Richmond Elementary, Susanville CA

Original Research by School Decision on Richmond Elementary

Richmond Elementary is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school in Susanville, a small rural community in northeastern California. The school serves a small enrollment spread across nine grades, with about a quarter from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and a student body that is predominantly white, with smaller representations of Hispanic and multiracial students.

The school's academic profile shows significant variation by subject and grade level. In English language arts, third grade performs well, while fourth and fifth grades show substantially lower proficiency before a recovery in the middle grades. Math performance is generally weaker, with very low results in fourth and fifth grades, improving in sixth and seventh grades and again in eighth grade. Science testing is limited to fifth and eighth grades, with proficiency below the midpoint at both levels. Overall, Richmond Elementary's proficiency index places it in the top quartile among the county's districts, though this reflects strength in specific grades and subjects rather than consistent performance across the school.

The variation in performance suggests some grades or cohorts are learning effectively while others face steeper challenges. A parent might want to ask the school directly about what accounts for the particularly low math proficiency in grades four and five, and whether the school has programs in place to address those gaps before students move into middle school mathematics.

Susanville itself is a contraction-focused community. Once dependent on timber and mining, it shifted to relying heavily on local prisons as its primary economic engine. The California Correctional Center, which employed hundreds and anchored the local economy, closed in mid-2023, creating substantial economic headwinds for the town. Population has declined in recent years, and no major new housing development is planned. The community remains small and rural, centered on a walkable historic Main Street with local shops and services, but residents typically drive to larger towns like Reno for major shopping and employment.

The district recently put a school facilities bond to voters, which failed. The measure would have funded construction of new classrooms and replacement of aging portable buildings at Richmond Elementary, the district's only school. Without passage, those facility improvements remain unfunded. A family considering this school may want to visit and assess the current condition of the buildings, particularly the status of portable classrooms, since the planned refresh will not proceed unless future bond measures pass.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 371%

School 71% · District 71%

▲ 29 pts above state median

Grade 425%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 12 pts below state median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 2 pts below state median

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 29%

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

Grade 741%

School 41% · District 41%

▲ 11 pts above state median

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 26 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 393%

School 93% · District 93%

▲ 52 pts above state median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 753%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 7 pts above state median

Grade 869%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 25 pts above state median

Science

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 30%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 39%

▲ 13 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 871%

School 71% · District 71%

▲ 22 pts above state median

This schoolRichmond 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.