The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in Math. The lowest is 21% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on E. P. Foster Elementary
E. P. Foster Elementary is a small kindergarten through fifth-grade school in Ventura serving about that size of enrollment, with a student body that is overwhelmingly Latinx and economically disadvantaged. The vast majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school sits in a coastal city where housing costs are substantial and employment is anchored in healthcare, the military base at Point Mugu, county government, and local agriculture.
On state assessments in English language arts and math, the school's proficiency results are low. Across grades three, four, and five where testing occurs, proficiency in math ranges from the low teens to nearly a third of students meeting standards, while English language arts proficiency is similarly weak, with fifth grade performing better than grades three and four. In science, tested only in fifth grade, the proficiency rate is in the low twenties. Statewide, the school sits in the bottom quartile of districts across Ventura County on overall proficiency.
These results reflect the composition and resources available to the school. The student body includes many economically disadvantaged learners, and while data on English learner enrollment was not available, the demographics and context strongly suggest that many students are navigating school in a language other than English at home. Data on special education enrollment was also not provided.
The school is part of Ventura Unified School District, which is navigating significant structural challenges. Voters approved a major facility modernization bond in November 2022 that will fund school improvements over decades but adds a permanent property tax. More recently, a parcel tax renewal that had supported academic programs, music, arts, technology, and mental health services narrowly failed in November 2024, meaning those locally funded services are no longer available. The district faces sustained enrollment decline and has launched a formal process to evaluate possible school closures as early as the 2027-28 school year, raising questions about which schools will remain open in coming years.
The calendar structure also changed. Starting in the 2024-25 school year, classes now begin in early August and end in early June, with first-semester finals completed before winter break, a shift that affects family planning and childcare arrangements year after year.
Ventura itself is a coastal city in transition. Its historic downtown, anchored by Main Street and the Mission, has become more pedestrian-oriented with a car-free zone that was approved for permanent status in September 2025 after merchants reported strong increases in foot traffic and sales. Beyond that walkable core, however, the city becomes car-dependent. A building boom is underway concentrated in downtown, where zoning allows mixed-use, higher-density development; neighborhood opposition to apartments elsewhere has made downtown the preferred site for new multifamily housing. New single-family construction is also rising in East Ventura and the hillsides. Housing values in the area are elevated relative to national benchmarks, and rents consume a substantial share of household income.
For families considering E. P. Foster, the low assessment results and the district's budget constraints and possible closure process are factors to understand clearly with the school and district. The school's demographics mean it serves a community with deep economic need. Parents may want to look into what academic support and interventions the school is providing, what the school's specific enrollment and closure prospects are, and what the loss of the parcel tax means for the programs their child would access.
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