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Empire Elementary

Public Grades K-6

5181^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,804 California Elementary Schools

Better than 11% of California elementary schools

Summary

Empire Elementary serves 384 students in grades K–6 in Empire, California, in the Empire Union Elementary district. Its latest supplied results, for 2025–2026, show a broad academic challenge: proficiency was lower than the state, district, and every nearby school in all three reported subjects.

Among nearby schools, Empire had the lowest all-grade results in English language arts, math, and science. ELA proficiency was 25%, compared with a 42% nearby-school average, 38% in the district, and 49% statewide; math was 16%, versus 33% nearby, 23% in the district, and 38% statewide. Science was 13%, compared with 26% nearby, 22% in the district, and 36% statewide. Math was closest to the district and state, while science was closest to the nearby-school average; ELA had the largest shortfall against nearby schools. Fifth grade is a particular concern: its ELA, math, and science results were each the lowest among nearby schools with those grades reported.

Scores have improved since 2022–2023—by 7 percentage points in ELA, 7 in math, and 5 in science—but each subject slipped from the previous year, and the state gap widened in all three in the latest year. Chronic absenteeism also rose, from 28% in 2024–2025 to 33% in 2025–2026, above the district’s 24% and state’s 18%. SchoolDigger ranks the school in the 11th percentile statewide and gives it 1 star, the lowest percentile among nearby schools. In 2024–2025, 90% of students were eligible for free/reduced lunch; the student-teacher ratio was 24, close to the nearby-school average of 23.8. A notable group trend is that SchoolDigger’s ranking for English Language Learner Students fell from the 35th percentile in 2021–2022 to the 12th in 2023–2024, a 23-point drop, while the school overall remained at the 4th percentile across those years.

384

Students ?

24.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$1,649

Per pupil spending ?

89.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

5201 First St
Empire, CA 95319

(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%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Empire Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 2nd percentile in 2015 → 11th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (20% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (11th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (33% vs 18% California)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school20%

District avg29%

California avg42%

5,181^st of 5,804

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 11%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

765^th of 968Empire 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
2026	15.4	5181 of 5804	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	12.6	5227 of 5569	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	20.8	4364 of 5085	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	18.9	4754 of 5412	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	20.4	4672 of 5590	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
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)

Male (2026)16th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)14th percentile+3 vs school

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

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)12th percentile~ school

White (2019)8th percentile-8 vs school

Female (2026)6th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy25%-24 vs state

Mathematics16%-22 vs state

Science13%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Empire 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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)					% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (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/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 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	95319	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%)	15.4	5181^st of 5804 public elementary schools	10.7%		16.8	5121^st of 5857 public elementary schools	12.6%	60	12.7	12.7	21.7	31.7	18.2	27.6	25.1	21.7	16.7	9.1	19.0	16.4							$1,649	$398	$1,251
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%)	20.6	4748^th of 5804 public elementary schools	18.2%		26.4	4289^th of 5857 public elementary schools	26.8%	459	17.5	17.5	31.3	25.8	30.2	34.6	30.3	33.3	11.3	9.5	25.5	18.9	94.8	96.1		96.1	94.8	96.1	$1,643	$418	$1,225
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%)	25.6	4324^th of 5804 public elementary schools	25.5%		35.1	3572^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	39.0%	752	14.1	14.1	35.4	34.4	31.3	40.6	35.4	33.9	17.2	9.5	28.1	22.3	94.9	95.9	96.9	95.9	95.9	96.9	$1,566	$320	$1,246
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%)	27.6	4172^nd of 5804 public elementary schools	28.1%		20.3	4803^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	18.0%	631	30.4	30.4	18.6	46.0	39.3	19.1	30.2	22.9	42.2	25.0	7.8	24.4	94.5			97.3	95.9		$1,667	$400	$1,267
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%)	44.6	2936^th of 5804 public elementary schools	49.4%		41.4	3125^th of 5857 public elementary schools	46.6%	189	31.8	31.8	40.3	40.6	49.2	50.0	45.0	46.3	29.7	23.8	34.4	33.7	94.3	95.7		94.3	95.7	94.3	$1,648	$388	$1,260
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%)	71.3	1513^th of 5804 public elementary schools	73.9%		80.7	1130^th of 5857 public elementary schools	80.7%	383	42.9	42.9	59.5	56.5	58.7	63.2	59.4	54.8	48.4	44.4	50.9	49.1							$26,031	$24,380	$1,651
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%)	50.3	2591^st of 5804 public elementary schools	55.4%		53.3	2402^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	59.0%	189	29.4	29.4	37.8	43.2	47.5		42.9	53.2	45.1	38.7		45.5							$19,205	$18,824	$381
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%)	36.8	3442^nd of 5804 public elementary schools	40.7%		31.5	3839^th of 5857 public elementary schools	34.5%	397	22.8	22.8	25.0	35.4	38.0	55.7	38.7	33.8	32.3	26.6	38.6	32.6							$23,681	$20,244	$3,437
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%)	34.2	3641^st of 5804 public elementary schools	37.3%		24.7	4435^th of 5857 public elementary schools	24.3%	794	19.6	19.6	38.0	38.5	48.3	46.8	42.6	35.2	21.0	15.8	27.9	25.5	90.2	95.1		95.1	91.5	95.1	$29,535	$27,580	$1,955
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%)	62.8	1936^th of 5804 public elementary schools	66.6%		63	1921^st of 5857 public elementary schools	67.2%	15	35.6	35.6	60.0	51.5	45.8	55.7	53.5	60.0	48.5	36.7	39.3	46.7	78.5	93.9	96.9	95.4	95.4	95.4	$29,321	$27,590	$1,731

Frequently Asked Questions about Empire Elementary

Is Empire Elementary a good school?

Empire Elementary ranks in the bottom 10.7% of California elementary schools.

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

How many students attend Empire Elementary?

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

Rate Empire Elementary!

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Latest California data All new data »

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

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

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 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.