Mathew J Brletic Elementary, Parlier CA

Original Research by School Decision on Mathew J Brletic Elementary

Mathew J Brletic Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Parlier, a small agricultural city in the San Joaquin Valley where farming, packing, and shipping have built the local economy for generations. The school's enrollment is small, drawn almost entirely from the surrounding Latino community with very high economic need. The overwhelming majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is heavily concentrated in one ethnic group.

The school's recent state test results show low proficiency across subjects. In mathematics, proficiency ranges from the low teens across grades four through six, with grade three performing somewhat higher but still well below typical benchmarks. In English language arts, results are similarly low, though grade five stands out with performance notably higher than adjacent grades. Science testing, available only for grade five, also shows low proficiency. Across both ELA and math combined, the school sits below the midpoint when compared to other elementary schools in Fresno County. Without prior-year data, it is not possible to see whether these results represent change or stability.

The school's position within Fresno County's district landscape reflects this profile. Among the county's schools with comparable data, Brletic's overall proficiency index places it below the median. State graduation rates and chronic absenteeism figures were not available, which is typical for an elementary school; those metrics apply to secondary grades and attendance tracking above. The school's location on Third Street in central Parlier places it within the small downtown grid rather than on an outlying campus, aligning with the city's compact footprint and recent downtown revitalization efforts.

Parlier Unified, the parent district, has made two significant facility and tax commitments in recent years. Voters approved Measure D in 2020, a general obligation bond funded through property tax and repaid over roughly a generation, aimed at modernizing aging classrooms and facilities. More recently, in November 2024, voters approved Measure P, a larger bond measure that funds classroom and restroom modernization, HVAC and kitchen repairs, roof fixes, safety upgrades, and construction of new physical education facilities including a sports complex. Both measures add ongoing property tax obligations to households in the district.

The school serves a community where seasonal migrant farm labor is a significant presence and agricultural employment remains the largest sector. Parlier's recent growth strategy includes affordable housing development and downtown restoration, with some residential and infill development likely under state housing mandates, though the city's population has remained roughly stable. For families considering Brletic, the school's very high-need student body, low test proficiency, and small size are plaintext characteristics that would benefit from direct conversation with the school about instructional support, English learner services, and how families experiencing economic strain are supported. The recent bond measures signal district investment in facilities, though that comes with added tax cost for property owners.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 28% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 412%

School 12% · District 18% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 17% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 612%

School 12% · District 15% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 25% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 18% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 34% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 25% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 13% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

This schoolParlier 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.