Summary:
Sierra Sands Unified includes nine schools, from elementary through high school, serving families in the Sierra Sands area. In 2025–2026, the schools’ average proficiency was 39% in English language arts (ELA), 26% in math and 26% in science, compared with statewide results of 49%, 38% and 36%. Most importantly, the gap between the schools’ average and the state widened in all three subjects from the previous year, reaching 10 percentage points in ELA, 12 in math and 10 in science.
Sherman E. Burroughs High stands out for ELA and science: 75% met the ELA standard and 38% met the science standard, versus 49% and 36% statewide. Las Flores Elementary led in all-grades math at 35%, though that was 3 points below the state. At the other end, Mesquite Continuation High had the lowest results in all three subjects: 11% in ELA, 9% in math and 3% in science. Its other outcomes also merit attention: chronic absenteeism was 88%, versus 18% statewide, and its graduation rate was 51%, compared with 88% statewide.
Results shifted in different directions at individual schools, even as the nine-school average fell by 2 points in ELA, 4 in math and 4 in science; state results rose by less than 1 point, 1 point and 3 points, respectively. Pierce Academy of the Arts gained 14 points in ELA, while Richmond Elementary fell 13 points in ELA and 21 in science. Grade-specific results also vary: Inyokern Elementary led elementary schools in all-grades ELA, while Gateway Elementary led in science. SchoolDigger’s statewide percentile rank rose from 9 to 41 for Pierce, but fell from 44 to 20 for Faller Elementary. School context varies too: 2024–2025 free/reduced lunch eligibility ranged from 47% at Las Flores to 82% at Pierce; these figures are context, not an explanation of results. One data limitation: schools serve different grade spans, so all-grades comparisons are not perfectly like-for-like.
Thank you for your feedback!