Faller Elementary, Ridgecrest CA

Original Research by School Decision on Faller Elementary

Faller Elementary is a regular public elementary school in Ridgecrest serving kindergarten through fifth grade, located in the Indian Wells Valley of eastern Kern County. The school enrollment is about typical for its grade band and includes a diverse student population: roughly equal shares of White and Hispanic students, with smaller representation of Black, multiracial, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating economic need across the enrollment.

The school sits in a mid-sized high-desert city shaped by the adjacent Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, which is the region's dominant employer. Ridgecrest is car-dependent and designed around highway and arterial corridors rather than walkable neighborhoods. Housing is comparatively affordable relative to California overall, with median home values and rents both moderate. The local job market centers on defense, STEM, and research work tied to the military base, along with education and healthcare. The city's population has been roughly flat in recent years, with modest housing construction underway to meet state requirements.

On state assessments administered in spring 2025, Faller's proficiency rates fall below the typical range. In math, third-grade students showed about even proficiency, while fourth and fifth graders scored lower, with fifth-grade math proficiency considerably below half. English language arts proficiency was roughly similar: third graders met proficiency at about the rate third-grade math students did, but fourth and fifth graders again performed lower. In fifth-grade science, about one in five students met the standard. Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Kern County's elementary and secondary schools, though the absolute proficiency levels remain low. The school has only one year of data available, so trends cannot be assessed. A parent may want to look into what support structures and interventions the school has in place for students not yet proficient, and whether specific grade levels or subject areas receive targeted attention.

The school is part of Sierra Sands Unified, the district that serves Ridgecrest. Limited recent district information was available to describe any ongoing changes or priorities in instructional approach or resource allocation. The school itself hosts kindergarten and early primary grades as well as upper elementary, offering a traditional neighborhood elementary configuration rather than a specialized program.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 347%

School 47% · District 41% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 39% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 32% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 350%

School 50% · District 39% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

Grade 434%

School 34% · District 42% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 47% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 32% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

This schoolSierra Sands 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-income41%Higher-income63%22 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income25%Higher-income53%28 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income23%Higher-income56%32 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income37%Higher-income59%22 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income25%Higher-income37%12 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income11%Higher-income46%36 pp gap