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Elementary Schools in Sierra Sands Unified

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the California Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the California Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

At a glance

DistrictSierra Sands Unified882^nd of 1,543 California districtsFull district overview →

Schools

2,210

Students

Top rankedLas Flores Elementary2134^th of 5,857 California elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Pierce Academy of the Arts up 1,215 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Richmond Elementary 16.5 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

3★

2★

1★

1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare California districts →See the top-ranked California schools →

Summary:

The Sierra Sands Unified school district operates six elementary schools (K-5) with 2,210 students, primarily serving the Ridgecrest area, and is ranked in the middle third of all California districts.

Among these schools, Las Flores Elementary stands out as the top performer, with the highest statewide ranking, strong test scores in English and math, and the best student attendance rate. Richmond Elementary and Inyokern Elementary excel in science, while Pierce Elementary has shown the most significant recent improvement in its ranking despite facing greater economic challenges.

Key considerations for parents include notable differences in academic results and student attendance between schools. The district-wide chronic absenteeism rate is higher than the state average, which correlates with academic performance, as seen at the higher-attending Las Flores. While per-student funding varies, there is no clear link between spending levels and test scores, suggesting school culture and specific programs are important factors in student success.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 (2025)
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 (2025)	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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th 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
Gateway Elementary	Public	K-6	501 South Gateway	Ridgecrest	93555	Kern County	Sierra Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 499-1850	346	14	24.6	66.8%	161 (46.5%)	29 (8.4%)	117 (33.8%)	7 (2.0%)	2 (0.6%)	5 (1.4%)	25 (7.2%)	44.8	2900^th of 5857 public elementary schools	50.5%		46.3	2778^th of 5869 public elementary schools	52.7%	122	29.8	29.8	36.4	36.8	50.9	41.4	36.4	42.1	36.8	38.5	93.9	96.9		96.9	93.9	96.9	$17,631	$16,870	$761
Inyokern Elementary	Public	K-6	6601 Locust St.	Inyokern	93527	Kern County	Sierra Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 499-1683	161	7	23.0	80.1%	87 (54.0%)	8 (5.0%)	45 (28.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (10.6%)	53.4	2397^th of 5857 public elementary schools	59.1%		59.8	2073^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	64.7%	324	50.0	50.0	35.5	45.2	65.4	47.7	38.7	32.3	42.3	37.5	88.2	91.2		91.2	91.2	91.2	$20,271	$19,340	$931
Las Flores Elementary	Public	K-6	720 West Las Flores	Ridgecrest	93555	Kern County	Sierra Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 499-1860	526	21	25.4	47.3%	274 (52.1%)	18 (3.4%)	165 (31.4%)	19 (3.6%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (8.4%)	58.7	2134^th of 5857 public elementary schools	63.6%		49.9	2558^th of 5869 public elementary schools	56.4%	424	36.4	36.4	30.5	63.0	55.8	49.1	48.8	54.8	36.4	46.6	95.4	96.6	96.6	96.6	96.6	95.4	$14,913	$14,186	$727
Pierce Academy of the Arts	Public	K-6	674 North Gold Canyon	Ridgecrest	93555	Kern County	Sierra Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 499-1670	297	16	19.0	82.2%	97 (32.7%)	55 (18.5%)	119 (40.1%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	20 (6.7%)	27.9	4140^th of 5857 public elementary schools	29.3%		14.5	5355^th of 5869 public elementary schools	8.8%	1215	21.8	21.8	34.9	27.5	27.3	29.5	34.1	39.2	18.2	30.0	94.3				94.3		$19,337	$18,306	$1,031
Richmond Elementary	Public	K-6	100 N. Richmond Rd.	Ridgecrest	93555	Kern County	Sierra Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 499-1890	364	22	16.5	61.0%	160 (44.0%)	36 (9.9%)	132 (36.3%)	9 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (7.1%)	55.5	2276^th of 5857 public elementary schools	61.1%		54.7	2303^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	60.8%	27	49.2	49.2	42.9	40.0	63.3	49.4	35.6	31.4	45.0	37.7	81.2	82.6	95.7	84.1	82.6	84.1	$19,431	$17,886	$1,545
Faller Elementary	Public	K-6	1500 West Upjohn St.	Ridgecrest	93555	Kern County	Sierra Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 499-1690	516	22	23.8	61.8%	222 (43.0%)	37 (7.2%)	198 (38.4%)	13 (2.5%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.8%)	39 (7.6%)	35.1	3562^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	39.2%		38.2	3295^th of 5869 public elementary schools	43.9%	267	20.7	20.7	50.0	34.4	33.0	38.4	46.8	28.9	21.7	31.7	95.4	96.5			96.5		$13,930	$13,160	$770
Vieweg STEM Academy	Public	K-8	348 Rowe St.	Ridgecrest	93555	Kern County	Sierra Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(760) 499-1840	0																		(n/a)

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Ridgecrest Elementary Academy for Language Music and Sci Di	2.02 mi	1	1454^th
State Board Of Education - Ridgecrest Charter	2.05 mi	1
Opportunities for Learning - Ridgecrest District	2.14 mi	1
Trona Joint Unified	19.23 mi	3	1465^th
South Fork Union	34.93 mi	2	837^th

See the top CA California districts

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.