Burns Valley, Clearlake CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Burns Valley

Burns Valley serves kindergarten through seventh grade as a regular public school in Clearlake, a rural city on the southeast shore of Clear Lake in Lake County. The school sits in a region far from major urban centers, where most residents drive and the local economy centers on healthcare and retail. Clearlake itself is experiencing deliberate growth: affordable housing units have opened, a new sports complex and recreation center is under construction in the Burns Valley area, and the city is assembling land along Highway 53 for commercial development. The school's location places it in a developing part of town with active civic investment.

Burns Valley enrolled a small student body, nearly all of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is roughly balanced between Hispanic students and white students, with a smaller share of Native American, Asian, Black, and multiracial students. English learner status and special education counts are not available in the data.

Academic proficiency at Burns Valley is notably low. In English language arts, the school's average proficiency rate across tested grades falls well below the county midpoint. Math proficiency is even lower, with some grades in single digits. A fifth grade science result shows minimal proficiency. The school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among Lake County school districts. Only one prior result exists in the data, from social studies in 2013, which showed similarly low proficiency. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, including whether the school has implemented new instructional approaches or support systems since that earlier assessment, what factors staff and leadership identify as underlying the performance, and what targeted interventions are in place.

The school serves a high-poverty enrollment. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which correlates with broader economic challenges in the Clearlake area. Housing values in the area remain modest relative to state and national benchmarks. The mortgage-to-income ratio and rent burden in the area are manageable, but the underlying economic conditions shape family circumstances.

In November 2024, Konocti Unified voters approved a school facilities improvement bond, a general obligation measure funding long-term campus upgrades. This indicates the district is investing in facilities, though it also represents a property-tax commitment for families in the area.

Burns Valley's small size, its location in a town undergoing growth and infrastructure change, and its predominantly low-income, Latino and white student body are observable characteristics that may be relevant to family decisions. The proficiency results are the clearest signal a parent should weigh carefully, including asking the school directly about curriculum, staffing, student support services, and any recent changes in approach.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 321%

School 21% · District 18% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 22 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 415%

School 15% · District 12% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 5%

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

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 10% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 312%

School 12% · District 18% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 20% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 18 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 16% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 20% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 21 pts below state median

Science

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 8% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 30% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median

This schoolKonocti 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-income10%Higher-income20%10 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income19%Higher-income44%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income35%Higher-income44%9 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income18%Higher-income33%15 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income11%Higher-income31%20 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income39%1 pp gap