Elizabeth T. Hughbanks Elementary, Rialto CA

Original Research by School Decision on Elizabeth T. Hughbanks Elementary

Elizabeth T. Hughbanks Elementary is a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade school in Rialto, serving a student body of about that size. The school's students are predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the surrounding neighborhood in this Inland Empire city.

The school's state test results show below-average proficiency across both English language arts and mathematics. On the most recent assessment, proficiency in English language arts across grades three through five averaged in the low range, with fifth grade the strongest performer. Mathematics results were notably weaker, particularly in grade five, where proficiency was in single digits. Science proficiency at the fifth-grade level was also low. Against the broader population of elementary schools tested within San Bernardino County, Hughbanks' overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to look into what academic supports and interventions the school has in place, particularly for mathematics, and to ask about the school's literacy and numeracy strategies across the early grades.

Rialto, the host city, is an affordable, predominantly residential community in the rapidly developing Inland Empire, with a significant logistics and industrial presence south of the freeway. Neighborhoods mix ranch-style homes, Spanish Revival architecture, and newer townhouses, with owner-occupancy near two-thirds. Housing values here run below the California state median, and affordability metrics remain stronger than national norms, though mortgage costs and local rents have moved upward. The city has a family-oriented character with tree-lined streets and parks, though daily life is largely car-dependent outside the downtown core along Foothill Boulevard, where a streetscape revitalization is underway. The Rialto Metrolink station offers rail service on the San Bernardino Line.

Rialto Unified, the district, has been in transition. In November 2022, voters approved a substantial bond measure to replace aging infrastructure, including water and gas lines, roofs, portable classrooms, and to address environmental hazards. That work is ongoing and supported by property taxes on all district land. The district also shifted from at-large to by-trustee-area board elections in 2022, so families now vote for board representation by geographic area. The city itself is in an active growth phase, with new residential development underway and zoning changes intended to support higher-density housing in the coming years.

For families considering Hughbanks, the school offers a neighborhood elementary setting in an affordable community with ongoing infrastructure investment and housing growth. The academic results, however, signal that students are not meeting grade-level proficiency benchmarks in core subjects, and a parent's conversations with the school about reading and math instruction, assessment practices, and student support services would be important to understanding the fit.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 34% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 28% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 58%

School 8% · District 21% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 35% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 36% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 41% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Science

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 23% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

This schoolRialto 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-income16%Higher-income56%40 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income32%Higher-income50%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income15%Higher-income63%48 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income3%Higher-income25%22 pp gap