CA

Original Research by School Decision on Northlake Hills Elementary

Northlake Hills Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Castaic, an unincorporated bedroom community in northwestern Los Angeles County that straddles Interstate 5 north of Santa Clarita. The school enrolls a student body roughly split between Hispanic and white students, with substantial shares of Asian and multiracial pupils as well. Slightly more than half the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The school serves the area as a regular public elementary school; no specialized programs or magnet designation were documented.

Academic performance across the school shows a mixed picture. In English language arts, proficiency runs strongest in third and sixth grades, with softer results in fourth and fifth grades. Math proficiency is higher in the lower grades, dropping noticeably in fifth and sixth grade. Science proficiency, tested only in fifth grade, sits well below that of reading and math. Across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among Los Angeles County districts, a positioning that reflects stronger elementary-grade results pulling a schoolwide average upward despite weakening performance in the upper grades. Trend data covers only one year, so whether recent results represent a pattern or a snapshot cannot be determined from the available information.

The school's enrollment is stable and age-appropriate for its grade span. Kindergarten and first grade have healthy cohorts, with slightly larger groups through sixth grade. State data on English learner enrollment and the share of students with an IEP were not available.

Castaic itself is a largely car-dependent area bisected by the freeway, with shopping and dining options concentrated along Castaic Road and the I-5 exits. More substantial retail and sit-down dining lie nine to twelve miles away in Valencia or Old Town Newhall. The community is anchored by Castaic Lake State Recreation Area, which offers trails, boating, and a swim lagoon. Walkability varies by address from car-dependent to somewhat walkable; there is little traditional street life, though residents describe abundant walking and hiking trails. Transit is light: local bus routes connect to a regional center in Valencia, and the nearest Metrolink station is about eleven miles away in Santa Clarita.

The area is on a clear growth trajectory driven by master-planned housing. Williams Ranch, a gated development by Williams Homes, was roughly half built as of 2025 and includes its own neighborhood park. A much larger proposed project, Entrada North, would add substantial residential units and commercial space. Dozens of new-home communities are active across the area, and a Community Standards District has been adopted to guide development while preserving the area's rural character.

Housing values in the 91384 zip code sit above state benchmark, with a year-over-year modest decline. Median household income is stable. Monthly mortgage payments substantially exceed what renters pay monthly, making homeownership a premium choice in the local market.

The Castaic Union School District, which operates Northlake Hills and two other elementary schools plus a preschool and middle school, has made two parent-relevant changes in recent years. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the district ended home-to-school transportation for general education students, offering busing only to those with special education needs in their IEPs. This shift removes a service families may have relied on and places daily commute responsibility on parents, a factor worth weighing when considering the area. Additionally, property owners in the district boundaries saw an increase in the property-tax rate backing the district's Measure QS bond, which funds facility improvements; the rate rose from the original projection toward the Proposition 39 maximum. Measure QS funds have financed projects including bathroom and storage construction at Northlake Hills and upgrades at other district sites.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 363%

School 63% · District 52% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 54% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 42% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 49% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 367%

School 67% · District 55% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 455%

School 55% · District 49% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 50% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 65% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Science

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 34% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

This schoolCastaic 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-income61%Higher-income78%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income53%Higher-income58%5 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income48%Higher-income58%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income66%Higher-income61%5 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income59%Higher-income71%13 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income58%Higher-income76%19 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income31%Higher-income62%31 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income37%Higher-income61%24 pp gap