Bidwell Elementary, Red Bluff CA

Original Research by School Decision on Bidwell Elementary

Bidwell Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Red Bluff, a small agricultural community along the Sacramento River in Tehama County. The school sits in a region known for its historic character, with tree-shaded streets, Victorian-era homes, and a downtown of nineteenth-century brick buildings alongside rural ranch properties and river recreation. The school's enrollment is small, and it draws from a community with significant economic need: a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is about half white and about four in ten students are Hispanic, with the remainder distributed across other racial and ethnic groups.

In the most recent state testing data, Bidwell's proficiency rates in English language arts and mathematics sit below what would be expected for comparative schools. In the tested grades, proficiency in mathematics ranges from around one in five fifth-graders to about two in five in third and fourth grade. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: about one in four third-graders reach proficiency, about two in five in fourth grade, and around one in five in fifth grade. Science testing, available for fifth grade only, shows proficiency at about one in five students. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among school districts in Tehama County, though the absolute proficiency levels remain modest. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about curriculum supports, intervention programs, and approaches to addressing foundational skills in reading and math, especially in the upper elementary grades where proficiency drops noticeably.

Red Bluff as a community has begun revitalizing parts of its housing stock and infrastructure. A new affordable housing development called Palm Villas is planned for the city, with construction expected to begin in 2025. The local economy is anchored by health care, retail, education, and public-sector work, plus agriculture and timber; public agencies like Tehama County and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection provide stable employment. Housing in Red Bluff is notably affordable compared to state averages, with single-level ranch homes and some historic Victorian properties. The city's walkable downtown sits along Main Street, while schools operate on separate campuses. Riverfront parks and recreation areas offer families trails, playgrounds, and river access, and public transit through TRAX provides local and regional bus connections.

Within the school district itself, voters in November 2024 defeated a proposed school facilities bond that would have funded safety upgrades and modernization projects. This means the district's K-8 facilities remain without that bond-funded investment, and families should understand the buildings have not received those improvements. Whether the district pursues another bond measure is not yet clear.

Bidwell Elementary is a regular public elementary school in an affordable, historically rooted small city where much of the student population comes from lower-income households. Its test performance suggests students face learning challenges that warrant understanding the school's instructional approach and support systems if you are considering enrollment.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 27% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 26% · ▲ 15 pts above district

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

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 27% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 24% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 27% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 36% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 27% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

This schoolRed Bluff Union Elementary, 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-income25%Higher-income27%2 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income36%Higher-income50%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income23%Higher-income8%16 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income64%Higher-income74%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income35%Higher-income60%25 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income36%Higher-income53%17 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income21%Higher-income8%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income55%Higher-income74%19 pp gap