Rolling Hills Elementary, Fullerton CA

Original Research by School Decision on Rolling Hills Elementary

Rolling Hills Elementary is a public school of about mid-sized enrollment in Fullerton, serving kindergarten through sixth grade. The school sits in a mixed residential, commercial, and industrial neighborhood in a city known for its blend of suburban housing, educational institutions, and historic downtown corridor centered on the Fullerton Transportation Center.

The school's test results show a clear profile: English language arts performance is the stronger area, with about half of tested students meeting proficiency standards in grades four, five, and six. Math proficiency is lower across the board, ranging from around a third to about four in ten students proficient, with fifth grade notably lower than the others. Science proficiency, tested in fifth grade, is the weakest measure at under a quarter of students proficient. Compared to other elementary schools in Orange County, Rolling Hills sits below the midpoint overall in proficiency. Only one year of testing data is available, so trend direction cannot be determined; a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand whether these results reflect sustained patterns or recent shifts.

The school serves a diverse student body. About half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a community with moderate economic needs. The enrollment is roughly split between Hispanic and white students, with smaller shares of Asian, multiracial, and other groups. Specific data on the number of English learners and students receiving special education services were not available.

Fullerton Elementary School District operates the school and has made strategic moves relevant to families considering their choices. The district runs dual language programs in Spanish and Korean and is planning an expanded Spanish dual language option for a south Fullerton location. The district also maintains a structured GATE program in which all second graders are screened; qualified students either receive enrichment at their home school or transfer to designated GATE schools with cohorts staying together through sixth grade. The board is actively examining identification and priority-enrollment policies around GATE, so families interested in those options may see changes. At the junior high level, the district launched the Spyder Lab in fall of the prior year, a hands-on Career Technical Education program blending entrepreneurship, graphic design, and business strategy.

The neighborhood context is suburban residential with some industrial legacy areas. Fullerton's economy anchors around education, healthcare, manufacturing, and government, with California State University, Fullerton and Fullerton College as major institutions. Downtown is a walkable district with shops, restaurants, and cultural venues, though most residential neighborhoods are car-dependent for daily errands and school runs. Housing values in the area are substantial relative to state and national benchmarks, reflecting the region's desirability. The Fullerton Transportation Center, a major regional transit hub, connects the city and is driving planned mixed-use development downtown.

For a family evaluating Rolling Hills, the key consideration is the current academic performance levels, particularly in math and science, set against the school's place in a district with active curriculum and enrichment programming. The school's demographics and economic profile reflect a genuine community-school relationship serving working and middle-income families.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 58% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 443%

School 43% · District 57% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 50% · ▼ 20 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 51% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 53% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 452%

School 52% · District 59% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 62% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 66% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Science

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 44% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

This schoolFullerton 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-income18%Higher-income48%30 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income35%Higher-income75%40 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income42%Higher-income79%38 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income23%Higher-income77%54 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income29%Higher-income48%19 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income61%31 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income21%Higher-income45%24 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income11%Higher-income64%52 pp gap