Belvedere Elementary, Highland CA

Original Research by School Decision on Belvedere Elementary

Belvedere Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Highland, a foothill city in northern San Bernardino County. The school enrolls students from a neighborhood that is predominantly Latino and economically disadvantaged. A substantial majority of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The school draws from a residential area that has been seeing significant growth, with major master-planned developments bringing new families to the eastern portions of Highland, though the school itself sits in the western section of the city near the historic core.

The academic picture shows clear challenges. On California's standardized assessments in English language arts and math, Belvedere's proficiency rates across grades three through six fall well below what the state considers grade-level mastery. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from about low- to mid-thirties across the tested grades, with grade six showing lower performance. In math, the pattern is notably weaker, with proficiency rates in the mid- to high-teens across grades four through six, and slightly higher in grade three. Science proficiency, measured in grade five only, also sits in the low twenties. These results place Belvedere below the midpoint for proficiency among the districts in San Bernardino County, a benchmark that reflects where the school stands relative to its regional peers.

Only one year of assessment data is available, so trend information is not yet present. A parent looking at this school may want to ask the school directly about what interventions or curriculum changes are underway to address these proficiency gaps, and to understand how the school is approaching literacy and numeracy instruction.

The school's size is typical for an elementary campus in its grade band, with a balanced enrollment across grades that remains stable from year to year. The neighborhood context shows housing that has appreciated modestly, and the broader Highland market combines older stock with new master-planned developments. Belvedere Elementary is part of San Bernardino City Unified School District, which adopted a multi-year strategic plan in 2024 called Vision 2030: SBCUSD SHINES, setting district-wide priorities around academic expectations, student wellness, equity, and safe learning environments. The district has also structured its high schools around Linked Learning career pathways that integrate academics with career-technical education and dual enrollment, though that model does not directly affect elementary schools.

For families considering Belvedere, the school offers a neighborhood option in a growing residential area, but the academic outcomes indicate that students are not yet reaching grade-level proficiency at rates comparable to other schools in the county. The school serves a community with substantial economic need and a high proportion of students learning English, contexts in which sustained instructional improvement efforts become especially important for student outcomes.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 31% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 23% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 19% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 24% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 329%

School 29% · District 31% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 32% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 34% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 623%

School 23% · District 38% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 18% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · even with county median

This schoolSan Bernardino City 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-income27%Higher-income46%19 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income25%Higher-income47%22 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income33%Higher-income44%11 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income27%Higher-income55%28 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income10%Higher-income37%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income13%Higher-income25%12 pp gap