Rio Vista Elementary, Fillmore CA

Original Research by School Decision on Rio Vista Elementary

Rio Vista Elementary is a small school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Fillmore, a compact, close-knit agricultural town in Ventura County's Santa Clara River Valley. The school sits within walking distance of other district schools in Fillmore's downtown grid, where most families live in older cottages and bungalows within a few blocks of the commercial core.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic reality of the community. Enrollment spans about a hundred students per grade level in the lower grades and somewhat fewer in the upper grades, making Rio Vista a school of small to modest size.

On state testing, Rio Vista's results in 2024-25 show proficiency in the low range across grade levels and subjects. In English language arts, proficiency in third grade reached around half of students, but dropped to roughly a third by fourth grade and a third by fifth grade. Math proficiency was lower, starting at around two-fifths in third grade, declining to about a third in fourth grade, and falling below one-fifth in fifth grade. A science assessment in fifth grade showed proficiency at a low single-digit percentage. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed the school below the midpoint among the county's tested schools.

A parent looking at Rio Vista should understand that the school serves a community with limited household income and many students learning English as an additional language. The learning pathway here will likely involve close attention to foundational reading and math skills in the primary grades. The drop-off in proficiency from grade four to five, especially sharp in math and science, is worth exploring directly with the school to understand whether it reflects curriculum pacing, assessment difficulty, gaps in prior-grade instruction, or shifts in student composition across those grades.

Fillmore as a town is undergoing measured growth and revitalization. New residential construction is bringing young families to subdivisions like Heritage Grove, while the downtown core is transitioning toward mixed-use development. The school district recently passed a bond measure funding facility upgrades across campuses, including HVAC improvements, security enhancements, and a new athletic complex at the high school. Rio Vista's own campus facilities would reflect some of those priorities over the coming years.

Walkability, small-town integration, and low-cost housing are strengths of living in Fillmore if that way of life appeals to your family. Academically, Rio Vista is a school where foundational skill-building is paramount, and where direct engagement with teachers about what students are learning, how gaps are being addressed, and what support is available outside the classroom would be essential steps for any parent considering enrollment.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 35% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 28% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 14% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 349%

School 49% · District 41% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 31% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 34% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Science

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 15% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

This schoolFillmore 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-income37%Higher-income63%26 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income29%Higher-income56%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income23%Higher-income42%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income30%Higher-income51%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income44%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income11%Higher-income27%17 pp gap