The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Semitropic Elementary
Semitropic Elementary sits on Highway 46 just outside Wasco, a small agricultural town in Kern County's San Joaquin Valley roughly a half-hour northwest of Bakersfield. Wasco's economy runs on farming, with roses as its most distinctive crop and the corrections sector as the largest non-agricultural employer. Housing here is among the more affordable in California, with home values well below the state median and a modest year-over-year decline in prices. New subdivisions are going up, largely aimed at entry-level buyers, though publicly reported accounts note a shortage of move-up housing and some infrastructure constraints on further growth.
The school itself is the only school in the Semitropic Elementary School District, a single-campus operation serving kindergarten through eighth grade. One defining characteristic is its status as a California District of Choice: families who live outside the district's boundaries can enroll without needing their home district's permission. Publicly reported data indicate that a large majority of the school's students arrive through this transfer mechanism rather than from within the geographic attendance zone. The state made the District of Choice program permanent in 2024, removing earlier uncertainty about whether the option would continue. For families actively choosing this school, that durability matters. For families simply living nearby, the enrollment picture is worth understanding before assuming a guaranteed spot.
Enrollment is small for a K-8 school. The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with very small shares of Black and white students and no reported enrollment in other racial or ethnic groups. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learner enrollment and students with IEPs were not available in what was provided.
The CAASPP state assessment results are a genuine concern. Across tested grades in math, proficiency is very low, with most grade levels reporting only a small fraction of students meeting standard and two grades at zero. English language arts results are somewhat higher but still low across all grades, ranging from roughly a quarter of students meeting standard in the early and later grades to a modest uptick in the middle grades. Science scores at the two tested grades came in at zero. Taken together, these results place the school in the bottom quartile on overall proficiency among districts in Kern County. The school's own demographic profile, with a high share of economically disadvantaged students and the complex logistics of serving a largely transfer-based population, is context a parent should hold alongside these numbers. That said, a parent considering this school for a child who needs strong academic preparation would want to ask the school directly about its instructional approach, any intervention supports in place, and how students have progressed over time. Trend data covering more than the most recent year was not available, so whether results have been improving, stable, or declining cannot be determined from what was provided.
On a more practical note, the district publicly launched an Expanded Learning Opportunities Program in 2024, creating new staff positions for before- and after-school programming. This follows a statewide funding stream, but for working families it signals that structured expanded-day options are being added at the campus.
Program information beyond the ELOP addition was not available. Civil rights and discipline data were not in the provided materials. Because the school does not serve high school grades, graduation rate is not applicable here.
The address on Highway 46 places the school in a rural setting outside Wasco's residential core. Wasco itself is largely car-dependent outside its small downtown stretch along 7th Street, which anchors local retail and services. Parks, a Kern County library branch, Kern Transit bus service, and an Amtrak connection to Bakersfield and the broader San Joaquin Valley all exist within or near the city, though a car is a practical necessity for most daily needs. For families weighing a transfer enrollment, the commute to campus from elsewhere in the region is a real logistical consideration that the Highway 46 location makes worth mapping out in advance.
See more original research from School Decision →