Roberts Ferry Charter School Academy, Waterford CA

Original Research by School Decision on Roberts Ferry Charter School Academy

Roberts Ferry Charter School Academy is a small K-8 charter school in Waterford, located in the agricultural heart of Stanislaus County about an hour south of Sacramento. The school serves a student body of roughly a hundred students across grades 1 through 8, with an enrollment that sits at the lower end for its grade span. About half the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch; the enrollment is split fairly evenly between white and Hispanic students, with most other groups represented in small numbers.

The school's test results show mixed performance across subjects and grade levels. In English language arts, proficiency clusters in the mid-to-upper range across most grades, with fourth grade performing strongest and middle grades holding relatively steady. Math results are more variable: fourth grade shows solid performance while eighth grade lags noticeably behind, and results in fifth, sixth, and seventh grade sit below half of students reaching proficiency. Science proficiency data is limited but concerning, with less than half of fifth graders and only about a quarter of eighth graders meeting the standard. When looked at together across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index positions it above the median among districts in Stanislaus County, placing it in the top quarter of the county's schools.

The trend picture is sparse; only one year of comparable data is available, so shifts over time cannot be tracked. This is a new point of data, and longer-term patterns are not yet established. The school's eighth-grade math and science results warrant attention, as a parent may want to look into what supports exist for students as they progress into and through middle grades in these subjects.

Waterford itself is a small, car-oriented agricultural community with a working landscape and strong agricultural heritage. The city functions as a bedroom community tied to Modesto while retaining its farming identity. Most residents own their homes, and the area is surrounded by working farmland. The Tuolumne River and its parkway trail provide recreational access, and the city is actively planning housing growth with new subdivisions approved and infrastructure improvements underway. The housing market is relatively affordable for the region, though home values have been climbing steadily. Employment centers on agriculture, government (especially schools), and light manufacturing, and many residents commute to larger nearby communities for work. The city has a small retail core along the main Yosemite Boulevard corridor and maintains a family-oriented, small-town feel.

Roberts Ferry Charter School Academy serves as an alternative within its home district. The charter operates under the Roberts Ferry Union Elementary district, which is quite small. No major district-level curriculum changes or tax measures affecting the school's context have been documented in recent years. The charter's position as a separate school option means families here are actively choosing this path rather than following a default assignment, and the school's small size creates the kind of close-knit peer environment that characterizes intimate K-8 settings. For families seeking an alternative to traditional public school structure within a rural agricultural setting, or those valuing a smaller school community, this charter offers that pathway. For families prioritizing strong middle-grade math and science preparation before transition to high school, this is a point worth exploring further with the school directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 358%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 476%

School 76% · District 76%

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 47 pts above county median

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 52%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 658%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 753%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 39%

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 362%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 464%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 57%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 658%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 753%

School 53% · District 53%

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

Grade 862%

School 62% · District 62%

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

Science

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 29%

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 36%

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

This schoolRoberts Ferry 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-income58%Higher-income64%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income58%Higher-income69%11 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income67%Higher-income50%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income67%Higher-income85%18 pp gap