H. Clarke Powers Elementary, Loomis CA

Original Research by School Decision on H. Clarke Powers Elementary

H. Clarke Powers Elementary is a kindergarten through eighth-grade school in Loomis, a semi-rural foothill town in Placer County. The school serves a school population of about five hundred students in a mixed residential and agricultural area where large-lot homes, small ranches, horse farms, and custom neighborhoods predominate south of Interstate 80.

The student body is predominantly white, with Hispanic students making up a meaningful minority and a small share of Asian, multiracial, and other students. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learner enrollment and special education service rates were not available.

In math, the school shows a profile that rises through the middle grades. Third graders show the weakest proficiency; by fourth grade, results improve noticeably and hold steady through the upper grades, with sixth and eighth grade performing best. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: third grade is the lowest point, fourth grade marks a jump, and grades five through eight sustain stronger results, with eighth grade the strongest of all. Overall school-wide proficiency across math and ELA sits above the midpoint among Placer County districts' schools.

Science testing is conducted in grades five and eight only. In both grades, proficiency hovers around one-half. Science is a relative soft spot; a parent may want to ask the school about how science is taught and supported across the elementary grades, especially in the primary years when foundations matter. Social studies data comes from an older assessment administered more than a decade ago and is not current.

The school's academic trajectory suggests students gain traction as they move through the grades. The dip in third grade across both subjects stands out; many schools see that transition, and it may reflect the shift from learning-to-read to reading-to-learn that happens in early elementary. The gains from third to fourth grade and the sustained performance thereafter suggest the school is building skills effectively in the middle and upper grades.

Loomis itself is a small, car-dependent town organized around large residential parcels and a compact, walkable downtown on Taylor Road. Civic life centers there, anchored by the library, historic train station, shops, restaurants, and parks. The town has grown modestly and steadily, with recent infill development like Taylor Village marketed as a walkable neighborhood near downtown. Growth is creating infrastructure pressures, and the community recently debated funding for school facilities repairs.

In November 2024, Loomis Union Elementary School District, Powers' parent district, placed a school repair bond on the ballot to address aging classrooms, labs, restrooms, roofs, and failing mechanical systems across schools, some over three decades old. The measure narrowly failed to reach the threshold needed for passage. This means significant deferred maintenance in school buildings remains unfunded. Parents should ask the district about its timeline and plan for addressing facility needs, whether through future bond measures, state funding, or other avenues.

The housing market in the 95650 zip code is solidly middle to upper-middle class. Home values are substantially higher than the state and national medians, and mortgages at current rates represent a major household cost. Rental affordability is also tight. This is a community where families typically have roots and stability; the large-lot, custom-home character of the area reflects a preference for space and privacy over density or quick turnover.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 67% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 69% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 565%

School 65% · District 63% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 672%

School 72% · District 60% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 761%

School 61% · District 67% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 59% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 64% · ▼ 24 pts below district

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

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 69% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 578%

School 78% · District 71% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 668%

School 68% · District 74% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 772%

School 72% · District 76% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 877%

School 77% · District 71% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Science

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 58% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 49% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 875%

School 75% · District 70% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

This schoolLoomis Union 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 4Lower-income36%Higher-income64%28 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income55%Higher-income76%22 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income46%Higher-income67%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income46%Higher-income65%20 pp gap