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Maxwell Elementary

Q: Is Maxwell Elementary a good school?

Maxwell Elementary ranks 2914 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

2914^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of California elementary schools

Summary

Maxwell Elementary is a small, rural K-5 school serving 124 students in the Maxwell Unified district, operating in a high-need community where 75% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Despite its rural setting and high-need student population, the school shows notable strengths, particularly in mathematics where its proficiency rate exceeds the state average and significantly outperforms nearby schools like Meridian Elementary and Murdock Elementary. The school is exceptionally effective with English Language Learners and maintains a chronic absenteeism rate much lower than the state average, demonstrating strong student engagement. Furthermore, it achieves these results with more efficient per-student spending than several neighboring schools.

Areas for attention include a significant gender performance gap and a critical need for improvement in science proficiency, which is currently far below state and local averages, including at Arbuckle Elementary. While the school's statewide ranking has improved recently, its year-to-year performance has historically been volatile. Overall, Maxwell Elementary demonstrates it can deliver strong core academic outcomes and support for vulnerable students within its community context.

124

Students ?

17.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,585

Per pupil spending ?

75%

Free/discounted lunch ?

146 North St.
Maxwell, CA 95955-0788

(530) 438-2401

District: Maxwell Unified

Students who attend Maxwell Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Maxwell Middle
High:	Maxwell Senior High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

55.6%

White:

34.7%

Two or more races:

4.0%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 70th percentile in 2017 → 50th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the California median (50th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 70th-percentile peak (2017) to 50th (2025)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Science scores 27 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg28%

California avg41%

2,914^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

962^nd of 1,543Maxwell Unified 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	44.6	2914 of 5857	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.5	3335 of 5869	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.6	3023 of 5859	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.2	2629 of 5883	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.8	3013 of 5789	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.2	2125 of 5662	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.4	1733 of 5692	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.8	2247 of 5614	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	46.3	2666 of 5611	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	35.7	3621 of 5530	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	38.6	3346 of 5390	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.2	2394 of 5377	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	53.5	2358 of 5314	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	58.9	1981 of 5193	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	61.1	1808 of 5113	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	56.0	2023 of 5113	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	50.9	2143 of 4818	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2005	60.3	1721 of 4822	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	57.6	1812 of 4809	62.3%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	59.3	810 of 3245	75.0%	★★★★☆
2022	75.2	383 of 3311	88.4%	★★★★☆
2019	63.8	709 of 3275	78.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	12.1	5358 of 5612	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	37.0	3221 of 5609	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.9	3332 of 5635	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.7	2511 of 5492	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.8	3225 of 5413	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	29.1	3778 of 5087	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.0	2749 of 5084	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.0	3097 of 4963	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.9	1445 of 4830	70.1%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	51.5	133 of 335	60.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	50.3	2414 of 5460	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.0	3474 of 5363	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.1	1970 of 5264	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.1	2605 of 5173	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	68.8	1249 of 5084	75.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.1	2117 of 5628	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.4	2431 of 5638	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.4	1506 of 5663	73.4%	★★★★☆
2019	36.4	3295 of 5510	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	66.7	1622 of 5431	70.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	52.3	1362 of 2661	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	61.8	1088 of 2726	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.1	1791 of 2834	36.8%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2023)75th percentile+27 vs school

Male (2025)62nd percentile+12 vs school

Homeless (2023)60th percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile+6 vs school

White (2023)49th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2023)26th percentile-23 vs school

Female (2024)5th percentile-39 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy46%~ state avg

Mathematics39%~ state avg

Science6%-27 vs state

★

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Schools Near Maxwell 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)	% 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 8th 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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th 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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Maxwell Elementary	Public	K-5	146 North St.	Maxwell	95955	Colusa County	Maxwell Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 438-2401	124	7	17.7	75.0%	43 (34.7%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (55.6%)	4 (3.2%)	3 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.0%)	44.6	2914^th of 5857 public elementary schools	50.2%		37.5	3335^th of 5869 public elementary schools	43.2%	421	5.9		5.9	47.6	44.4	47.1				46.4	38.1	50.0	29.4				39.3	91.7			91.7	$15,585	$2,074	$13,511
Williams Primary Elementary	Public	K-3	1404 E St.	Williams	95987	Colusa County	Williams Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 473-2885	407	19	21.4	85.7%	9 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	387 (95.1%)	9 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				30.4						30.4	27.2						27.2	98.1	98.1	98.1	98.1	$17,384	$796	$16,588
James M. Burchfield Primary	Public	K-3	400 Fremont St.	Colusa	95932	Colusa County	Colusa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 458-5853	430	20	21.6	78.4%	80 (18.6%)	2 (0.5%)	309 (71.9%)	3 (0.7%)	12 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.6%)								(n/a)				36.0						36.0	50.5						50.5	98.4				$18,565	$4,385	$14,180
Princeton Elementary	Public	K-8	428 Norman Rd.	Princeton	95970	Colusa County	Princeton Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 439-2501	83	6	14.8	66.3%	23 (27.7%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (61.4%)	1 (1.2%)	5 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.6%)	12.5	5467^th of 5857 public elementary schools	6.7%					(n/a)	8.3	9.1	8.7			16.7			9.1	29.8			16.7			9.1	29.8					$27,544	$2,901	$24,643
Walden Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1149 West Wood St.	Willows	95988	Glenn County	Walden Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 361-6480	167	10	16.7	44.3%	67 (40.1%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (38.3%)	3 (1.8%)	4 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (17.4%)	17.6	5049^th of 5857 public elementary schools	13.8%		20.6	4805^th of 5869 public elementary schools	18.1%	244	14.3		19.4	30.4	38.9	19.1	15.4	27.3		31.3	21.7	22.2	4.8	15.4	27.3		19.8					$14,072	$637	$13,435
Murdock Elementary	Public	K-4	655 West French St.	Willows	95988	Glenn County	Willows Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 934-6640	488	24	20.0	74.0%	189 (38.7%)	4 (0.8%)	242 (49.6%)	20 (4.1%)	29 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	13.7	5370^th of 5857 public elementary schools	8.3%		13	5482^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	6.6%	112				15.9	21.6					18.8	20.7	23.0					21.9					$28,354	$3,198	$25,156
Meridian Elementary	Public	K-8	15898 Central St.	Meridian	95957	Sutter County	Meridian Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 696-2604	78	4	19.5	76.9%	33 (42.3%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (44.9%)	1 (1.3%)	2 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (9.0%)	16.5	5149^th of 5857 public elementary schools	12.1%					(n/a)	6.3		7.7			29.4		9.1		26.2			17.7		0.0		18.0					$20,085	$1,585	$18,500
Arbuckle Elementary	Public	K-5	701 Hall St.	Arbuckle	95912	Colusa County	Pierce Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 476-2522	604	28	21.4	72.5%	102 (16.9%)	10 (1.7%)	482 (79.8%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	31.9	3804^th of 5857 public elementary schools	35.1%		36.8	3379^th of 5869 public elementary schools	42.4%	425	25.2		25.2	43.8	31.8	30.4				35.6	39.6	30.6	14.6				28.2	98.3		98.3		$14,269	$2,701	$11,568

Frequently Asked Questions about Maxwell Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Maxwell Elementary?

Students at Maxwell Elementary are 56% Hispanic, 35% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% American Indian.

Is Maxwell Elementary a good school?

Maxwell Elementary ranks 2914^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Maxwell Elementary in?

Maxwell Unified

What schools do graduates of Maxwell Elementary attend?

Students who attend Maxwell Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Maxwell Middle
High : Maxwell Senior High

How many students attend Maxwell Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 124 students attended Maxwell Elementary.

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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.