Stratford Elementary, Stratford CA

Original Research by School Decision on Stratford Elementary

Stratford Elementary is a small K-8 public school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in the agricultural community of Stratford in Kings County. The school enrolls a small student population reflecting the town's rural, economically modest character and demographic composition: a substantial majority of students are Hispanic, a significant share are Native American, and a large majority qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating widespread economic need. The school sits within Stratford itself rather than on an isolated campus, anchoring civic life in a very small, low-density farm town where most residents own homes and daily transportation depends on personal vehicles.

Academically, Stratford Elementary's state assessment results present a clear picture of substantial challenges. On the CAASPP Smarter Balanced assessments in English language arts, proficiency across all tested grades averages around low-to-mid range, with individual grade results ranging widely: third grade sits at roughly a midpoint share proficient while fourth grade drops sharply to a very low share, fifth grade climbs back to roughly mid-range, and sixth through eighth grades cluster around low shares. Math proficiency is considerably lower across the board. Third and fifth grades show somewhat better results, but fourth grade drops further in math than in English, and sixth through eighth grades remain very low. On the California Science Test, fifth-grade students show a modest share proficient while eighth graders show very low proficiency. The only older assessment data available, from 2013, showed eighth-grade social studies proficiency at about mid-range, but that is more than a decade old. Overall, the school's proficiency index across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint relative to other districts in Kings County, placing it among lower performers in its county comparison set.

The school has no graduation rate to report because it serves only through eighth grade, and state testing does not apply to kindergarten through second grade. Data on special education enrollment, English learner status, and other specific student support details are not available, leaving gaps in understanding the full scope of student needs and services provided.

The Central Union Elementary School District, which operates Stratford Elementary, underwent a significant operational restructuring in 2021 that reassigned grade levels across its Central and Stratford campuses to manage enrollment fluctuations. Families considering this school should clarify with the district how that realignment affects the current configuration and any future changes planned. The district has also undertaken a substantial facility upgrade at its Richard J. Neutra Elementary School on Naval Air Station Lemoore, a separate campus serving military-connected families, though this modernization does not directly affect Stratford Elementary.

Stratford itself is a very small, slow-declining agricultural town where farming is the dominant industry and employer. The school is one of the few civic anchors alongside a county library branch and a Catholic church. The town's physical character is sparse and car-dependent, with reporting noting boarded-up storefronts along its main commercial strip. Housing values are modest relative to state and national benchmarks, and the community's economic health is highly exposed to water conditions, having suffered during the recent drought and faced flood threats during 2023 atmospheric-river storms. For a family considering Stratford Elementary, the school offers a small, tight-knit community setting with strong multigenerational roots, but academic attainment is low and the broader local economy presents limited employment diversity beyond agriculture. A parent may want to look further into what targeted academic support and intervention programs the school has in place to address the proficiency gaps, and to understand how the district's 2021 grade reconfiguration continues to affect enrollment and services.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 342%

School 42% · District 50% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 414%

School 14% · District 57% · ▼ 42 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 47% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 611%

School 11% · District 36% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 715%

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

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

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 34% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 342%

School 42% · District 54% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 411%

School 11% · District 56% · ▼ 45 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 62% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 46% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 730%

School 30% · District 54% · ▼ 24 pts below district

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

Grade 820%

School 20% · District 47% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Science

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 40% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 87%

School 7% · District 32% · ▼ 25 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 45% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

This schoolCentral Union 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.