The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Mary B. Lewis Elementary
Mary B. Lewis Elementary sits on San Bernardino Avenue in Bloomington, an unincorporated community in the Inland Empire that straddles two realities: it is one of the more affordable places left in California to buy a home, and it is in the middle of a contested transformation driven by warehouse and logistics development pressing against established residential neighborhoods. The school serves kindergarten through sixth grade and is part of Colton Joint Unified School District, which covers all of Bloomington.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller Black population and a modest white enrollment. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places this squarely among California's high-need elementary schools. Data on English learner enrollment and students with IEPs was not available in the records we reviewed, so those dimensions of the student population are a gap a parent may want to ask the school about directly.
State assessment results from the most recent year are available across grades three through six in English language arts, math, and fifth-grade science, and the picture they present is one of low proficiency relative to California standards. In English language arts, proficiency grows across the grade span, with sixth grade showing the strongest results, but even at the top end it remains below where most California families would hope to see their child's school land. Math proficiency is weaker still, reaching its lowest point at fifth grade. Science results at fifth grade are also low. Taken together, Mary B. Lewis places in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency among the districts measured in San Bernardino County. Trend data covering multiple years was not available, so whether the school is moving in any direction cannot be determined from what was reported. A parent whose child is struggling academically, or is reading below grade level, may want to ask the school specifically what interventions and supports are in place.
No program offerings, course access information, discipline data, or attendance figures were provided, so those dimensions of school life are not described here. Graduation rate does not apply, as the school serves only elementary grades.
The community around the school is worth understanding for any family making a housing decision alongside a school decision. Home values in the Bloomington zip code are well above the national midpoint but meaningfully below the California state benchmark, which is what makes the area a relative entry point into Inland Empire homeownership. Renting appears more costly relative to income than the national norm. The affordability that has drawn working families to Bloomington is real, but the neighborhood itself is in flux. A major warehouse development approved by the county in 2022 has already resulted in the demolition of homes, and litigation over its environmental review was still active as of mid-2026. The county has also made investments on the other side of the ledger, including street improvements, a rebuilt community park with new amenities, and an affordable housing and library development anchored on county land.
Families with students in Colton Joint Unified should be aware that voters passed a school facilities bond in November 2024, the district's first new bond authorization in a long time. It funds repairs and modernization to aging school buildings and adds a property-tax levy for homeowners that will persist as long as the bonds are outstanding. For renters, this may filter into costs indirectly over time. For homeowners, it is a carrying cost tied to a direct investment in the physical condition of the schools their children attend.
Mary B. Lewis is a neighborhood elementary school serving a high-need community in a part of California where housing remains accessible but is under pressure. The academic results as reported are low, and that is a fact families should weigh honestly. What the data does not show is the school's internal trajectory, the quality of its teachers, or how it responds to students who need extra support. Those are questions worth bringing to the school directly before drawing a conclusion.
See more original research from School Decision →