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Empire Elementary

Public Grades K-6

5121^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 13% of California elementary schools

Summary

Empire Elementary is a K-6 school serving 384 students in the Empire Union Elementary district, operating in a high-needs community where nearly 90% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Academically, the school faces significant challenges, with proficiency rates in English, math, and science well below state averages and consistently ranking in the bottom quarter of California elementary schools. While it has shown recent improvement from a very low ranking, it still performs below other schools in its own district, such as Bernard L. Hughes Elementary and Christine Sipherd Elementary. A major concern is chronic absenteeism; at 28.2%, it is notably higher than at neighboring schools, though this is a substantial recovery from pandemic-era peaks.

Interestingly, despite having a similar budget and a slightly better student-teacher ratio than some district peers, Empire Elementary's outcomes are lower. Performance also varies widely by grade level, suggesting instructional support is not consistent across all classrooms. When compared to schools in other nearby districts like Lakewood Elementary (in Modesto City Elementary) or Freedom Elementary (in Sylvan Union Elementary), the differences in academic results highlight that factors beyond just funding and demographics are at play.

384

Students ?

24.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,414

Per pupil spending ?

89.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5201 First St
Empire, CA 95351

(209) 521-2970

District: Empire Union Elementary

Students who attend Empire Elementary usually attend:

High:

Peter Johansen High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

84.6%

White:

10.9%

Two or more races:

3.6%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 9th percentile in 2013 → 13th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (20% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school20%

District avg29%

California avg41%

5,121^st of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 13%▲ up 11 pts since 2015

From bottom 2% (2015) to bottom 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Empire Union Elementary

1163^rd of 1,543Empire 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
2025	16.8	5121 of 5857	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.7	5646 of 5869	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.2	5624 of 5859	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.4	5648 of 5883	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.3	4872 of 5789	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.1	4672 of 5662	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	21.5	4562 of 5692	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	13.9	5142 of 5614	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	9.4	5499 of 5611	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	15.6	5010 of 5530	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	12.3	5115 of 5390	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	10.2	5200 of 5377	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	16.0	4850 of 5314	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	15.7	4694 of 5193	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	31.7	3474 of 5113	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	24.2	3989 of 5113	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	29.4	3349 of 4818	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2005	31.8	3175 of 4822	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2004	27.7	3385 of 4809	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	26.5	2770 of 3162	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.0	2390 of 3245	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.5	2165 of 3311	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.2	1707 of 3275	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.2	1989 of 3246	38.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	19.3	4732 of 5597	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.1	5117 of 5612	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.5	5347 of 5609	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.6	5309 of 5635	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.8	4641 of 5492	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.7	4634 of 5413	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	20.5	4417 of 5107	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.9	4885 of 5107	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.6	4805 of 5087	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.8	4957 of 5084	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	28.1	3828 of 4963	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.1	3677 of 4830	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	24.4	4407 of 5460	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.7	5226 of 5517	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.7	5168 of 5363	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.2	5067 of 5264	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	29.0	3927 of 5173	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.3	3834 of 5084	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	15.9	5041 of 5628	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.3	5533 of 5643	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.8	5374 of 5638	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.1	5495 of 5663	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.9	4583 of 5510	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.7	4311 of 5431	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	10.5	2610 of 2834	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.4	2441 of 2737	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2025)19th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)15th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)14th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2024)12th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)10th percentile~ school

White (2019)8th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy25%-24 vs state

Mathematics17%-21 vs state

Science14%-19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Empire 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 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 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 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
Empire Elementary	Public	K-6	5201 First St	Empire	95351	Stanislaus County	Empire Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 521-2970	384	16	24.0	89.6%	42 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	325 (84.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (3.6%)	16.8	5121^st of 5857 public elementary schools	12.6%		10.7	5646^th of 5869 public elementary schools	3.8%	525	13.8	13.8	30.0	22.5	16.1	31.3	25.2	27.5	14.3	7.0	18.2	16.6							$17,414	$2,825	$14,589
Alice N. Stroud Elementary	Public	K-6	815 Frazine Rd.	Modesto	95357	Stanislaus County	Empire Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 491-0754	379	16	23.6	81.3%	71 (18.7%)	7 (1.8%)	275 (72.6%)	13 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	10 (2.6%)	26.4	4289^th of 5857 public elementary schools	26.8%		21.8	4696^th of 5869 public elementary schools	20.0%	407	13.7	13.7	34.8	23.8	21.6	37.3	29.2	50.0	26.6	8.0	27.1	27.4	94.8	96.1		96.1	94.8	96.1	$17,385	$2,779	$14,606
Bernard L. Hughes Elementary	Public	K-6	512 North McClure Rd.	Modesto	95357	Stanislaus County	Empire Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 527-1330	455	17	26.7	82.4%	58 (12.7%)	22 (4.8%)	289 (63.5%)	46 (10.1%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (5.3%)	14 (3.1%)	35.1	3572^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	39.0%		27.8	4129^th of 5869 public elementary schools	29.6%	557	26.2	26.2	34.3	28.8	42.9	43.1	37.1	42.3	16.7	33.9	24.6	29.6	94.9	95.9	96.9	95.9	95.9	96.9	$17,383	$2,744	$14,639
Capistrano Elementary	Public	K-6	400 Capistrano Dr.	Modesto	95354	Stanislaus County	Empire Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 521-8664	469	18	26.0	89.8%	45 (9.6%)	22 (4.7%)	358 (76.3%)	20 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (4.9%)	20.3	4803^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	18.0%		24.7	4397^th of 5869 public elementary schools	25.1%	406	12.5	12.5	21.7	26.7	26.6	36.4	27.8	20.3	33.3	10.9	21.2	21.2	94.5			97.3	95.9		$17,406	$2,832	$14,574
Christine Sipherd Elementary	Public	K-6	3420 East Orangeburg Ave.	Modesto	95355	Stanislaus County	Empire Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 524-4844	505	21	24.0	82.4%	122 (24.2%)	31 (6.1%)	291 (57.6%)	32 (6.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	26 (5.1%)	41.4	3125^th of 5857 public elementary schools	46.6%		33.8	3616^th of 5869 public elementary schools	38.4%	491	19.1	19.1	57.8	31.3	32.3	41.9	41.2	59.7	25.4	19.1	34.9	35.5	94.3	95.7		94.3	95.7	94.3	$17,294	$2,740	$14,554
Lakewood Elementary	Public	K-6	2920 Middleboro Pl.	Modesto	95355	Stanislaus County	Modesto City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-8152	395	18	22.2	42.5%	129 (32.7%)	9 (2.3%)	183 (46.3%)	22 (5.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	50 (12.7%)	80.7	1130^th of 5857 public elementary schools	80.7%		80.6	1130^th of 5869 public elementary schools	80.7%		52.4	52.4	61.9	62.7	61.9	74.0	64.6	54.7	53.7	55.6	67.4	57.2							$20,897	$3,284	$17,613
Freedom Elementary	Public	K-5	2101 Fine Ave.	Modesto	95355	Stanislaus County	Sylvan Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 552-3400	713	29	25.0	50.2%	172 (24.1%)	13 (1.8%)	290 (40.7%)	141 (19.8%)	1 (0.1%)	19 (2.7%)	77 (10.8%)	53.3	2402^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	59.0%		51.9	2454^th of 5869 public elementary schools	58.2%	52	29.0	29.0	50.9	46.9	48.4		48.7	46.7	46.0	34.7		42.2							$13,438	$849	$12,589
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
El Vista Elementary	Public	K-6	450 El Vista Ave.	Modesto	95354	Stanislaus County	Modesto City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-1972	447	22	20.6	86.6%	57 (12.8%)	13 (2.9%)	340 (76.1%)	9 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.3%)	24.7	4435^th of 5857 public elementary schools	24.3%		40.4	3158^th of 5869 public elementary schools	46.2%	1277	17.9	17.9	28.6	26.3	49.3	31.7	34.4	19.1	19.0	22.4	18.3	19.8	90.2	95.1		95.1	91.5	95.1	$23,799	$3,572	$20,227
Sonoma Elementary	Public	K-6	1325 Sonoma Ave.	Modesto	95355	Stanislaus County	Modesto City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-8432	536	25	21.1	57.8%	136 (25.4%)	8 (1.5%)	291 (54.3%)	45 (8.4%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	51 (9.5%)	63	1921^st of 5857 public elementary schools	67.2%		67.2	1720^th of 5869 public elementary schools	70.7%	201	29.2	29.2	63.6	42.4	59.4	66.7	57.6	55.4	36.4	40.6	46.3	44.6	78.5	93.9	96.9	95.4	95.4	95.4	$21,966	$3,349	$18,617

Frequently Asked Questions about Empire Elementary

How many students attend Empire Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 384 students attended Empire Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Empire Elementary?

Students at Empire Elementary are 85% Hispanic, 11% White, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Empire Elementary attend?

Students who attend Empire Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Peter Johansen High

What district is Empire Elementary in?

Empire Union Elementary

Is Empire Elementary a good school?

Empire Elementary ranks in the bottom 12.6% of California elementary schools.

Rate Empire 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.