Sycamore Hills Elementary, Fontana CA

Original Research by School Decision on Sycamore Hills Elementary

Sycamore Hills Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Fontana, a large, growing Inland Empire city shaped by logistics, manufacturing, and residential sprawl across freeways and rail corridors. The school sits in a working-class, family-heavy neighborhood where the vast majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of Fontana's population.

State testing data from the most recent school year shows proficiency rates that are below what the school would want. In English language arts, students across grades three through six average around four in ten reaching proficiency, with third grade at the lower end and grades four through six in the low-to-mid forties. Math results are notably lower: third graders and those in sixth grade sit in the mid-twenties, fourth grade reaches above four in ten, but fifth grade drops sharply to around one in six. The school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among elementary schools in San Bernardino County, though parents may want to look into the school's math support, especially for the upper elementary grades where the pattern becomes uneven. Science testing, administered in fifth grade, shows one in six students at proficiency.

The enrollment is small to mid-sized for an elementary school. The student body is predominantly Latino, with a substantial share identifying as Hispanic. Asian and Black students each represent a smaller share; white enrollment is minimal. The school has not reported data on English learners or students in special education, so a family working with the school on either of those supports may want to ask directly about programs and staffing.

Fontana itself is a diverse, working community. Median home values in the area are moderate relative to California's state benchmark, and rental costs sit at roughly a third of household income for typical residents. The city is growing, with active downtown revitalization efforts and new residential construction in North Fontana aimed at families. Major employers include Kaiser Permanente, Amazon fulfillment centers, California Steel Industries, and extensive logistics and warehouse operations tied to the region's freeway network. The city center is car-oriented overall, though the downtown core along Sierra Avenue is walkable and anchored by the Lewis Library and a Metrolink station with weekday commuter rail service.

Sycamore Hills is part of Colton Joint Unified School District, which in November 2024 passed Measure BB, a significant school facilities bond. Many of the district's neighborhood schools are decades old and the bond funds repairs, modernization, and upgrades across the system. This carries both a long-term property tax cost for homeowners and an investment in facility quality over time. For families considering the area or the school, this signals the district's acknowledgment of infrastructure needs and a multi-year commitment to address them.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 31% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 26% · ▲ 16 pts above district

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

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 16%

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

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 22% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 32% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 34% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 33% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 36% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Science

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 17%

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

This schoolColton Joint 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-income21%Higher-income62%40 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income44%4 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income22%Higher-income62%40 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income28%3 pp gap