Houghton-kearney Elementary, Fresno CA

Original Research by School Decision on Houghton-kearney Elementary

Houghton-Kearney Elementary serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Fresno's western reaches, housed on a single campus. The enrollment is small for its grade span, with students distributed across all nine grades. The school sits in a lower-income area; nearly three-quarters of the enrollment qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and a substantial majority of students are Hispanic, with a secondary population of White and Asian students. The school is part of Central Unified, a district that recently reorganized its high school structure, though that change does not affect Houghton-Kearney's current grades.

Academic performance, measured by California's state assessments in English language arts and mathematics, shows modest proficiency. Across the school's tested grades (third through eighth), English language arts proficiency averages just under the midpoint, with some variation by grade: grade five and grades seven and eight perform somewhat better, while grades three and four are lower. Math proficiency is somewhat weaker overall. The school's science results, tested in grades five and eight, are low. The school ranks above the midpoint among the county's districts on an overall proficiency index that averages performance across tested subjects and grades.

The uneven performance across grades suggests students face challenges as they progress, particularly through the middle grades. A parent may want to look into further what support the school offers for students who are not yet proficient and what the school's approach is to building and sustaining momentum in grades six through eight. The school does not report special education or English learner enrollment counts, so parents working with those populations will want to confirm what services are available.

Fresno itself is the Central Valley's largest city, sprawling across low-density neighborhoods and increasingly organized around car travel. Housing costs in the area are below the state average but rising; the median home price is roughly in line with national norms, and monthly rents are modest by California standards. The local economy blends government and services with substantial agricultural employment. Downtown Fresno is undergoing intentional revitalization, anchored by cultural districts and new housing development, though most neighborhoods and schools sit on separate campuses removed from the center. Public transit runs through the city via Fresno Area Express, and the community has parks, a public library system and schools distributed across its geography.

For a family considering Houghton-Kearney, the school offers continuity across a wide grade range within a single small campus and serves a community where most families face economic constraints similar to the school's population. The academic picture shows room for improvement, particularly in math and science, and the school's standing relative to other county districts is solid though not exceptional. Parents evaluating fit will want to understand the specific supports in place for students working toward proficiency and what opportunities exist for acceleration or enrichment.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 345%

School 45% · District 43% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 33%

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

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 31% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 33% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 29% · ▲ 21 pts above district

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

Grade 839%

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

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

English language arts

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 43% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 41% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 45% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 48% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 761%

School 61% · District 47% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 37% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Science

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 27% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 835%

School 35% · District 24% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 37% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

This schoolCentral 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.