Horizon Elementary, Mcfarland CA

Original Research by School Decision on Horizon Elementary

Horizon Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in McFarland, a small San Joaquin Valley agricultural city in Kern County. The school enrolls a student body that is overwhelmingly Hispanic/Latino, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic realities of a farm-labor-based community.

State assessment data from the most recent year shows proficiency rates well below the state median across both math and English language arts. In math, proficiency ranges from roughly a fifth of students in fifth grade to about half in third grade, with most grades falling in the low-to-mid-range. In English language arts, the pattern is similar, with rates hovering between a third and roughly half across the tested grades. Science proficiency at fifth grade is particularly low. The overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades places Horizon in the top quartile among schools in Kern County, a reflection of performance relative to peer elementary schools in the same county rather than any indication of strong absolute results. To put this plainly: the school is performing above many of its county peers, but it is performing in areas where the county itself faces significant academic challenges.

The school's enrollment is stable at just over five hundred students, with roughly balanced enrollment across grades. The student composition is economically disadvantaged, with more than four in five students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Specific data on English learners and students receiving special education services was not available. The school is a regular public elementary school, not a charter, and serves as part of McFarland Unified.

McFarland itself is a quiet, family-oriented town where local shops and schools lie within walking distance and civic life clusters near a small downtown core. Agriculture dominates the local economy, and housing values are substantially below the state and national average, making the area relatively affordable. The city is growing slowly but steadily, with recent development including workforce-oriented affordable housing like the Sherwood Family Apartments. The broader region offers larger employment and retail centers in Delano and Bakersfield, each a short drive away.

For families considering this school, the key reality is that academic proficiency is low, and a parent may want to look into further detail with the school about how it is approaching instruction in math and science in particular. The school's peer group faces similar challenges, which tells you something about the pressures on education in this part of Kern County. The community itself is stable and family-centered, and housing is affordable, which can be relevant to families seeking a lower cost of living in the region.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 354%

School 54% · District 32% · ▲ 22 pts above district

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

Grade 443%

School 43% · District 26% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 17% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 631%

School 31% · District 27% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 28% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 29% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 31% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 38% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 16% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

This schoolMcFarland 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 4Lower-income33%Higher-income73%39 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income34%Higher-income42%7 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income39%Higher-income64%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income22%Higher-income25%3 pp gap