The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in Math. The lowest is 36% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Mckinley Elementary
McKinley Elementary is a small public school in Susanville, a rural county-seat town in northeastern California that has faced substantial economic contraction since the closure of its largest employer, the California Correctional Center, in mid-2023. The school serves kindergarten through second grade, the youngest cohort in the community, with an enrollment distributed fairly evenly across those three grades.
The student body reflects Susanville's own composition: a plurality are white, with meaningful shares of Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and Native American Indian or Alaska Native students, as well as a smaller Asian and two-or-more-races enrollment. About two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need that aligns with the town's post-prison-closure economic stress and indicates McKinley serves a predominantly lower-income population.
The most recent state assessment data available comes from 2009-10, when third graders at McKinley were tested under California's STAR program. In math, about half of tested third graders met proficiency, which places McKinley in the top quartile of proficiency across Lassen County's school districts when looking at overall proficiency across tested subjects. In English language arts, proficiency fell to about one-third of tested students. These results are over a decade old, and the school itself serves only grades K-2, so current academic performance is not directly measured by state testing. Data on special populations such as English learners and students with individualized education plans was not available.
Because McKinley serves only early elementary grades, there is no graduation rate, chronic absenteeism rate, or current state testing data tied directly to this school. No information on staffing, teacher credentials, class sizes, specific curriculum choices, attendance patterns, or discipline was available. The district brief found no major parent-relevant changes such as new bond measures, significant curriculum shifts, or facility expansions in recent years within the district that would shape the school experience.
Housing in the Susanville area is relatively affordable compared to California as a whole, though this reflects the town's economic downturn rather than growth. The community is car-dependent despite its walkable historic downtown core on Main Street, where the public library, civic institutions, and local shops cluster. The town's trajectory is one of contraction: population has declined from the 2020 census count, and the loss of the prison has eliminated hundreds of high-wage jobs that sustained many families. Long-term economic prospects remain uncertain as Susanville seeks new employment anchors beyond the remaining High Desert State Prison.
For a parent considering McKinley, the school represents a neighborhood elementary serving the youngest grades in a small, economically stressed rural community. The school's demographics and lunch-eligibility rates suggest it serves families with limited resources. The lack of current academic data means a parent may want to look into the school's current performance directly with the district and staff, particularly given how much time has passed since the last available state testing results.
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