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Williams Ranch Elementary

Public Grades K-3

Summary

Williams Ranch Elementary is a public elementary school located in Penn Valley, California, serving 197 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Penn Valley Union Elementary District, which is ranked 536 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Despite serving a high percentage of students from low-income families, with 46.19% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Williams Ranch Elementary consistently outperforms the district and the state of California in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had 73.47% of students proficient or better in ELA and 66.33% in Math, compared to 53.45% and 38.26% for the district, and 47.04% and 35.54% for the state. The school's performance is particularly strong in 3rd grade ELA (86.21% proficient) and 3rd grade Math (79.31% proficient), well above the district and state averages.

While Williams Ranch Elementary has seen an increase in chronic absenteeism over the past few years, from 9.1% in 2017-2018 to 32.9% in 2022-2023, the school still performs better than the Penn Valley Union Elementary District average of 37.5% for the 2022-2023 school year. The school's consistent academic excellence and ability to support the success of its socioeconomically disadvantaged students are particularly noteworthy and could provide valuable insights for other schools facing similar challenges.

247

Students ?

22.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,746

Per pupil spending ?

56.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

14804 Pleasant Valley Rd.
Penn Valley, CA 95946-9722

(530) 432-7300

District: Penn Valley Union Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.2%

Hispanic:

18.6%

Two or more races:

8.1%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 74th percentile in 2018 → 88th in 2024

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (55% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2018

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (28% vs 19% California)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school55%

District avg44%

California avg43%

Not ranked this year

Williams Ranch Elementary did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

545^th of 1,543Penn Valley Union Elementary among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	89.9	706 of 5869	88.0%	★★★★☆
2023	76.9	1282 of 5859	78.1%	★★★★☆
2022	71.9	1538 of 5883	73.9%	★★★★☆
2021	56.4	556 of 1417	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.5	1720 of 5789	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	72.5	1461 of 5662	74.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	89.8	631 of 5612	88.8%	★★★★☆
2023	73.3	1349 of 5609	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	69.1	1566 of 5635	72.2%	★★★★☆
2021	58.2	473 of 1267	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.9	1847 of 5492	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.1	1589 of 5413	70.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	88.5	499 of 5517	91.0%	★★★★★
2023	88.0	458 of 5363	91.5%	★★★★★
2022	85.2	535 of 5264	89.8%	★★★★☆
2019	67.3	1327 of 5173	74.3%	★★★★☆
2018	72.0	1076 of 5084	78.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	87.1	764 of 5643	86.5%	★★★★☆
2023	83.2	952 of 5638	83.1%	★★★★☆
2022	69.0	1569 of 5663	72.3%	★★★★☆
2021	62.6	425 of 1272	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.0	1595 of 5510	71.1%	★★★★☆
2018	70.7	1460 of 5431	73.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	66.5	921 of 2651	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.5	1029 of 2661	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.2	1758 of 2726	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.1	1879 of 2834	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.3	1442 of 2737	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)91st percentile+3 vs school

Female (2024)89th percentile~ school

Male (2024)86th percentile~ school

White (2024)65th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy56%+7 vs state

Mathematics54%+17 vs state

★

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Schools Near Williams Ranch Elementary

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 (2024)
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	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 8th 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 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th 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 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th 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
Williams Ranch Elementary	Public	K-3	14804 Pleasant Valley Rd.	Penn Valley	95946	Nevada County	Penn Valley Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 432-7300	247	11	22.4	56.7%	171 (69.2%)	1 (0.4%)	46 (18.6%)	4 (1.6%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (8.1%)								(n/a)				56.0						56.0	54.0						54.0	92.3	92.3		92.3			$12,746	$1,699	$11,047
Nevada City School of the Arts	Public, Charter	K-8	13032 Bitney Springs Rd. Bldg.	Nevada City	95959	Nevada County	Nevada City School of the Arts District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-7736	477	26	18.5	43.0%	358 (75.1%)	1 (0.2%)	60 (12.6%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (10.5%)	67.8	1698^th of 5857 public elementary schools	71.0%		63	1926^th of 5869 public elementary schools	67.2%	228	57.7	57.7	57.7	52.4	64.4	59.6	56.9	68.3	73.1	62.8	64.3	35.6	40.4	32.8	40.0	50.0	43.0	71.9	79.7	78.1	82.8	79.7	84.4	$19,780	$647	$19,133
Yuba River Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	10085 Adam Ave.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Yuba River Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 272-6060	323	12	26.3	54.2%	242 (74.9%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (11.8%)	5 (1.5%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	34 (10.5%)	50.2	2575^th of 5857 public elementary schools	56.0%		71.4	1530^th of 5869 public elementary schools	73.9%	1045	50.0	50.0	50.0	41.2	48.6	56.3	54.8	89.3	66.7	58.3	29.4	17.1	34.4	35.5	64.3	70.4	40.1	55.4	55.4	57.1	57.1	55.4	57.1	$14,642	$893	$13,749
Margaret G. Scotten Elementary	Public	K-4	10821 Squirrel Creek Rd.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Grass Valley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-6472	357	19	19.2	74.8%	257 (72.0%)	4 (1.1%)	60 (16.8%)	7 (2.0%)	5 (1.4%)	3 (0.8%)	21 (5.9%)	33.8	3658^th of 5857 public elementary schools	37.5%		36.2	3427^th of 5869 public elementary schools	41.6%	231				31.8	36.8					33.8	42.2	26.3					35.7	90.1	96.7		94.5	92.3	95.6	$19,211	$2,888	$16,323
Bell Hill Academy	Public	K-4	342 South School St.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Grass Valley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-2281	246	11	22.3	59.3%	114 (46.3%)	3 (1.2%)	117 (47.6%)	3 (1.2%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	75	1370^th of 5857 public elementary schools	76.6%		66.4	1757^th of 5869 public elementary schools	70.1%	387				51.1	61.7					56.4	60.4	58.3					59.4	94.1				94.1		$20,091	$1,843	$18,248
Grass Valley Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	225 South Auburn St.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Grass Valley Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-8723	546	23	23.7	33.2%	451 (82.6%)	5 (0.9%)	50 (9.2%)	9 (1.6%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (4.6%)	52.8	2445^th of 5857 public elementary schools	58.3%		60.9	2034^th of 5869 public elementary schools	65.3%	411	36.1	40.4	38.1	60.7	33.9	40.3	45.1	66.7	55.8	50.2	64.3	32.7	33.9	39.2	43.4	40.4	42.3	91.4	96.6	94.8	96.6	94.8	94.8	$15,248	$688	$14,560
Dobbins Elementary	Public	K-6	1 Dobbin School Ln.	Dobbins	95935	Yuba County	Marysville Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 692-1665	70	3	21.8	62.9%	52 (74.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (11.4%)	4 (5.7%)	2 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (5.7%)								(n/a)					9.1					22.2		0.0					7.4							$19,952	$4,605	$15,347
Clear Creek Elementary	Public	K-8	17700 McCourtney Rd.	Grass Valley	95949	Nevada County	Clear Creek Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-3664	173	10	17.3	45.1%	113 (65.3%)	1 (0.6%)	24 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (19.1%)	75.9	1335^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.2%		59.7	2079^th of 5869 public elementary schools	64.6%	744	66.7	52.4	58.3	50.0	40.0	80.0	64.3	73.3	52.4	59.2	55.6	53.3	66.7	50.0	46.7	57.1	55.1							$13,830	$1,044	$12,786
Nevada County Special Education	Public	K-8	400 Hoover Ln.	Nevada City	95959	Nevada County	Nevada County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 265-0611	51	7	7.2	58.8%	34 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (19.6%)	2 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (7.8%)								(n/a)										6.3							6.3							$146,953	$1,053	$145,900
Deer Creek Elementary	Public	K-3	805 Lindley Ave.	Nevada City	95959	Nevada County	Nevada City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 265-1870	259	12	21.7	37.5%	203 (78.4%)	2 (0.8%)	28 (10.8%)	6 (2.3%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	17 (6.6%)								(n/a)				44.9						44.9	42.0						42.0	97.1				97.1		$16,860	$1,862	$14,998

Frequently Asked Questions about Williams Ranch Elementary

How many students attend Williams Ranch Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 247 students attended Williams Ranch Elementary.

What district is Williams Ranch Elementary in?

Penn Valley Union Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Williams Ranch Elementary?

Students at Williams Ranch Elementary are 69% White, 19% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 2% Asian.

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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.