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Grace Smith Elementary

Q: Is Grace Smith Elementary a good school?

Grace Smith Elementary ranks 3530 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-4

3530^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of California elementary schools

Summary

Grace Smith Elementary is a small public school serving about 65 students in grades K-4 in Niland, part of the Calipatria Unified School District, and it stands out for its very low student-teacher ratio and high per-student spending compared to nearby schools.

The school offers significantly more individualized attention with a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio, which is much lower than other local schools like Fremont Primary (20-to-1) or those in Brawley Elementary district. This investment shows in areas like mathematics, where Grace Smith's proficiency rates recently outperformed both its district and the state average. However, the school's overall state ranking has been volatile, showing strong improvement after the pandemic but experiencing a notable drop in the last year, alongside a recent increase in chronic absenteeism, though absenteeism is far lower than it was two years ago.

As a very small school, year-to-year changes in test scores can appear large. Historically, it has been a higher performer within its own district compared to Fremont Primary. While schools like Mulberry Elementary and Magnolia Union Elementary in the region show higher academic performance, they serve communities with different levels of economic need. For families in Niland, Grace Smith provides a small, community-focused environment with substantial resources dedicated per child.

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$37,698

Per pupil spending ?

92.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9 East Fourth St.
Niland, CA 92257-1005

(760) 359-0636

District: Calipatria Unified

Students who attend Grace Smith Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bill E. Young Junior Middle
High:	Calipatria High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

80.0%

White:

16.9%

American Indian:

1.5%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Grace Smith Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 58th percentile in 2013 → 40th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (36% vs 43% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2013

!English Language Arts/Literacy scores 13 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg31%

California avg43%

3,530^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 32% (2015) to bottom 40% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the Calipatria Unified

1132^nd of 1,543Calipatria Unified 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
2025	35.6	3530 of 5857	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.6	2310 of 5869	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.0	3789 of 5859	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.1	3453 of 5883	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	12.3	1348 of 1417	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	55.0	2319 of 5789	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.4	2267 of 5662	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	41.5	2983 of 5614	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	28.4	3832 of 5611	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	56.5	2320 of 5530	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	46.1	2874 of 5390	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	40.9	3174 of 5377	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	31.3	3753 of 5314	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	36.1	3297 of 5193	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	27.7	3771 of 5113	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	25.4	3902 of 5113	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	24.7	3670 of 4818	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	25.1	3618 of 4822	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	25.2	3546 of 4809	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	68.2	1269 of 5107	75.2%	★★★★☆
2019	50.1	2279 of 4963	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.3	1079 of 4830	77.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	50.5	2405 of 5460	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.6	1331 of 5517	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	43.3	2737 of 5264	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.5	968 of 1110	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	80.6	684 of 5173	86.8%	★★★★☆
2018	67.8	1310 of 5084	74.2%	★★★★☆

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 (2024)75th percentile+15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile+16 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy36%-13 vs state

Mathematics36%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Grace Smith 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 Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)		CSA Spanish Listening (2025)		CSA Spanish Writing (2025)		CSA Spanish Reading (2025)		CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (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	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	CSA Spanish Overall 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	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	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Grace Smith Elementary	Public	K-4	9 East Fourth St.	Niland	92257	Imperial County	Calipatria Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 359-0636	65	5	13.0	92.3%	11 (16.9%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (80.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.5%)	35.6	3530^th of 5857 public elementary schools	39.7%		54.6	2310^th of 5869 public elementary schools	60.6%	1220												30.8	40.0					35.7	38.5	33.3					35.7						$37,698	$35,362	$2,336
Fremont Primary	Public	K-4	401 West Main St.	Calipatria	92233	Imperial County	Calipatria Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 348-5025	348	18	19.8	92.0%	12 (3.4%)	5 (1.4%)	326 (93.7%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	19.4	4886^th of 5857 public elementary schools	16.6%		28.1	4099^th of 5869 public elementary schools	30.2%	787												26.9	23.3					25.0	26.9	24.7					25.7	96.7					$27,393	$24,226	$3,167
Mulberry Elementary	Public	K-8	1391 East Rutherford Rd.	Brawley	92227	Imperial County	Mulberry Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 344-8600	61	4	15.2	45.9%	21 (34.4%)	2 (3.3%)	33 (54.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (8.2%)								(n/a)											54.6							58.5							36.6						$43,357	$41,414	$1,943
Westmorland Elementary	Public	K-8	200 South C St.	Westmorland	92281	Imperial County	Westmorland Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 344-4364	304	18	16.5	95.4%	5 (1.6%)	2 (0.7%)	297 (97.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12.7	5443^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	7.1%		10	5690^th of 5869 public elementary schools	3.0%	247									6.1	18.6	13.2	40.0	6.9	6.1	18.9	32.5	45.2	26.7	20.0	10.3	3.0	10.8	20.0	11.9	13.1	85.0	92.5		90.0	87.5	$47,779	$46,256	$1,523
J. W. Oakley Elementary	Public	K-5	1401 B St.	Brawley	92227	Imperial County	Brawley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 344-4620	654	33	19.8	86.1%	10 (1.5%)	4 (0.6%)	631 (96.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.8%)	22.3	4648^th of 5857 public elementary schools	20.6%		22.4	4643^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	20.9%	5	6.9	6.9	44.8	44.8	13.8	13.8	3.5	3.5	11.3		11.3	40.4	25.3	26.0				31.0	31.3	26.6	11.3				22.9	98.4	98.4	98.4		98.4	$28,247	$26,188	$2,059
Phil D. Swing Elementary	Public	K-5	245 West A St.	Brawley	92227	Imperial County	Brawley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 344-3350	725	32	22.6	87.9%	17 (2.3%)	5 (0.7%)	694 (95.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.6%)	28.7	4074^th of 5857 public elementary schools	30.4%		28.4	4073^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	30.6%	1									14.0		14.0	27.7	39.2	30.7				32.8	34.5	42.3	14.7				30.4	96.9		96.9		96.9	$24,276	$22,134	$2,142
Miguel Hidalgo Elementary	Public	K-5	615 South Cesar Chavez St.	Brawley	92227	Imperial County	Brawley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 344-0431	437	20	21.8	90.4%	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.5%)	428 (97.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29.1	4030^th of 5857 public elementary schools	31.2%		29	4023^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	31.5%	7									19.4		19.4	30.8	33.3	40.3				34.7	29.4	26.9	29.0				28.4	96.9		96.9			$29,909	$27,378	$2,531
Myron D. Witter Elementary	Public	K-5	150 K St.	Brawley	92227	Imperial County	Brawley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 344-0750	741	32	23.1	74.8%	50 (6.7%)	5 (0.7%)	679 (91.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	41	3152^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	46.2%		38.2	3293^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	43.9%	141									23.2		23.2	37.0	45.5	38.4				40.4	41.3	42.5	27.7				37.1						$24,865	$23,018	$1,847
Magnolia Union Elementary	Public	K-8	4502 Casey Rd.	Brawley	92227	Imperial County	Magnolia Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 344-2494	128	6	21.3	13.3%	56 (43.8%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (56.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41.9	3076^th of 5857 public elementary schools	47.5%		50	2553^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	56.5%	523									33.3		24.0	46.2	40.0	40.0		53.3		41.0	38.5	26.7	33.3		20.0		29.5						$27,623	$26,916	$707

Frequently Asked Questions about Grace Smith Elementary

Is Grace Smith Elementary a good school?

Grace Smith Elementary ranks 3530^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Grace Smith Elementary in?

Calipatria Unified

How many students attend Grace Smith Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 65 students attended Grace Smith Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Grace Smith Elementary attend?

Students who attend Grace Smith Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bill E. Young Junior Middle
High : Calipatria High

What is the racial makeup of Grace Smith Elementary?

Students at Grace Smith Elementary are 80% Hispanic, 17% White, 2% American Indian, 2% Two or more races.

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Schools in Niland, CA

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.