Frank Ledesma Elementary, Soledad CA

Original Research by School Decision on Frank Ledesma Elementary

Frank Ledesma Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Soledad, a small agricultural city in Monterey County. The school sits in a community where substantial economic and housing development is underway, with a proposed annexation and housing project that could significantly expand the population. Soledad is predominantly Hispanic, with agriculture and government employment as the main economic anchors, though retail and services remain limited and many residents travel to Salinas or the Monterey Peninsula for shopping and goods.

The student body at Frank Ledesma reflects its community. A substantial majority of enrolled students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating significant economic need. The enrollment is nearly entirely Hispanic, with very small representation of other racial or ethnic groups. Data on English learner enrollment and students receiving special education services were not available, so families seeking that information should reach out to the school directly.

State testing results show that proficiency is low across both English language arts and mathematics. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from below one in five students in fifth grade to about half of sixth graders meeting proficiency standards; the all-grades rate sits in the low range. Mathematics proficiency is notably lower, with overall performance around one in five students meeting standards. In fifth grade mathematics, proficiency dips to roughly one in ten. Science testing was administered only to fifth grade, where proficiency was similarly low. Relative to other districts in Monterey County, Frank Ledesma's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint.

The school is a regular public elementary within Soledad Unified School District. In November 2024 the district's voters approved a general obligation school bond for district-wide renovations, ADA upgrades, and construction of a new track and field at the high school. This bond measure adds a new property tax levy that families moving into the district would incur; parents may want to review the district's bond documents for details on the annual amount and timeline.

Frank Ledesma is located on Vista De Soledad in a city with compact neighborhood streets and limited walkability outside downtown. The broader area has an Amtrak station and regional bus service for longer trips. The city is in active growth, with major residential development planned, new parks completed, and commercial anchors like a grocery store and cinema in development, which may shape the school's enrollment and community context in coming years.

A parent exploring this school should understand that academic proficiency is substantially below state expectations across grade levels and subjects. Low state test results are a real pattern here, not a data reporting issue. What instructional strategies the school is deploying to address these gaps, what additional support is available for students who are not yet meeting standards, and what resources the school can offer families are questions worth asking the principal directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 324%

School 24% · District 31% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 33% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 21% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 23% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 35% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 36% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 31% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 647%

School 47% · District 42% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 17% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolSoledad 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.