Soulsbyville Elementary, Soulsbyville CA

Original Research by School Decision on Soulsbyville Elementary

Soulsbyville Elementary is a small K-8 school in an unincorporated community in Tuolumne County's Sierra Nevada foothills, about a short drive from Sonora. The school enrolls a moderate number of students across nine grades, serving a community that was originally built on gold mining and has evolved into a quiet residential area, increasingly a destination for retirees. Most students are white, and a substantial share of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school's academic standing on recent state assessments shows mixed performance. In English language arts, proficiency hovers in the low-to-mid range across grades, with somewhat stronger results in sixth grade. Mathematics proficiency is similarly modest and varies by grade, with fifth grade notably lower than adjacent grades. Science results, where tested, fall in the mid-to-low range. These patterns position the school in the top quartile for overall proficiency among the county's districts, an important context given rural variation across Tuolumne County, though this reflects a county baseline rather than state strength. No trend data spanning multiple years was available, so the arc of improvement or decline cannot be assessed.

The school serves the full elementary span through eighth grade, meaning there is no transition to a separate middle school; the upper grades remain on the same campus. This continuity shapes student experience differently than districts with a middle school break. The community itself offers limited walkability and is bisected by a state highway, so the school serves its role as an anchor for neighborhood life. Employment in the area centers on regional employers like Adventist Health Sonora in nearby Sonora; Soulsbyville itself has a cluster of industrial businesses but is primarily residential.

Housing values in the surrounding area are moderate for California and remain below state benchmarks. The demographic trajectory shows population that has been roughly stable to slightly declining, with an aging cohort. County officials have noted both the loss of affordability for middle-class families and growth in commercial and industrial activity in the center of town. A transitional housing facility has been established nearby, a change that drew local controversy but reflects the county's response to broader housing and homelessness pressures.

No data on special education identification, English learner enrollment, chronic absenteeism, or discipline practices was available. Recent district initiatives or bond measures of lasting scope were not documented. Parents may want to ask the school directly about instructional approaches, summer and intervention programs given the proficiency gaps visible in the data, and how the school coordinates with the surrounding community on student support.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 50%

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

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 34%

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

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 51%

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 748%

School 48% · District 48%

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

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 46%

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

English language arts

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 32%

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

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 47%

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 665%

School 65% · District 65%

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 9 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 34%

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

Science

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 49%

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 37%

▲ 11 pts above state median · even with county median

Social studies

Grade 863%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 14 pts above state median

This schoolSoulsbyville Elementary, 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-income17%Higher-income37%20 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income32%Higher-income57%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income57%7 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income54%Higher-income74%20 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income30%Higher-income70%40 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income31%Higher-income36%5 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income23%Higher-income54%31 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income57%17 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income40%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income35%Higher-income65%30 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income35%Higher-income57%22 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income50%Higher-income44%6 pp gap