La Rosa Elementary, Ceres CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on La Rosa Elementary

La Rosa Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Ceres, a Central Valley city roughly five miles south of Modesto along State Route 99. The school enrolls a community of mixed economic means, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a sizable Asian population and smaller numbers of white, Black, and other students. The school is a regular public school within Ceres Unified.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, La Rosa's results show uneven performance across grades and subjects. In math, third-grade proficiency is notably stronger; proficiency drops meaningfully in grades four and five, then climbs slightly in grade six. English language arts mirrors this pattern broadly, with third-grade standing at roughly the midpoint and upper grades clustered around the middle. The school assessed fifth-grade science proficiency near the midpoint. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile when compared to other schools and districts in Stanislaus County. That said, the proficiency data by grade reveals a performance cliff around grade four in both math and reading, where attainment falls notably, then remains flat or rises only gradually through grade six. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand whether this pattern reflects curriculum sequencing, instructional factors, or other dynamics, and what support the school offers students navigating that transition.

Data on English learner enrollment and special education enrollment are not available, limiting a full picture of how the school serves students with different linguistic or learning needs. The school does not report discipline, attendance, or staffing metrics.

Ceres itself is a community in transition. The city center preserves an identifiable downtown district with green spaces and civic anchors, including a 76-acre river park and a branch library, though storefronts show vacancy alongside surviving shops. Residential neighborhoods are predominantly suburban in character, with single-family ranch-style homes. The regional economy rests on agriculture, food manufacturing (Foster Farms is a major employer despite recent workforce reductions), retail trade, transportation, and healthcare. Many residents commute to jobs in Modesto. The median home value in the zip code is in the mid-range for the region, and rents reflect modest affordability pressure. The city is on a steady growth path, with new subdivisions approved and housing expansion continuing, which means school enrollment and demographic pressures may shift over time.

Ceres Unified has made investments visible to families: voters approved a school bond measure in November 2024 that adds a property tax assessment for multi-year facility repairs, safety upgrades, and technology updates across the district. This means families moving into the district will face a sustained property tax increase. The district has also established a dual language pathway with bilingual academies, a program option worth noting for families seeking biliteracy.

La Rosa's academic profile is one of mixed performance, stronger in the early grades, with a marked transition challenge in the upper elementary years. Whether that pattern is typical for the grade band, whether the school has targeted interventions, and how the school's incoming cohorts and peer climate work for a particular student are questions a parent would benefit from exploring directly with the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 371%

School 71% · District 37% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 452%

School 52% · District 28% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 20% · ▲ 19 pts above district

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

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 23% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 32% · ▲ 16 pts above district

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

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 31% · ▲ 23 pts above district

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

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 35% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 37% · ▲ 16 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 17% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

This schoolCeres 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 5Lower-income44%Higher-income57%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income38%Higher-income43%5 pp gap