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Downtown Elementary

Q: Is Downtown Elementary a good school?

Downtown Elementary ranks 1333 rd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

1333^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 77% of California elementary schools

Summary

Downtown Elementary is a consistently high-performing K-8 school serving 317 students in the Bakersfield City School District, standing out as a top-tier school within a district that faces significant challenges.

The school dramatically outperforms its neighbors, with over two-thirds of students proficient in English compared to less than half at the closest school, Franklin Elementary. Its most remarkable feature is an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of just 1.6%, which is over ten times better than most nearby schools and a key factor in its academic success. Furthermore, Downtown Elementary achieves these outstanding results while spending less per student than other schools in the area, demonstrating efficient and effective use of resources.

This success is consistent across grade levels, with strong middle school performance, and is sustained for all student groups. The school's decade-long record of excellence suggests stable, effective practices that work well for its community. While the reasons for its standout performance are complex, the stark contrast with nearby schools, including the extremely high-spending but low-performing Rafer Johnson, highlights that Downtown Elementary's effective culture and instructional strategies are central to its achievements.

317

Students ?

21.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,332

Per pupil spending ?

31.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2021 M St.
Bakersfield, CA 93301-4636

(661) 631-5920

District: Bakersfield City

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.5%

White:

34.1%

Asian:

3.2%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Downtown Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 80th percentile in 2013 → 77th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (59% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of California elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Bakersfield City

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school59%

District avg21%

California avg41%

Elementary school

1,333^rd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 23%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

348^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 13%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 33Elementary Schools in the Bakersfield City

1357^th of 1,543Bakersfield 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	76.0	1333 of 5857	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	77.0	1287 of 5869	78.1%	★★★★☆
2023	81.3	1116 of 5859	81.0%	★★★★☆
2022	80.4	1170 of 5883	80.1%	★★★★☆
2019	88.5	724 of 5789	87.5%	★★★★☆
2018	91.8	525 of 5662	90.7%	★★★★★
2017	91.3	557 of 5692	90.2%	★★★★★
2016	83.8	970 of 5614	82.7%	★★★★☆
2015	74.5	1331 of 5611	76.3%	★★★★☆
2013	79.4	1090 of 5530	80.3%	★★★★☆
2012	73.7	1345 of 5390	75.0%	★★★★☆
2011	77.7	1121 of 5377	79.2%	★★★★☆
2010	78.6	1064 of 5314	80.0%	★★★★☆
2009	70.3	1425 of 5193	72.6%	★★★★☆
2008	73.1	1277 of 5113	75.0%	★★★★☆
2007	77.9	1054 of 5113	79.4%	★★★★☆
2006	79.6	984 of 4818	79.6%	★★★★☆
2005	72.8	1213 of 4822	74.8%	★★★★☆
2004	67.2	1394 of 4809	71.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	74.3	1323 of 5597	76.4%	★★★★☆
2024	78.2	1164 of 5612	79.3%	★★★★☆
2023	79.3	1125 of 5609	79.9%	★★★★☆
2022	78.5	1176 of 5635	79.1%	★★★★☆
2019	89.7	578 of 5492	89.5%	★★★★☆
2018	90.0	574 of 5413	89.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	78.2	813 of 5107	84.1%	★★★★☆
2024	77.8	813 of 5107	84.1%	★★★★☆
2023	90.1	345 of 5087	93.2%	★★★★★
2022	91.7	295 of 5084	94.2%	★★★★★
2019	94.2	159 of 4963	96.8%	★★★★★
2018	97.7	58 of 4830	98.8%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	62.7	1703 of 5460	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.7	1373 of 5517	75.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	75.6	1254 of 5628	77.7%	★★★★☆
2024	72.6	1384 of 5643	75.5%	★★★★☆
2023	78.5	1154 of 5638	79.5%	★★★★☆
2022	79.2	1142 of 5663	79.8%	★★★★☆
2019	83.7	881 of 5510	84.0%	★★★★☆
2018	90.6	537 of 5431	90.1%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	82.2	334 of 2598	87.1%	★★★★☆
2024	79.2	448 of 2651	83.1%	★★★★☆
2023	72.3	722 of 2661	72.9%	★★★★☆
2022	74.6	635 of 2726	76.7%	★★★★☆
2019	82.2	383 of 2834	86.5%	★★★★☆
2018	79.7	457 of 2737	83.3%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	86.4	348 of 2761	87.4%	★★★★☆
2024	89.4	291 of 2783	89.5%	★★★★☆
2023	91.6	246 of 2781	91.2%	★★★★★
2022	91.5	237 of 2740	91.4%	★★★★★
2019	89.6	274 of 2715	89.9%	★★★★☆
2018	89.1	260 of 2480	89.5%	★★★★☆
2017	91.4	212 of 2508	91.5%	★★★★★
2016	82.5	383 of 2497	84.7%	★★★★☆
2015	85.5	323 of 2477	87.0%	★★★★☆
2013	84.3	211 of 2379	91.1%	★★★★★
2012	88.1	128 of 2259	94.3%	★★★★★
2011	78.4	329 of 2236	85.3%	★★★★☆
2010	76.0	400 of 2179	81.6%	★★★★☆
2009	77.1	348 of 2063	83.1%	★★★★☆
2008	83.2	235 of 2005	88.3%	★★★★☆
2007	74.8	392 of 1999	80.4%	★★★★☆
2006	58.3	666 of 1804	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	56.7	666 of 1777	62.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	88.5	287 of 2533	88.7%	★★★★☆
2024	92.2	198 of 2551	92.2%	★★★★★
2023	86.8	303 of 2531	88.0%	★★★★☆
2022	90.7	219 of 2509	91.3%	★★★★★
2019	87.5	281 of 2380	88.2%	★★★★☆
2018	87.2	270 of 2262	88.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	96.0	59 of 2395	97.5%	★★★★★
2024	92.8	107 of 2388	95.5%	★★★★★
2023	96.1	54 of 2374	97.7%	★★★★★
2022	99.1	18 of 2359	99.2%	★★★★★
2019	98.2	29 of 2213	98.7%	★★★★★
2018	96.4	45 of 2072	97.8%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	82.3	306 of 2579	88.1%	★★★★☆
2023	91.8	140 of 2531	94.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	80.1	432 of 2534	83.0%	★★★★☆
2024	83.7	361 of 2552	85.9%	★★★★☆
2023	93.3	166 of 2538	93.5%	★★★★★
2022	88.8	277 of 2527	89.0%	★★★★☆
2018	89.8	232 of 2273	89.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	84.1	164 of 1520	89.2%	★★★★☆
2019	63.1	583 of 1602	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.5	361 of 1496	75.9%	★★★★☆

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)

Elementary school

White (2025)87th percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2025)84th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)78th percentile~ school

Female (2025)76th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)69th percentile-8 vs school

Middle school

Hispanic (2025)98th percentile+10 vs school

White (2025)89th percentile~ school

Female (2025)89th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)88th percentile~ school

Male (2025)83rd percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy69%+21 vs state

Mathematics52%+14 vs state

Science47%+15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Downtown 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
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%)	76	1333^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	77.2%		77	1287^th of 5869 public elementary schools	78.1%	46	46.7	48.3	47.5	65.7	63.6	50.0	88.9	78.8	65.5	69.4	51.4	48.5	36.7	80.6	45.5	41.4	51.5							$18,332	$2,170	$16,162
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)										3.9							4.2							$128,027	$11,792	$116,235
Franklin Elementary	Public	K-6	2400 Truxtun Ave.	Bakersfield	93301	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5270	475	23	20.3	88.0%	60 (12.6%)	67 (14.1%)	332 (69.9%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.5%)	33.1	3719^th of 5857 public elementary schools	36.5%		43.7	2949^th of 5869 public elementary schools	49.8%	770	19.2		19.2	34.0	42.6	38.9	52.2			42.4	35.2	27.0	13.9	20.6			23.4	97.3						$20,186	$2,401	$17,785
William Penn Elementary	Public	K-5	2201 San Emidio St.	Bakersfield	93304	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5440	235	14	16.7	92.3%	23 (9.8%)	29 (12.3%)	182 (77.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13.2	5402^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	7.8%		20.1	4859^th of 5869 public elementary schools	17.2%	543	10.3		10.3	17.5	36.8	23.1				25.6	9.8	15.8	2.6				9.3							$24,486	$2,942	$21,544
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%)	7.8	5744^th of 5857 public elementary schools	1.9%		11.8	5568^th of 5869 public elementary schools	5.1%	176	6.8		6.8	15.0	17.9	8.8	19.1			15.3	12.1	10.7	1.0	8.3			8.0							$19,357	$2,684	$16,673
Stella I. Hills Elementary	Public	K-6	3800 Jewett Ave.	Bakersfield	93301	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5320	670	35	19.2	98.1%	54 (8.1%)	159 (23.7%)	425 (63.4%)	10 (1.5%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.2%)	6.9	5782^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	1.3%		7.7	5787^th of 5869 public elementary schools	1.4%	5	7.1		7.1	12.8	12.2	11.2	17.6			13.2	13.3	7.5	2.0	7.9			7.6	92.6	98.4		97.5	93.4	97.5	$22,030	$2,644	$19,386
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%)	8.6	5704^th of 5857 public elementary schools	2.6%		9.7	5696^th of 5869 public elementary schools	2.9%	8	9.1		9.1	15.8	17.2	19.3	17.7			17.4	15.2	9.5	2.3	11.8			9.3	94.4			97.6	95.2	98.4	$24,432	$3,096	$21,336
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%)	36.8	3421^st of 5857 public elementary schools	41.6%		33	3683^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	37.2%	262	25.6		25.6	24.8	45.7	42.4	42.0			38.8	27.8	35.9	24.6	33.3			30.5	91.1	98.0	98.0	97.3	92.5		$20,426	$2,789	$17,637
Roosevelt Elementary	Public	K-5	2324 Verde St.	Bakersfield	93304	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5460	392	19	20.1	95.4%	26 (6.6%)	24 (6.1%)	324 (82.7%)	6 (1.5%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.3%)	20.5	4788^th of 5857 public elementary schools	18.3%		21	4771^st of 5869 public elementary schools	18.7%	17	15.0		15.0	33.9	33.3	29.0				31.8	21.2	17.9	16.5				18.4	93.3	96.7			94.4		$20,325	$2,322	$18,003
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%)	13.7	5376^th of 5857 public elementary schools	8.2%		17.2	5103^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	13.1%	273	10.5		10.5	34.3	14.4	23.9	21.9			23.8	27.7	4.4	8.3	6.8			11.8	92.8	97.8		94.2	95.7	95.7	$20,590	$2,637	$17,953

Frequently Asked Questions about Downtown Elementary

Is Downtown Elementary a good school?

Downtown Elementary ranks 1333^rd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Downtown Elementary in?

Bakersfield City

What is the racial makeup of Downtown Elementary?

Students at Downtown Elementary are 56% Hispanic, 34% White, 3% Asian, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Downtown Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 317 students attended Downtown Elementary.

Rate Downtown Elementary!

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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.