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Harding Elementary

Public Grades K-6

4406^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 25% of California elementary schools

Summary

Harding Elementary is a K-6 public school serving 542 students in the Bakersfield City School District, located in a community where many families face economic challenges.

While the school's overall state ranking has declined in recent years, it consistently performs better than the district average in core subjects like English and Math. In fact, compared to ten nearby schools, Harding ranks second highest in both English and Math proficiency, behind only Horace Mann Elementary in Math and Henry Eissler Elementary in English. The school shows a particular strength in supporting English Language Learner students, who perform significantly above state averages.

A standout success story is attendance; Harding has dramatically reduced chronic absenteeism from over 50% to just 9.1%, which is now the best rate among all comparable local schools and less than half the district average. This improvement is a significant achievement, especially when compared to neighbors like Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary (19.7% absenteeism). The school also uses its resources efficiently, achieving stronger academic results than some nearby schools that spend more per student, such as Pioneer Drive Elementary.

542

Students ?

20.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,503

Per pupil spending ?

81.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3201 Pico Ave.
Bakersfield, CA 93306-3531

(661) 631-5300

District: Bakersfield City

Students who attend Harding Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Compton Junior High
High:	East Bakersfield High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

80.4%

White:

13.1%

African American:

3.7%

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Compare Harding Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 50th percentile in 2013 → 25th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (26% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (25th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 25 percentile points since 2013

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school26%

District avg21%

California avg41%

4,406^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 29 pts since 2015

From top 46% (2015) to bottom 25% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 33Elementary Schools in the Bakersfield City

1357^th of 1,543Bakersfield City among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	25.0	4406 of 5857	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.9	4219 of 5869	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.0	4353 of 5859	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.7	4077 of 5883	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.6	3489 of 5789	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.6	2257 of 5662	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	58.3	2103 of 5692	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	49.1	2537 of 5614	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	47.3	2608 of 5611	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	48.5	2776 of 5530	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	59.6	2071 of 5390	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	47.7	2739 of 5377	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	49.4	2598 of 5314	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	51.0	2422 of 5193	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	46.6	2574 of 5113	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	46.4	2531 of 5113	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	51.3	2125 of 4818	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	50.1	2193 of 4822	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2004	38.6	2716 of 4809	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	57.9	809 of 3162	74.4%	★★★★☆
2023	34.0	2242 of 3245	30.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	23.3	4408 of 5597	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.0	4354 of 5612	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.1	4314 of 5609	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.4	3885 of 5635	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.5	3633 of 5492	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.1	2490 of 5413	54.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	32.1	3612 of 5107	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.9	3508 of 5107	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.1	3534 of 5087	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.2	3034 of 5084	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.6	2640 of 4963	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	64.3	1430 of 4830	70.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	30.8	3926 of 5460	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.1	3844 of 5517	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.3	4042 of 5363	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.4	3807 of 5264	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.8	2841 of 5173	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	66.6	1366 of 5084	73.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	28.7	3961 of 5628	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.5	3700 of 5643	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.1	4029 of 5638	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.3	3935 of 5663	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.5	3144 of 5510	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.3	1968 of 5431	63.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	30.2	1943 of 2598	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.7	2228 of 2651	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.1	2031 of 2661	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.3	2112 of 2834	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	53.5	1399 of 2737	48.9%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2024)74th percentile+46 vs school

Male (2025)30th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)29th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)28th percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)25th percentile~ school

Female (2025)21st percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy34%-15 vs state

Mathematics21%-16 vs state

Science18%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Harding Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)					% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Harding Elementary	Public	K-6	3201 Pico Ave.	Bakersfield	93306	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5300	542	26	20.8	81.2%	71 (13.1%)	20 (3.7%)	436 (80.4%)	6 (1.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	25	4406^th of 5857 public elementary schools	24.8%		26.9	4219^th of 5869 public elementary schools	28.1%	187	18.3	18.3	35.9	41.7	29.8	31.0	33.9	30.4	26.7	13.5	17.1	21.5	94.6			96.7			$19,503	$2,385	$17,118
Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary	Public	K-6	3401 Renegade Ave.	Bakersfield	93306	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5400	960	41	23.4	84.2%	94 (9.8%)	38 (4.0%)	806 (84.0%)	12 (1.3%)	7 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	24.4	4461^st of 5857 public elementary schools	23.8%		30	3923^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	33.2%	538	12.7	12.7	36.0	47.0	31.3	22.0	33.1	31.5	32.2	10.5	15.0	21.3	92.4	95.5	98.5	96.2	93.9	96.2	$18,473	$2,514	$15,959
Horace Mann Elementary	Public	K-6	2710 Niles St.	Bakersfield	93306	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5360	870	41	21.2	95.4%	29 (3.3%)	47 (5.4%)	789 (90.7%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	28.5	4093^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	30.1%		22	4675^th of 5869 public elementary schools	20.3%	582	29.4	29.4	19.0	34.3	45.7	33.3	32.9	19.8	31.3	26.5	16.7	23.3	97.1				97.1		$20,390	$2,959	$17,431
Henry Eissler Elementary	Public	K-6	2901 Eissler St.	Bakersfield	93306	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5250	529	29	17.9	85.3%	60 (11.3%)	18 (3.4%)	424 (80.2%)	18 (3.4%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.8%)	26.9	4228^th of 5857 public elementary schools	27.8%		25.2	4345^th of 5869 public elementary schools	26.0%	117	18.1	18.1	38.1	28.2	31.3	45.7	35.9	34.5	18.1	11.8	22.0	21.7	94.1	94.1					$21,211	$3,581	$17,630
College Heights Elementary	Public	K-6	2551 Sunny Ln.	Bakersfield	93305	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5220	761	36	20.9	94.7%	25 (3.3%)	69 (9.1%)	654 (85.9%)	7 (0.9%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	9.2	5672^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	3.2%		10	5688^th of 5869 public elementary schools	3.1%	16	8.3	8.3	10.3	17.1	19.1	23.3	17.8	12.1	11.5	6.3	9.8	9.8	86.5	91.4	94.2	91.4	86.5	91.4	$19,609	$2,706	$16,903
Ramon Garza Elementary	Public	K-5	2901 Center St.	Bakersfield	93306	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5290	658	32	20.3	95.9%	17 (2.6%)	18 (2.7%)	615 (93.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	16	5188^th of 5857 public elementary schools	11.4%		16.1	5210^th of 5869 public elementary schools	11.2%	22	11.7	11.7	26.7	26.1	23.7		25.4	26.2	18.0	11.7		18.3	90.8	92.3	95.4	94.6	90.8	94.6	$19,411	$2,737	$16,674
Williams Elementary	Public	K-6	1201 Williams St.	Bakersfield	93305	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5840	452	22	20.5	98.9%	8 (1.8%)	32 (7.1%)	411 (90.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10	5636^th of 5857 public elementary schools	3.8%		7.9	5781^st of 5869 public elementary schools	1.5%	145	6.5	6.5	17.7	16.2	15.0	27.9	19.4	11.1	8.7	3.2	14.5	9.5	95.2		96.8		95.2		$19,529	$2,785	$16,744
Pioneer Drive Elementary	Public	K-6	4404 Pioneer Dr.	Bakersfield	93306	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5450	562	28	19.7	96.3%	16 (2.8%)	18 (3.2%)	524 (93.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	19.5	4870^th of 5857 public elementary schools	16.9%		23.4	4537^th of 5869 public elementary schools	22.7%	333	16.7	16.7	29.2	25.7	39.5	20.3	28.9	23.1	18.2	19.0	11.6	17.9	92.6	94.4	98.2	96.3	92.6		$22,756	$3,245	$19,511
Myra A. Noble Elementary	Public	K-5	1015 Noble Ave.	Bakersfield	93305	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5410	813	40	20.3	90.9%	45 (5.5%)	44 (5.4%)	707 (87.0%)	4 (0.5%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.0%)	8.1	5733^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	2.1%		11.1	5611^th of 5869 public elementary schools	4.4%	122	11.9	11.9	14.7	14.3	15.7		14.9	10.9	7.7	6.6		8.3	94.7			97.4	97.4		$19,192	$2,613	$16,579
Jefferson Elementary	Public	K-6	816 Lincoln St.	Bakersfield	93305	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5340	510	25	20.4	97.3%	31 (6.1%)	20 (3.9%)	457 (89.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	14.6	5305^th of 5857 public elementary schools	9.4%		12.2	5541^st of 5869 public elementary schools	5.6%	236	10.8	10.8	27.8	21.2	19.2	17.3	21.3	34.7	22.4	5.5	5.2	16.8	91.4		96.3	96.3	92.6		$20,801	$2,730	$18,071

Frequently Asked Questions about Harding Elementary

Is Harding Elementary a good school?

Harding Elementary ranks in the bottom 24.8% of California elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Harding Elementary attend?

Students who attend Harding Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Compton Junior High
High : East Bakersfield High

How many students attend Harding Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 542 students attended Harding Elementary.

What district is Harding Elementary in?

Bakersfield City

What is the racial makeup of Harding Elementary?

Students at Harding Elementary are 80% Hispanic, 13% White, 4% African American, 1% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.