Kimbark Elementary, San Bernardino CA

Original Research by School Decision on Kimbark Elementary

Kimbark Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in San Bernardino. The school sits in a neighborhood of mixed residential and commercial development within the largest city by population in San Bernardino County.

The enrollment is small, with fewer than four hundred students across its seven grade bands. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic context of the area. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a meaningful presence of white students and smaller populations of Black and Asian students.

On California's state assessments, Kimbark's performance is mixed by grade and subject. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from about half of third and sixth graders meeting standards to a notably higher share of fifth graders demonstrating proficiency. Math proficiency trends downward at the upper grades, with third and fourth graders near about half meeting standards, fifth graders slightly above that threshold, and sixth graders showing substantially lower proficiency. In the one science grade tested, fifth-grade proficiency stands near about three-fifths of students.

Across all tested subjects and grades, Kimbark's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among schools in San Bernardino County. This is a strength worth noting against the broader peer set, even though the school's absolute proficiency numbers on individual assessments sit below where many parents might hope.

The house values and rental costs in Kimbark's zip code reflect a moderate real estate market for the region. Monthly rent for a typical home is in the mid-range for the Inland Empire; home values are modest. Rents have ticked slightly upward year-over-year, while home values have declined slightly. The housing market appears relatively stable compared to state and national benchmarks.

San Bernardino itself is a diverse city with distinct neighborhoods ranging from urban areas near downtown to mid-century residential districts and foothill areas. The downtown area includes civic anchors such as the Feldheym Library and a restored train depot serving as a cultural center. Retail and commercial development is underway in multiple districts, including the University District surrounding California State University San Bernardino. The city's role as a transportation hub connects it to major regional freeways.

The district that governs Kimbark, San Bernardino City Unified, serves both San Bernardino and Highland and has adopted Vision 2030 as its strategic framework through the end of the decade. The district has built its high school model around Linked Learning career pathways, which combine college-prep academics with career and technical education, work-based learning, and dual enrollment, a structural commitment that extends opportunity pathways from middle grades forward.

A parent evaluating Kimbark should understand that the school's academic proficiency sits below majority attainment in math across most grades and is strongest in English language arts at the middle of the upper elementary band. The strength in the county comparison reflects the school's profile relative to its immediate peer group, not necessarily performance against state or national benchmarks. The neighborhood offers modest housing costs and stable conditions, and the district's career-pathway focus at the secondary level provides a clear pathway for students advancing beyond elementary grades.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 349%

School 49% · District 31% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 23% · ▲ 26 pts above district

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

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 19% · ▲ 37 pts above district

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

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 24% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 351%

School 51% · District 31% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 456%

School 56% · District 32% · ▲ 25 pts above district

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

Grade 577%

School 77% · District 34% · ▲ 43 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 38% · ▲ 13 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 559%

School 59% · District 18% · ▲ 41 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above 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-income40%Higher-income83%43 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income48%Higher-income71%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income40%Higher-income75%35 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income64%24 pp gap