Cedar Lane Elementary, Olivehurst CA

Original Research by School Decision on Cedar Lane Elementary

Cedar Lane Elementary is a small public school in Olivehurst, California, serving kindergarten through sixth grade in a working-class, growing residential community in Yuba County. The school enrolls a modest student body in a town about four miles south of Marysville, where the housing stock is expanding rapidly through new developments in the adjacent Plumas Lake area.

The school's academic performance is a significant concern. On California's state assessments in 2024-25, proficiency rates across tested grades and subjects fall well below typical benchmarks. In mathematics, proficiency ranges from about one in twenty students in the upper grades to roughly one in five in third grade. English language arts shows a similar pattern, with proficiency in third grade higher than in fourth but dropping again in fifth and sixth. Science proficiency in fifth grade is in the low double digits. Overall proficiency across tested subjects sits below the midpoint compared to other districts in Yuba County. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what instructional supports are in place and whether the school has a plan to address these performance gaps.

The student body is economically disadvantaged and racially diverse. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the working-class character of the community. The enrollment is roughly half Hispanic, nearly one quarter white, and includes smaller shares of Asian, multiracial, Black, and Native American students. The school's size is typical for an elementary school in its grade band, with enrollment distributed across seven grades from kindergarten through sixth.

Olivehurst itself is an unincorporated community built largely on the legacy of Depression-era migration from the Midwest. It is car-dependent with limited walkability and few concentrated commercial areas. The community's civic life centers on parks operated by the Olivehurst Public Utility District, including one of Yuba County's only public swimming pools. Transit service is provided by regional buses. The area is in the early stages of substantial residential growth, driven by new home construction in the Plumas Lake area to the east, which has strained local infrastructure. Housing costs in the zip code are moderate relative to California statewide, though affordability remains a challenge for families on typical local wages.

Cedar Lane serves as part of Marysville Joint Unified School District, which in March 2024 saw voters defeat a bond measure that would have funded a new middle school and facilities improvements across aging district buildings. That referendum's failure means the district continues to grapple with overcrowding and aging facilities without new revenue, a backdrop worth understanding as you consider enrollment in any of the district's schools.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 37% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 416%

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

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 56%

School 6% · District 16% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 65%

School 5% · District 18% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 34% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 29% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 32% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 30% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 20% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

This schoolMarysville Joint 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.