Woodland Elementary, Mariposa CA

Original Research by School Decision on Woodland Elementary

Woodland Elementary serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Mariposa, a small Gold Rush-era county seat about two hours from Yosemite, and enrolls a school population of mixed economic circumstance in a rural foothill setting. About a third of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, while the broader student composition skews toward white and multiracial families, with smaller shares of Hispanic and Native American students. The school sits on its own campus along Woodland Drive, away from the town's historic downtown core.

The school's academic performance reflects consistent strain across tested grades and subjects. In math, proficiency across elementary and middle grades runs low except for seventh grade, where it rises meaningfully. In English language arts, the picture is similar: performance in the primary grades and through sixth grade remains below where districts typically report, while seventh grade shows markedly stronger proficiency. Science testing in fifth and eighth grades also shows weaker results. The one bright spot in the available data is seventh grade in both math and English, suggesting something shifts in how that cohort is taught or tested, or simply that this particular group of students performs differently. Sixth grade dips notably in both ELA and math, a pattern worth understanding.

For families considering this school, the pattern suggests the middle grades here (particularly grades six and eight) may need closer attention and conversation with teachers about curriculum, pacing, and support. The school does retain the full K-8 span, which means no forced transition to a separate middle school; that continuity may benefit some families. The community context matters: Mariposa is very small, with tourism and county government as anchors, and housing costs roughly half the statewide average. Families moving to or staying in the area often do so around Yosemite-adjacent work, rural lifestyle preference, or affordability. The district has recently launched spring and summer expanded-learning programs in partnership with local nonprofits to address gaps in child care and enrichment, a meaningful development for working families.

Special population data for English learner and special education students is not available, so a parent with a child needing language support or special services may want to contact the school directly about those resources. The school does report serving about a third of its student body with free or reduced-price lunch assistance, reflecting the modest income levels in rural Mariposa County.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 24% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median

Grade 415%

School 15% · District 22% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 16% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 20% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median

Grade 744%

School 44% · District 42% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 27% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 17% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 27% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 31%

▼ 15 pts below state median

Grade 623%

School 23% · District 27% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 48% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median

Grade 826%

School 26% · District 39% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median

Science

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 28% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 28% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 46% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median

This schoolMariposa County 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-income16%Higher-income55%39 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income37%Higher-income25%12 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income21%Higher-income55%33 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income21%Higher-income27%7 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income46%Higher-income67%21 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income18%Higher-income38%20 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income24%Higher-income55%31 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income10%Higher-income25%15 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income4%Higher-income36%33 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income7%Higher-income27%20 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income50%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income6%Higher-income33%27 pp gap