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Bessie E. Owens Elementary

Q: Is Bessie E. Owens Elementary a good school?

Bessie E. Owens Elementary ranks 3482 nd of 5817 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

3482^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,817 California Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of California elementary schools

Summary

Bessie E. Owens Elementary is a Bakersfield City district school in Bakersfield, California, serving grades K–6 with 867 students. In 2025–26, SchoolDigger ranked it at the 40th percentile statewide and gave it 2 stars; the Bakersfield City district ranked at the 11th percentile with 1 star. The key takeaway for families is that Bessie is one of the stronger nearby schools in test results, but its scores remain below state results in every subject.

Bessie E. Owens placed second among nearby schools in ELA, math and science in 2025–26, behind Downtown Elementary each time. Bessie’s results were 40% in ELA, 28% in math and 33% in science; the next-highest nearby result in each subject was at least 11 percentage points lower. Its scores were also above the district’s (31%, 16% and 19%), but below the state’s (49%, 38% and 36%)—by 10 points in ELA, 10 in math and 3 in science. One grade-level concern is third-grade ELA: Bessie scored 30%, below the district’s 30% and the state’s 44%, and ranked fourth among nearby schools with results reported.

Results have improved overall since 2022–23: ELA rose 12 points, math 4 and science 11, while SchoolDigger’s overall percentile increased from 12 to 40 between 2021–22 and 2025–26. Progress has not been steady, however: math fell from 30% in 2024–25 to 28% in 2025–26. Chronic absenteeism also declined substantially, from 60% in 2021–22 to 18% in 2025–26, slightly below district and state rates. Context for families: Bessie has the largest nearby enrollment, and its 2024–25 student–teacher ratio of 21.6 was tied with Downtown for the highest reported. Its reported free/reduced lunch eligible measure was 90% in 2024–25, the second-lowest among nearby schools reporting that same measure and year. SchoolDigger’s statewide measure of how well the school serves Hispanic students was at the 56th percentile in 2025–26, 16 points above the school’s overall percentile. Its measure for African American students fell from the 79th percentile in 2023–24 to the 44th in 2025–26.

867

Students ?

21.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,888

Per pupil spending ?

89.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

92%

Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2024-25)

Exemptions: 0% (any vaccine)

815 Potomac Ave.
Bakersfield, CA 93307-1450

(661) 631-5420

District: Bakersfield City

Students who attend Bessie E. Owens Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Abraham Lincoln Junior High
	Chipman Junior High
High:	Bakersfield High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

84.0%

African American:

9.3%

White:

5.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Bessie E. Owens Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 12th percentile in 2022 → 40th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 28 percentile points since 2022

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Bakersfield City

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (34% vs 42% meeting standards)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school34%

District avg23%

California avg42%

3,482^nd of 5,817

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▲ up 28 pts since 2022

From bottom 12% (2022) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 33Elementary Schools in the Bakersfield City

1329^th of 1,530Bakersfield City 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
2026	36.3	3482 of 5817	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.8	3421 of 5857	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.0	3683 of 5869	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.4	4232 of 5859	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.8	5179 of 5883	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	41.8	283 of 508	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.8	263 of 569	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.6	122 of 593	79.4%	★★★★☆
2023	29.6	474 of 661	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	29.4	2589 of 3162	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.1	2590 of 3245	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.2	2992 of 3311	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	28.4	4000 of 5581	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.7	3797 of 5597	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.9	4256 of 5612	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.0	4957 of 5609	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	51.3	2253 of 5094	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.7	2112 of 5107	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.6	2577 of 5107	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.5	3273 of 5087	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.2	4021 of 5084	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	42.5	3002 of 5423	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.1	2866 of 5460	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.7	3318 of 5517	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.9	4078 of 5363	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.2	4703 of 5264	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	43.9	2878 of 5603	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.7	3006 of 5628	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.2	2993 of 5643	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.1	3251 of 5638	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.5	4660 of 5663	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	44.5	1304 of 2927	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	41.8	1377 of 2847	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	32.0	1698 of 2635	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.0	1476 of 2420	39.0%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)56th percentile+16 vs school

Special Education (2026)55th percentile+15 vs school

Male (2026)49th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)45th percentile+5 vs school

African American (2026)44th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)28th percentile-12 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)18th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy40%-10 vs state

Science33%-3 vs state

Mathematics28%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bessie E. Owens Elementary

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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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)							Vaccination (2024-25)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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	Vaccination: Kindergartners with all required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bessie E. Owens Elementary	Public	K-6	815 Potomac Ave.	Bakersfield	93307	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5420	867	40	21.6	89.5%	49 (5.7%)	81 (9.3%)	728 (84.0%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	36.3	3482^nd of 5817 public elementary schools	40.1%		36.8	3421^st of 5857 public elementary schools	41.6%	61	32.5		32.5	29.5	36.1	46.5	44.6			39.6	36.2	25.8	26.6	26.5			28.5	92%	0%	$21,888	$4,850	$17,038
Fremont Elementary	Public	K-6	607 Texas St.	Bakersfield	93307	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5280	707	34	20.6	95.0%	12 (1.7%)	45 (6.4%)	647 (91.5%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15.7	5156^th of 5817 public elementary schools	11.4%		13.7	5376^th of 5857 public elementary schools	8.2%	220	13.8		13.8	30.0	23.2	23.4	28.7			26.2	31.3	15.8	7.5	12.5			16.2	97%	0%	$22,334	$4,538	$17,796
McKinley Elementary	Public	K-6	601 Fourth St.	Bakersfield	93304	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5370	628	30	20.7	97.6%	30 (4.8%)	93 (14.8%)	492 (78.3%)	3 (0.5%)	5 (0.8%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	13	5394^th of 5817 public elementary schools	7.3%		8.6	5704^th of 5857 public elementary schools	2.6%	310	11.5		11.5	23.7	20.2	20.7				21.4	27.6	12.2	13.8				17.4	92%	0%	$25,869	$5,243	$20,626
Rafer Johnson	Public	K-8	1001 Tenth St.	Bakersfield	93304	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5445	32	6	5.5	90.6%	1 (3.1%)	13 (40.6%)	17 (53.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.1%)								(n/a)			0.0							8.7							4.4
Williams Elementary	Public	K-6	1201 Williams St.	Bakersfield	93305	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5840	452	22	20.5	—	8 (1.8%)	32 (7.1%)	411 (90.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	13.6	5349^th of 5817 public elementary schools	8.0%		10	5636^th of 5857 public elementary schools	3.8%	287	14.5		14.5	26.4	15.0	27.4	34.0			25.4	15.1	8.3	6.5	15.1			11.0	97%	0%	$22,801	$5,011	$17,790
Mt. Vernon Elementary	Public	K-6	2161 Potomac Ave.	Bakersfield	93307	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5380	614	33	18.7	90.9%	26 (4.2%)	20 (3.3%)	561 (91.4%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10.4	5582^nd of 5817 public elementary schools	4.0%		9.5	5657^th of 5857 public elementary schools	3.4%	75	8.9		8.9	12.4	26.8	23.1	23.3			21.3	18.8	11.3	2.2	11.1			10.5	91%	0%	$23,447	$4,718	$18,729
Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary	Public	K-6	1100 Citadel St.	Bakersfield	93307	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5229	709	33	21.5	90.1%	28 (3.9%)	88 (12.4%)	586 (82.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	7.5	5717^th of 5817 public elementary schools	1.7%		7.3	5768^th of 5857 public elementary schools	1.5%	51	8.4		8.4	18.5	17.1	16.0	21.4			18.0	5.4	10.1	3.8	2.9			5.6	91%	0%	$20,931	$4,258	$16,673
Downtown Elementary	Public	K-8	2021 M St.	Bakersfield	93301	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5920	317	15	21.6	31.2%	108 (34.1%)	9 (2.8%)	179 (56.5%)	10 (3.2%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	77.6	1241^st of 5817 public elementary schools	78.7%		76	1333^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	77.2%	92	59.4	54.8	57.1	62.2	63.6	62.5	44.8	82.4	64.5	63.8	59.5	57.6	56.3	51.7	61.8	35.5	54.1	≥ 95%		$19,541	$4,038	$15,503
Jefferson Elementary	Public	K-6	816 Lincoln St.	Bakersfield	93305	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5340	510	25	20.4	97.3%	31 (6.1%)	20 (3.9%)	457 (89.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	13.7	5336^th of 5817 public elementary schools	8.3%		14.6	5305^th of 5857 public elementary schools	9.4%	31	16.2		16.2	34.3	20.8	20.6	17.6			23.3	23.3	13.9	5.9	10.7			13.5	93%	0%	$23,056	$4,599	$18,457
Longfellow Elementary	Public	K-6	1900 Stockton St.	Bakersfield	93305	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5350	780	40	19.6	95.8%	51 (6.5%)	68 (8.7%)	643 (82.4%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.2%)	9.4	5638^th of 5817 public elementary schools	3.1%		7.8	5744^th of 5857 public elementary schools	1.9%	106	16.0		16.0	21.9	18.8	20.4	17.9			19.7	8.3	12.5	2.9	4.3			7.0	92%	0%	$20,819	$4,454	$16,365

Frequently Asked Questions about Bessie E. Owens Elementary

Is Bessie E. Owens Elementary a good school?

Bessie E. Owens Elementary ranks 3482^nd of 5817 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Bessie E. Owens Elementary in?

Bakersfield City

What is the racial makeup of Bessie E. Owens Elementary?

Students at Bessie E. Owens Elementary are 84% Hispanic, 9% African American, 6% White.

What schools do graduates of Bessie E. Owens Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bessie E. Owens Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Abraham Lincoln Junior High
Middle : Chipman Junior High
High : Bakersfield High

How many students attend Bessie E. Owens Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 867 students attended Bessie E. Owens Elementary.

Rate Bessie E. Owens Elementary!

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresOct 15, 2026

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.