Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Lucas Elementary

Public Grades K-6

4762^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 19% of California elementary schools

Summary

Lucas Elementary is a K-6 public school serving 668 students in the Ceres Unified School District, located in a community where a high percentage of families face economic challenges.

When looking at how Lucas compares to other schools, a mixed picture emerges. The school has a remarkable strength in getting students to attend class regularly, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 8.9%, which is less than half the rate of nearby schools like Walter White Elementary (27.8%) and significantly better than the district and state averages. However, academic performance is a serious concern, as the school ranks in the 19th percentile statewide and has seen a steady decline over several years. Test scores in English, math, and science are below both district and state averages, with particular struggles noted in 4th and 5th grades. Lucas also operates with the highest student-teacher ratio (26.7 students per teacher) among comparable schools in the area.

This creates an interesting puzzle: students are attending, but the school is struggling to translate that into strong academic results. The performance within the Ceres Unified district varies widely, with schools like La Rosa Elementary performing much higher. Notably, Whitmore Charter School of Art & Technology, located less than half a mile away, achieves significantly better academic outcomes with a lower student-teacher ratio and less funding per student, suggesting instructional practices and school culture may be key factors. The school's historical decline indicates a need for targeted improvements, particularly in supporting specific grade levels and instructional strategies.

668

Students ?

26.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,050

Per pupil spending ?

77.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3500 Rose Ave.
Ceres, CA 95307-3865

(209) 556-1500

District: Ceres Unified

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.4%

White:

2.1%

African American:

0.4%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Lucas Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 44th percentile in 2018 → 19th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (23% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (19th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped from its 44th-percentile peak (2018) to 19th (2025)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school23%

District avg30%

California avg41%

4,762^nd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 19%▲ up 4 pts since 2017

From bottom 14% (2017) to bottom 19% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 14Elementary Schools in the Ceres Unified

1045^th of 1,543Ceres 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	20.7	4762 of 5857	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.0	4363 of 5869	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.8	3984 of 5859	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.1	3786 of 5883	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.8	3551 of 5789	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.8	3165 of 5662	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	17.8	4878 of 5692	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	34.0	2252 of 3162	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.6	1851 of 3245	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.5	1708 of 3311	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.9	869 of 3275	73.5%	★★★★☆
2018	64.4	718 of 3246	77.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	18.0	4855 of 5597	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.6	4388 of 5612	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.6	3895 of 5609	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.2	3806 of 5635	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.0	3497 of 5492	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.9	3281 of 5413	39.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.4	3942 of 5107	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.5	3454 of 5107	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.2	2961 of 5087	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.0	2826 of 5084	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.8	2768 of 4963	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.3	2333 of 4830	51.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	22.8	4529 of 5460	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.0	3950 of 5517	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.1	3214 of 5363	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.9	2767 of 5264	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.6	2850 of 5173	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.7	2377 of 5084	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	25.9	4210 of 5628	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.6	4045 of 5643	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.7	3800 of 5638	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.6	3495 of 5663	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.3	3376 of 5510	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.9	2920 of 5431	46.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)29th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)25th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)23rd percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)17th percentile~ school

Female (2025)13th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy29%-20 vs state

Mathematics20%-18 vs state

Science12%-21 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Lucas Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Lucas Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Lucas 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)	% 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	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lucas Elementary	Public	K-6	3500 Rose Ave.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1500	668	25	26.7	77.2%	14 (2.1%)	3 (0.4%)	644 (96.4%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	20.7	4762^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	18.7%		25	4363^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	25.7%	399	12.0		12.0	31.9	15.6	28.3	40.9			29.1	27.7	13.3	13.0	24.5			19.6					$16,050	$2,054	$13,996
Whitmore Charter School of Art & Technology	Public, Charter	K-8	3435 Don Pedro Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1610	435	22	19.6	48.7%	120 (27.6%)	3 (0.7%)	231 (53.1%)	68 (15.6%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.8%)	53.3	2404^th of 5857 public elementary schools	59.0%		60.3	2056^th of 5869 public elementary schools	65.0%	348	24.5	38.8	31.6	37.2	56.0	49.0	60.4	56.3	42.9	50.5	37.2	56.0	28.6	35.4	27.1	28.6	35.5					$13,134	$1,689	$11,445
Walter White Elementary	Public	K-6	2904 Sixth St.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1710	526	24	21.9	91.1%	55 (10.5%)	8 (1.5%)	426 (81.0%)	27 (5.1%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	8.2	5723^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	2.3%		12.2	5546^th of 5869 public elementary schools	5.5%	177	3.0		3.0	13.9	11.1	7.6	26.2			14.4	24.2	5.5	1.5	7.9			9.7					$19,109	$3,092	$16,017
Don Pedro Elementary	Public	K-6	2300 Don Pedro Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1630	439	19	23.7	93.6%	42 (9.6%)	5 (1.1%)	374 (85.2%)	10 (2.3%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	12.7	5447^th of 5857 public elementary schools	7.0%		15.1	5293^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	9.8%	154	11.3		11.3	13.9	14.8	32.3	26.2			21.7	18.2	9.8	11.3	13.1			13.2	96.3		96.3		$20,297	$4,019	$16,278
Carroll Fowler Elementary	Public	K-6	2611 Garrison St.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1640	522	21	24.8	91.8%	82 (15.7%)	4 (0.8%)	406 (77.8%)	17 (3.3%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.8%)	7 (1.3%)	23.1	4588^th of 5857 public elementary schools	21.7%		19.8	4887^th of 5869 public elementary schools	16.7%	299	9.2		9.2	39.7	28.8	31.6	27.5			31.7	36.8	31.8	17.1	5.0			21.7					$18,323	$2,541	$15,782
La Rosa Elementary	Public	K-6	2800 Eastgate Blvd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1660	516	22	23.5	83.9%	61 (11.8%)	12 (2.3%)	349 (67.6%)	82 (15.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	9 (1.7%)	66.3	1774^th of 5857 public elementary schools	69.7%		59.4	2095^th of 5869 public elementary schools	64.3%	321	49.4		49.4	47.8	53.0	46.2	53.3			49.8	71.2	52.2	38.8	42.6			50.7					$18,149	$2,717	$15,432
Joel J. Hidahl Elementary	Public	K-6	2351 East Redwood Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1650	393	16	24.5	86.0%	26 (6.6%)	7 (1.8%)	334 (85.0%)	17 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.0%)	24.2	4481^st of 5857 public elementary schools	23.5%		19.8	4888^th of 5869 public elementary schools	16.7%	407	14.1		14.1	26.0	26.2	39.1	28.1			30.2	24.0	33.9	18.8	24.1			25.2	96.7	96.7		96.7	$20,492	$4,036	$16,456
Samuel Vaughn Elementary	Public	K-6	3618 Helen Perry Rd.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1690	570	24	23.7	79.3%	62 (10.9%)	5 (0.9%)	417 (73.2%)	73 (12.8%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.6%)	3 (0.5%)	31.5	3839^th of 5857 public elementary schools	34.5%		25	4364^th of 5869 public elementary schools	25.6%	525	22.9		22.9	30.8	37.5	53.5	26.1			36.4	36.4	20.0	35.2	16.3			25.9					$18,906	$3,322	$15,584
Caswell Elementary	Public	K-6	1800 North Central Ave.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1620	653	26	25.6	86.7%	14 (2.1%)	8 (1.2%)	624 (95.6%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19.8	4845^th of 5857 public elementary schools	17.3%		21.1	4764^th of 5869 public elementary schools	18.8%	81	6.6		6.6	20.9	22.8	38.2	32.4			28.1	25.8	25.6	14.3	21.1			22.0					$16,878	$2,248	$14,630
Patricia Kay Beaver Elementary	Public	K-8	4927 Central Ave.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1500	503	22	22.9	69.8%	112 (22.3%)	4 (0.8%)	368 (73.2%)	11 (2.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.2%)	41.3	3132^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	46.5%		32.2	3768^th of 5869 public elementary schools	35.8%	636	14.6	36.1	25.9	42.6	37.5	30.9	55.8	47.5	60.0	46.1	54.2	30.6	18.2	41.5	25.0	31.2	32.8					$17,977	$2,162	$15,815

Frequently Asked Questions about Lucas Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Lucas Elementary?

Students at Lucas Elementary are 96% Hispanic, 2% White.

Is Lucas Elementary a good school?

Lucas Elementary ranks in the bottom 18.7% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Lucas Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 668 students attended Lucas Elementary.

What district is Lucas Elementary in?

Ceres Unified

Rate Lucas Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Ceres, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Lucas Elementary!

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.