Riverside Unified

Riverside Unified includes 47 schools: 29 elementary, 7 middle, 9 high and 2 alternative schools, with 2025–26 proficiency results reported for ELA, math and science. Results vary sharply even among schools serving the same grades: among K–6 schools, the gaps between the highest and lowest results were 45 percentage points in ELA, 43 in math and 50 in science. The most important finding is that a district-wide picture would hide very different school experiences.

Riverside STEM Academy was the clearest standout, with 84% proficient in ELA, 77% in math and 81% in science—the highest results listed and 35, 39 and 45 points above state figures, respectively; SchoolDigger gave it 5 stars and a 100th-percentile rank. Among middle schools, Frank Augustus Miller Middle led all three subjects, at 68% ELA, 52% math and 47% science. Elementary leadership was shared by John F. Kennedy Elementary (67% ELA) and Benjamin Franklin Elementary (63% math and 59% science). At the lower end, Opportunity Program reported 0% in ELA and math; among K–6 schools, Harada Elementary had the lowest ELA and math results, while Liberty Elementary had the lowest science result. Alternative and continuation school results are best considered separately from conventional schools.

Recent movement was mixed: Washington Elementary gained 6 points in ELA, 9 in math and 14 in science, while Tomas Rivera Elementary fell 3, 5 and 16 points in those subjects. Middle-school averages edged up in all three subjects but remained below state results, with the largest shortfall in math: 7 points, compared with 5 in science and 2 in ELA. SchoolDigger’s rank for Polytechnic High moved from the 74th to the 69th percentile between 2023–24 and 2025–26. The reported low-income measure is free/reduced lunch eligible (FRL), school year 2024–25: Riverside STEM was at 54% and John F. Kennedy at 57%, despite their strong results; these figures are context, not an explanation for achievement.