Poplar Avenue Elementary, Oroville CA

Original Research by School Decision on Poplar Avenue Elementary

Poplar Avenue Elementary is a school of about the usual size for an elementary school in its grade band, drawing most of its students from the neighborhoods of Oroville, a county seat and mixed commercial-residential city in the Sacramento Valley. The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade and is part of the Thermalito Union Elementary School District.

The school's student body is notably diverse in racial and ethnic composition, with a large share of students identifying as Asian, alongside substantial shares of white and Hispanic students. Nearly four in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need and community conditions. Enrollment data by special populations, such as students with disabilities or English learners, was not available. The school does not operate under Title I designation; the data did not specify the reason.

Academic performance across proficiency measures is low. In the most recent state testing cycle, in mathematics, proficiency ranged from roughly one in six students in fourth grade to about two in five in fifth grade, with third grade at about one in three. In English language arts, proficiency was similarly modest: third grade at roughly one in three, fourth grade at about one in six, and fifth grade at about two in five. In science, tested only in fifth grade, proficiency was about one in four. Across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index sits above the median among districts in Butte County, though still in a low range for the state. These results reflect substantial academic gaps that families may want to understand more deeply by speaking directly with school leadership about instructional strategies and interventions in place.

Oroville itself is anchored by a historic downtown along the Feather River, with a walkable commercial core, riverfront parks, and trails, though much of the city beyond the downtown is auto-oriented. The community hosts diverse employers in healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and government, and benefits from proximity to Lake Oroville for recreation. The housing stock is predominantly older, built in earlier decades, though new residential projects are underway, including affordable and supportive housing. The median home value and rental rates are moderate for California. After the 2018 Camp Fire displaced many residents from nearby Paradise, Oroville's population grew as people relocated there, though growth has since stabilized.

The Thermalito Union Elementary School District, Poplar Avenue's parent district, recently passed a major school improvement bond measure in November 2024 that funds facility upgrades and expanded capacity across its campuses. The district also opened a new Expanded Learning Center in South Oroville in 2025, offering expanded before- and after-school programs, tutoring, and special education services for kindergarten through fifth grade, which families may use to supplement classroom learning. These represent commitments to modernizing infrastructure and broadening support options, though they do not directly address the academic performance levels evident in current test results.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 26% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 417%

School 17% · District 29% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 23% · ▲ 15 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 28% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 419%

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

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 35% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Science

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 26%

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

This schoolThermalito Union 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.