Mariposa Elementary, Redlands CA

Original Research by School Decision on Mariposa Elementary

Mariposa Elementary is a small public school in Redlands that serves kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits in a neighborhood setting on Palo Alto Drive, anchored by an established residential area in a city with mature trees, historic architecture, and a mix of single-family homes.

The school's student body reflects the broader Redlands population: about half the enrollment is white, with meaningful shares of Hispanic and Asian students, and smaller populations of other backgrounds. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is stable across grade levels, ranging from kindergarten through fifth grade.

On California's state assessments administered in 2024-25, Mariposa's results show a pattern worth understanding. In English language arts, proficiency rates hold relatively steady across tested grades, sitting in the mid-to-upper 60s range. Math proficiency is lower and declines noticeably as grades progress: third-grade students score higher, fourth grade drops somewhat, and fifth grade shows substantially weaker results. In fifth-grade science, about half the students reached proficiency. These numbers suggest the school serves students across a wide spectrum of readiness, with more difficulty in math as students advance.

Against the broader set of districts in San Bernardino County, Mariposa's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, which reflects that the school is performing above the county median. That said, the trend within the school deserves attention: weakening math performance by upper grades is a real pattern to discuss with teachers and school leadership. A parent may want to look into what supports the school offers for math and how it addresses the transition to more complex content.

Redlands as a place is marked by walkable downtown streets, historic districts, and established neighborhoods. The city has been largely stable in population and has historically favored slow growth. Housing values in the 92373 zip code are moderate relative to broader Southern California; monthly rents are typical for the region. Major employers include the school district itself, Esri (a software company headquartered locally), Redlands Community Hospital, and the University of Redlands. The civic anchors are downtown-centered around the A.K. Smiley Public Library, the Redlands Bowl, and parks like Prospect and Smiley Park. The Metrolink Arrow line, opened recently, connects downtown Redlands to San Bernardino and beyond.

The district, Redlands Unified, recently approved a school facilities bond to fund campus safety improvements and modernization, which will result in new property taxes for homeowners. The district has also, through recent board votes, adopted a revised library materials challenge policy and a flag display restriction. These policy changes are the result of close board votes and have generated public discussion. For families considering Redlands Unified schools, these reflect shifts in how the district approaches curriculum and identity issues, and are worth understanding directly if those topics matter to your family's values.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 375%

School 75% · District 45% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 41% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 33% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 372%

School 72% · District 45% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 49% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Grade 565%

School 65% · District 51% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Science

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 35% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

This schoolRedlands 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 3Lower-income54%Higher-income84%30 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income60%Higher-income71%11 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income48%Higher-income74%26 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income64%Higher-income81%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income32%Higher-income65%33 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income30%Higher-income46%16 pp gap