Chualar Elementary, Chualar CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Chualar Elementary

Chualar Elementary serves grades kindergarten through eighth in a small, rural, predominantly Hispanic agricultural community in the Salinas Valley, about ten miles southeast of Salinas. The school is the only school in Chualar Union School District, and it sits within the town's residential core rather than on a separated campus. The student body is nearly entirely Hispanic, with a substantial share of families qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the region.

The most recent state test data shows uneven proficiency across grade levels and subjects. In English language arts, performance ranges widely by grade, with stronger results in grades six and seven but weaker performance in grades three and four. The school's overall English language arts proficiency sits modestly above the midpoint among Monterey County districts. Mathematics proficiency is lower and more consistently challenged across grades, particularly in grade four, where proficiency was quite low. Science test results are sparse; grade five showed very low proficiency while grade eight was considerably higher. This variation by grade and subject suggests students' learning trajectories differ across the school's span, and a parent may want to ask the school directly about instructional supports, how it addresses gaps in foundational math skills, and what interventions or enrichment are available to students at different achievement levels.

The school enrolls a small number of students spread across nine grade bands. Kindergarten and grade four are among the largest cohorts; other grades are smaller. Data on the proportion of English learners and students with individualized education plans was not available, though given the community's agricultural character and the school's Hispanic enrollment share, a significant portion of the school likely includes language learners. Specific information about special education services, English learner programs, and academic support structures was not found in the available materials, so these are topics a parent visiting or calling the school could explore in detail.

Chualar is a tight-knit farm town with a young population and high share of households with children. The community has no retail or commercial center; daily life centers on agricultural work, the small residential settlement, and the school. Local transit is available through Monterey-Salinas Transit, which runs a route connecting Salinas to King City with stops in Chualar. Housing values in the zip code are moderate relative to the state. Voters approved a school bond, Measure J, in November 2024 for facility repairs and modernization, which adds a property-tax levy for families in the district. An earlier bond effort failed in March 2024, and the subsequent passage of Measure J reflects the district's facility funding needs.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 44%

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

Grade 49%

School 9% · District 9%

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

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 26%

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

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 40%

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

Grade 729%

School 29% · District 29%

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

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 27%

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

English language arts

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 22%

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

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 39%

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

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 767%

School 67% · District 67%

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

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 50%

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

Science

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 7%

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 31%

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

Social studies

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 53%

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

This schoolChualar 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.