Elementary Schools in Lincoln Unified

This analysis examines the nine K-8 elementary schools (with two serving K-6) within the Lincoln Unified School District in Stockton, CA, revealing significant performance differences among them.

Brookside stands out as the clear top performer, ranking in the 86th percentile statewide with the highest test scores and an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of 10.5%, all while having the lowest per-student spending in the district. John McCandless Charter is another strong school, ranking second in the district. In contrast, schools like Claudia Landeen and Tully C. Knoles face greater challenges, with much lower statewide rankings and higher rates of chronic absenteeism, which is strongly correlated with lower academic performance across the district.

Key takeaways for parents include the notable gap in student outcomes between schools, the critical importance of good attendance, and that higher school spending does not guarantee better results. The district-wide trend of math scores declining in middle school and generally low science scores are areas of common focus. The exceptional success of Brookside suggests that effective teaching and school culture can lead to outstanding achievement even with average resources.