Summary:
This analysis looks at the two elementary schools within the Holtville Unified School District, Emmett S. Finley Elementary (grades K-5) and Pine Elementary (grades K-8), which together serve over 750 students in a community with high economic need.
Among these two schools, Pine Elementary stands out for its stronger academic results, ranking in the state's top 30% compared to Finley Elementary in the top 40%. Pine's students outperform both the district and state averages in English, math, and science, with particularly high scores in upper-grade math and fourth-grade English. A key factor is likely Pine's excellent student attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of only 6.9%, which is far better than the state average and Finley's rate of 15%.
While Finley Elementary faces greater academic challenges overall, it shows a notable strength in its Spanish language program and performs slightly above the district average in science. However, a concerning trend at Finley is a sharp decline in math scores from third to fifth grade. Both schools receive similar funding per student, but Pine operates with a slightly smaller average class size. For parents, the significant performance gap between two schools in the same district highlights the importance of looking at individual school culture and results.
Thank you for your feedback!