Lake Don Pedro Elementary, La Grange CA

Original Research by School Decision on Lake Don Pedro Elementary

Lake Don Pedro Elementary serves a small student body from kindergarten through eighth grade in La Grange, a historic but tiny Sierra foothills community in the far southeastern part of Stanislaus County. The school sits in a rural setting dominated by water management operations, ranching, and lake recreation. It operates as part of Mariposa County Unified, though the town itself is not in Mariposa County—a geographic quirk worth noting for a family considering enrollment.

The academic profile is weak across the board. On the most recent state assessments, proficiency rates in mathematics ranged from very low in upper elementary and middle grades to roughly one in two students in seventh grade. English language arts showed similarly thin results overall, though eighth-grade performance reached about one in two students—the school's strongest area. Science proficiency in fifth grade was in the low single digits; by eighth grade it improved somewhat but remained well below typical state benchmarks. These numbers reflect a school in real academic difficulty. A parent considering this school should look closely at what interventions or supports the school is putting in place to address the gap, and whether the school's enrollment size and rural location allow it to attract specialized staff or resources.

The student body is just under a full-size small elementary school and skews toward economic hardship. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is roughly evenly split between white and Hispanic students, with a small number of Black and multiracial students and very few Asian students or Native Americans. Data on English learners and special education enrollment were not available, so parents interested in those support systems should ask the school directly.

The surrounding community is deeply rural and historically oriented. La Grange is one of California's oldest mining settlements, now a registered historical landmark with a few mid-1800s buildings along a state highway. The area centers on Don Pedro Lake and its recreation: boating, fishing, camping, hiking trails. The Turlock Irrigation District—which operates the dams and related water and power infrastructure—is the dominant employer. Most other jobs are in nearby towns like Turlock or Modesto. Housing prices reflect rural foothills character; they are moderate for California but are valued higher than the state average, suggesting some out-of-town interest in the Lake Don Pedro subdivision and the scenic area.

The school's enrollment is stable at around mid-range for a combined K-8 building. There is no trend data available to show whether enrollment has been growing or declining. The district recently launched a partnership with the Mariposa Arts Council and Sierra Foothill Conservancy to offer expanded learning and enrichment programs in spring and summer, filling a child-care gap that families identified. That program has grown from a pilot to full-day service and represents a concrete recent effort to support working families in a remote area.

For a family choosing this school, the central trade-off is clear: a very small, tight-knit rural community with strong outdoor recreation, affordable(ish) housing relative to the broader California market, and a school that is transparent about serving a high-poverty student body but is academically struggling. The numbers suggest this is not a pathway toward strong academic preparation for high school and beyond in their current form. Parents seeking strong academics, diverse extracurricular offerings, or suburban infrastructure should look elsewhere. Those drawn to rural living, small-school environments, and community-centered life, and who are prepared to supplement schooling at home or with private tutoring, might find it workable—but the academic weakness is real and warrants sustained attention from the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 318%

School 18% · District 24% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median

Grade 417%

School 17% · District 22% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median

Grade 56%

School 6% · District 16% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median

Grade 611%

School 11% · District 20% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median

Grade 747%

School 47% · District 42% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median

Grade 813%

School 13% · District 27% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 314%

School 14% · District 17% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 27% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 31% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median

Grade 617%

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

▼ 27 pts below state median

Grade 742%

School 42% · District 48% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 39% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median

Science

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 28% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 28% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 46% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 22 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.