Tarpey Elementary, Clovis CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Tarpey Elementary

Tarpey Elementary is a neighborhood school in Clovis serving kindergarten through sixth grade. The school reflects the broader demographics and economic makeup of its fast-growing city: a substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is diverse, with about three-fifths Hispanic, a quarter Asian, and smaller populations of white, multiracial, and other students. The school is located at the northern edge of a city that has been building rapidly, with new housing developments and planned communities shaping residential patterns nearby.

On state assessments, Tarpey's proficiency picture is mixed by grade and subject. In English language arts, the school shows more consistent mid-range performance: roughly half of third and fourth graders and a bit under half of fifth graders score at or above proficient, dropping to about two-fifths by sixth grade. Mathematics is the weaker area. Third grade sits around mid-40s proficient, but fourth grade falls into the high-30s, fifth grade drops sharply to around one-fifth, and sixth grade sits at one-quarter proficient. Science was assessed only in fifth grade, where about one-third of students reached proficiency. Across tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Fresno County, a strong standing that reflects the fact that many county schools face steeper challenges. That said, a parent may want to look into what instructional supports and interventions the school has in place, particularly in mathematics, where the sharp decline in fifth grade warrants attention.

The school is part of Clovis Unified, a large and growing district that is now California's 12th largest. The district has just opened new facilities and is managing rapid enrollment growth while rebalancing school attendance zones. In April 2024, the board approved attendance boundary changes that took effect in the 2025-26 school year; families in the Clovis East attendance area were most affected, with several elementary schools reassigned. Voters also approved a school facilities bond in November 2024 that extends an existing bond tax rate without raising it, funding infrastructure upgrades and completion of a new high school campus. For a family considering the area, these boundary changes and capital investments are concrete signals of how the district is adapting to growth.

Clovis itself is a mid-sized, suburban city with a strong local identity built around its historic Old Town district, master-planned neighborhoods, and an extensive trail system. The housing market is moderately valued relative to California and the nation, reflecting suburban positioning between a larger regional center (Fresno) and less-developed areas. The city's economy centers on healthcare, education, retail, and professional services, with the school district itself a major employer. Daily life is car-oriented but walkable in pockets, particularly Old Town Clovis and the planned Loma Vista development on the city's southeast edge, which is drawing significant residential investment.

Tarpey Elementary is a regular public school, not a charter or specialty program. It serves a neighborhood student population with high rates of economic need, offers no special advanced or alternate program designation that would set it apart from standard elementary instruction, and sits within a district that is actively managing growth and making major capital investments. Parents weighing this school should view it as a neighborhood option in a suburban, economically mixed area where the school's academic standing is solid by local measures but where fifth- and sixth-grade mathematics warrants conversation with staff about instructional approaches and supports.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 64% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 58% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 50% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 625%

School 25% · District 54% · ▼ 29 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 350%

School 50% · District 63% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 451%

School 51% · District 63% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 65% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 65% · ▼ 27 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 48% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

This schoolClovis 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 3Lower-income44%Higher-income91%47 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income47%Higher-income67%20 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income56%17 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income36%Higher-income50%14 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income39%Higher-income73%33 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income33%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income16%Higher-income32%16 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income25%0 pp gap