Lo-inyo Elementary, Lone Pine CA

Original Research by School Decision on Lo-inyo Elementary

Lo-Inyo Elementary serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Lone Pine, a small unincorporated community in the Owens Valley. The school is the feeder institution for the town's single secondary campus and represents the primary educational anchor for families across a sparse rural region. About two-thirds of students at the school qualify for free or reduced-price meals, and the enrollment skews toward Hispanic students alongside a substantial share of Native American students and white families. The student body reflects the mixed-income, mixed-heritage character of the Owens Valley.

State testing data from 2024-25 shows proficiency rates that fall below the state midpoint and well below the upper range among Inyo County districts. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from around a quarter of third graders to about half of eighth graders, with most grades in the low-to-mid range. Math proficiency follows a similar pattern, dipping lowest in third grade and rising somewhat by eighth grade. Science proficiency, tested only in fifth and eighth grades, sits in the low-to-mid range in both grades. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learner enrollment is not available, so families may want to ask the school directly about special services and support for multilingual learners. No recent state data exists for social studies or prior-year trends, so the current snapshot stands without comparison.

The school's building stock is aging. In November 2024, voters in the district approved a general obligation bond dedicated to modernization and renovation projects at Lo-Inyo, with work planned to cover classroom updates, technology infrastructure, and facility safety. This bond commitment means the school will see visible physical improvements over the next several years, though families should expect some disruption during construction phases.

Lone Pine itself is a car-dependent small town oriented around U.S. Highway 395, where service jobs, sales work, and outdoor-recreation tourism form the economic base. Housing is affordable relative to much of California, though the local job market is lean; many residents commute considerable distances for work. Land ownership is heavily constrained by federal and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power holdings, so housing growth remains tight. The town sits amid dramatic mountain scenery and outdoor recreation areas, which shapes both the character of daily life and the seasonal rhythm of employment.

The school sits within a tiny two-school district serving a broad rural hinterland that includes several small communities beyond Lone Pine proper. This means the school is integrated into the civic and commercial fabric of the town, rather than isolated on an outlying campus. Families choosing Lo-Inyo should understand they are selecting a small, economically modest school in a rural setting where academic proficiency is currently in the lower half of the county's schools, with aging facilities that are now beginning a multi-year modernization cycle.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 324%

School 24% · District 24%

▼ 19 pts below state median

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 31%

even with state median

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 33%

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 733%

School 33% · District 33%

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 15 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 35%

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 39%

▼ 3 pts below state median

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 42%

▼ 3 pts below state median

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 22%

▼ 22 pts below state median

Grade 730%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 16 pts below state median

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 48%

▲ 3 pts above state median

Science

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 31%

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 33%

▲ 8 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 24 pts below state median

This schoolLone Pine 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 5Lower-income27%Higher-income53%26 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income18%Higher-income40%22 pp gap