Morningside, Delano CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Morningside

Morningside is a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade public elementary school in Delano, located in California's southern San Joaquin Valley. The school serves a population of roughly five hundred students, most of whom are Hispanic and Asian, with a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school is part of Delano Union Elementary, the district that covers the city.

In state testing, Morningside's results show uneven performance across grades and subjects. In English language arts, third grade is weak, but fourth and fifth grades show stronger results, with more than half of fifth graders meeting proficiency standards. In math, the picture is more consistently challenged: third graders are near the midpoint, fourth graders show modest gains, but fifth graders drop significantly. Science results are available only for fifth grade and are low. When proficiency rates across all tested subjects and grades are averaged, Morningside sits in the top quartile among elementary schools in Kern County, a distinction driven by the relative strength in upper-elementary language arts. For families considering the school, the math trajectory from fourth to fifth grade is a soft spot worth discussing directly with school staff, as is the overall level of math proficiency across the school.

Delano is a mid-sized agricultural city in the valley, roughly a half-hour drive north of Bakersfield. Its economy centers on farming—citrus, grapes, nuts—and the city has deep roots in the farmworker movement and railroad history. The community is car-dependent, with most people driving alone to work; downtown sits around Main Street with civic anchors including City Hall and the library. The city is in active growth, with new housing construction underway and new commercial developments opening, though housing remains constrained relative to growth demand. Median home values in the zip code are moderate compared to the state benchmark. Renting is more affordable than buying, at roughly one-fifth of household income.

The school's enrollment is small, and the racial and economic composition is distinct: roughly four of five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and roughly four of five are Hispanic. About one in six students are Asian. This reflects Delano's working-class, agricultural-centered demography. Data on students receiving special education services and English learners was not available. The school sits on Summer Drive in a residential area; specific program offerings, staffing depth, and attendance or discipline practices were not provided, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about those dimensions of school life.

Delano Union Elementary's priorities and recent changes were not available from public sources, so readers should reach out to the district office for information about strategic direction, budget or facility changes, or staffing developments. What is clear from the state data is that Morningside's students are taking state tests and results are being reported, so the school is operational and participating in standard accountability measures. For a family in or moving to Delano, a visit to the school and a conversation with its principal about math support, English learner services, and what resources or programs help students in a high-poverty setting would be the best way to assess fit.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 39% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 36% · ▲ 13 pts above district

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

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 32% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 42% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 458%

School 58% · District 42% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 44% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 29% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

This schoolDelano Union Elementary, 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-income36%Higher-income39%3 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income53%Higher-income79%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income51%Higher-income50%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income39%Higher-income46%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income43%Higher-income68%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income39%12 pp gap