Del Rio Elementary, Bakersfield CA

Original Research by School Decision on Del Rio Elementary

Del Rio Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Bakersfield, California. The school enrolls a student body that is racially and ethnically mixed, with roughly equal shares of Hispanic and white students, along with smaller populations of Asian and multiracial students. About two in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a community with moderate economic need.

On the most recent state assessments, Del Rio's performance is mixed by grade and subject. In English language arts, the school shows stronger results in the middle elementary grades, with fourth and fifth graders reaching proficiency at rates well above the halfway point. Third and sixth grade performance is lower in ELA, and math proficiency is notably weaker across all grades, ranging from around two in five students proficient in third grade to closer to three in five in fourth grade, then dropping again by sixth grade. Science results for fifth grade fall near the halfway point. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile of districts across Kern County, a meaningful strength given the competitive landscape of schools in the region.

The school is small for its grade band, with steady enrollment distributed fairly evenly across grades. Kindergarten is somewhat larger. The school serves its grades through the elementary pathway only, so it feeds into middle school elsewhere in the Rosedale Union Elementary district.

Bakersfield itself is a rapidly growing city with a concrete, working-class character shaped by agriculture, energy, and healthcare. The city is car-dependent outside its downtown core, which has been undergoing recent redevelopment with new housing and mixed-use projects, especially along 18th Street and at the City Lights center on the former East Hills Mall site. Housing in the area around the school is relatively affordable compared to much of California, though prices have shown modest annual shifts. The broader Bakersfield area continues to add housing units and attract residents, making it one of the state's fastest-growing large cities.

Parents considering Del Rio should note that the school's math performance is a softer area and worth discussing directly with the school about instructional focus and support. The ELA strength in middle elementary grades is a genuine asset. The school's position in the upper tier of county performance is meaningful, though a parent may want to understand what that reflects about instruction, curriculum choices, or student composition relative to peers. English learner and special education enrollment data were not available, so a parent with a child who may need those supports should ask the school directly about the services and resources it offers.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 339%

School 39% · District 45% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 46% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 38% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 43% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 46% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 53% · ▲ 14 pts above district

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

Grade 570%

School 70% · District 50% · ▲ 20 pts above district

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

Grade 655%

School 55% · District 54% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 35% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

This schoolRosedale 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-income34%Higher-income50%16 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income56%Higher-income74%18 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income76%18 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income43%Higher-income65%22 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income31%Higher-income46%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income70%29 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income23%Higher-income70%47 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income27%Higher-income58%31 pp gap