Del Sur Senior Elementary, Lancaster CA

Original Research by School Decision on Del Sur Senior Elementary

Del Sur Senior Elementary serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Lancaster, a mid-sized high-desert city in the Antelope Valley. The school draws from a diverse student body: about half Hispanic, a quarter white, and a significant share Black. Slightly more than half the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting moderate economic need in the enrollment area.

The school's state testing results show consistent pressure across both math and English language arts. Math proficiency is low across all tested grades, running below the midpoint statewide. English language arts results are stronger at the extremes—eighth graders achieve a notably higher pass rate, as do fifth graders—but grades six and seven fall well below half proficient. Science testing, where available, shows proficiency in the low range. These results place the school in the bottom quartile among the county's tested schools on an overall proficiency measure, meaning most districts in Los Angeles County are outperforming this one academically.

A critical pattern emerges in the middle grades. Math proficiency drops sharply from third through seventh grade, hitting the lowest point in seventh grade before rebounding slightly in eighth. This dip suggests a transition point where the material becomes more abstract or demands shift in ways some students here are not meeting. Parents considering this school may want to look into how the school addresses the math progression, particularly in the sixth and seventh grade years. English language arts shows more variability but shares the same low-performing middle-grades stretch in grades six and seven.

The eighth-grade bump in both subjects is noteworthy and worth exploring with the school directly—whether it reflects a cohort effect, instructional changes, or other factors. The data available does not explain it, but it shows students at this school can achieve at higher levels in upper grades.

Enrollment sits at a modest size for a K-8 school, spread fairly evenly from kindergarten through fifth grade, then concentrating more heavily in grades six through eight. This creates a building where the upper grades carry more students but early elementary provides smaller classes, a mix that may appeal to families prioritizing lower pupil-teacher ratios in the primary years.

The school operates as a regular public school within Westside Union Elementary District. The district recently created a Mello-Roos special tax district in 2024 to finance new school facilities. Families moving into areas within this district's boundary should understand that a special property tax may apply in addition to regular property taxes, persisting for decades as bond debt is repaid. This is a concrete cost consideration for any household relocating to newly developed parcels in the service area.

Lancaster itself is experiencing planned growth, with substantial residential and industrial development in the pipeline and recent downtown revitalization centered on the Lancaster BLVD cultural district. The median home value in the area is moderate for Los Angeles County, making it relatively more affordable than many county neighborhoods, though rental costs remain significant relative to household income. This economic positioning means the school draws families balancing affordability with access to a major metropolitan region and aerospace-anchored employment centers.

The testing data makes clear this is a school where academic proficiency lags the county average, particularly in math and the middle grades. Families choosing this school should do so with eyes open to those outcomes and with a plan to supplement support at home or seek tutoring if their child shows struggle. At the same time, the upper-grade ELA results and the specific makeup of eighth-grade cohorts suggest students here can reach higher levels, warranting direct conversation with staff about what strategies support that progress.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 41% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 423%

School 23% · District 38% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 29% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 618%

School 18% · District 34% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 714%

School 14% · District 27% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 824%

School 24% · District 27% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 45% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 45% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 51% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 623%

School 23% · District 48% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 45% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 42% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 31% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 826%

School 26% · District 28% · ▼ 2 pts below district

even with state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 880%

School 80% · District 64% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

This schoolWestside 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income14%Higher-income47%33 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income15%Higher-income41%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income39%Higher-income54%15 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income19%Higher-income29%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income22%Higher-income36%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income26%Higher-income65%40 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income21%Higher-income37%16 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income15%Higher-income29%15 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income24%Higher-income19%5 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income12%Higher-income26%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income8%Higher-income25%17 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income15%Higher-income32%17 pp gap