Linda Verde Elementary, Lancaster CA

Original Research by School Decision on Linda Verde Elementary

Linda Verde Elementary serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Lancaster, a mid-sized desert city in northern Los Angeles County. The school enrolls a mixed student population across the grade bands, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the community. The student body is predominantly white, with sizable shares of Hispanic and Black students and smaller populations from other backgrounds.

Most recent state test results reveal significant academic challenges across both English Language Arts and mathematics. In ELA, proficiency varies sharply by grade: younger elementary grades score very low, but proficiency rises notably in grades five through eight, where roughly a third of students meet the standard. In mathematics, the picture is more uniformly weak. Proficiency sits in the low single digits in grades four, six, and eight; grade three and seven show slightly higher rates in the teens; and grade five performs best, though still below a quarter of students proficient. Grade eight mathematics proficiency drops to the very lowest level. Science testing shows similar strain, with proficiency in the high teens in grade five and in the single digits in grade eight.

The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among the county's school districts. This is consistent with a school population facing significant economic hardship and suggests that students at Linda Verde are substantially behind academic benchmarks. A parent may want to look further with the school into what support systems are in place for mathematics instruction, particularly in the middle grades and especially in grade eight, where performance is notably weak across subjects.

Lancaster Elementary School District recently won voter approval for a bond measure to renovate aging school facilities across the district. Many buildings, including those at Linda Verde, were constructed decades ago, and the bond will fund classroom upgrades, science lab improvements, and infrastructure repairs. This represents a major capital commitment, though the benefits will unfold over time as projects move forward. The district is positioned for facility improvement, even as academic performance remains under pressure.

The city of Lancaster itself is experiencing economic and cultural growth, with a revitalized downtown anchored by mixed-use development, the Performing Arts Center, and community cultural institutions. The Antelope Valley region is anchored by aerospace and defense employment, healthcare, and education. Housing values in the area are below state and national averages, though rents have been stable. For families considering Linda Verde, the school offers a traditional neighborhood elementary setting in a community with investment underway, but current academic results indicate meaningful academic support will be needed to help students advance toward proficiency.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 24% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 411%

School 11% · District 17% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 11% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 611%

School 11% · District 10% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 714%

School 14% · District 15%

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

Grade 82%

School 2% · District 10% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 24% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 48%

School 8% · District 24% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 36 pts below county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 25% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 24% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 731%

School 31% · District 27% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 835%

School 35% · District 26% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 15% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 89%

School 9% · District 14% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

This schoolLancaster 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 6Lower-income14%Higher-income9%5 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income9%Higher-income18%9 pp gap