Bell Hill Academy

Q: Is Bell Hill Academy a good school?

Bell Hill Academy ranks 1863 rd of 5874 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Bell Hill Academy is an elementary school serving students from kindergarten to 4th grade in Grass Valley, California, which is part of the Grass Valley Elementary School District. The school has seen a shift in its student population, with a decrease in White students and an increase in Hispanic students in recent years.

Bell Hill Academy stands out for its strong academic performance, outperforming both the Grass Valley Elementary district and the state of California in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics. Notably, the school's female students and Hispanic students have performed particularly well, ranking in the top 25% of California elementary schools in those subgroups. However, the school's male students and White students have performed less strongly, ranking in the bottom 50% of California elementary schools in those subgroups. Despite having a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, Bell Hill Academy's performance on standardized tests remains strong, suggesting effective strategies for supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Compared to nearby schools, Bell Hill Academy outperforms Margaret G. Scotten Elementary in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency, while Grass Valley Charter, a public charter school within the same district, also performs well, with higher proficiency rates than Bell Hill Academy in some areas. Other nearby schools, such as Ready Springs Elementary and Clear Creek Elementary, have mixed performance compared to Bell Hill Academy. However, the school's rising chronic absenteeism rates, which have increased from 8.5% in 2018-2019 to 33.2% in the 2022-2023 school year, are a concerning trend that warrants further investigation and targeted interventions.

Detail:

Public K-4

342 South School St.
Grass Valley, CA 95945-6632

(530) 273-2281

District: Grass Valley Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
1863^rd of 5,874 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,648

Students who attend Bell Hill Academy usually attend:

Middle:	Lyman Gilmore Middle
High:	Nevada Union High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.1

Number of students: 222

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.1%

Hispanic:

43.2%

American Indian:

3.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 58.6%

See top rated California elementary schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Bell Hill Academy ranks better than 68.3% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks first among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Grass Valley Elementary School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.56. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Bell Hill Academy has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Grass Valley Elementary School District. Racial makeup is: White (49.1%), Hispanic (43.2%), American Indian (3.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 58.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bell Hill Academy is 22.1. 1 elementary schools in the Grass Valley Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Bell Hill Academy employs 10 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bell Hill Academy is $7,648, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Grass Valley Elementary School District!

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Bell Hill Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Bell Hill Academy 1863^rd of 5874 California public elementary schools. (See Bell Hill Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Grass Valley Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Grass Valley Elementary 577^th of 1563 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Bell Hill Academy

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Rank History for all students at Bell Hill Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2015	57.35	2061^st	5611	63.3%
2016	44.62	2802^nd	5614	50.1%
2017	59.62	2031^st	5692	64.3%
2018	54.73	2296^th	5662	59.4%
2019	61.10	2008^th	5789	65.3%
2021	66.79	427^th	1417	69.9%
2022	56.68	2199^th	5883	62.6%
2023	63.56	1863^rd	5874	68.3%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bell Hill Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	56.17	1961^st	5084	61.4%
2019	61.94	1632^nd	5173	68.5%
2021	72.89	211^th	1110	81.0%
2022	55.83	1929^th	5264	63.4%
2023	59.77	1755^th	5374	67.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Bell Hill Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.38	3457^th	5413	36.1%
2019	50.61	2455^th	5492	55.3%
2021	82.62	210^th	1267	83.4%
2022	53.17	2255^th	5635	60.0%
2023	56.74	2096^th	5617	62.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Bell Hill Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	75.12	1262^nd	5431	76.8%
2019	68.63	1571^st	5510	71.5%
2021	44.40	642^nd	1272	49.5%
2022	57.85	2059^th	5663	63.6%
2023	65.94	1684^th	5650	70.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Bell Hill Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	47.15	2397^th	4830	50.4%
2019	65.04	1408^th	4963	71.6%
2022	35.07	3283^rd	5084	35.4%
2023	68.99	1227^th	5098	75.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Bell Hill Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	32.57	2013^th	2737	26.5%
2019	38.88	1886^th	2834	33.5%
2022	43.37	1646^th	2726	39.6%
2023	41.14	1689^th	2662	36.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Bell Hill Academy

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2013	105	3	0	44	3	0	15	170
2014	114	1	0	51	1	0	17	184
2015	120	0	0	59	2	0	20	201
2016	125	1	1	70	1	0	12	210
2017	136	3	3	76	4	0	1	223
2018	130	1	3	81	1	0	5	221
2019	133	2	5	79	0	0	4	223
2020	133	1	4	81	3	1	2	225
2021	116	2	6	72	4	2	1	203
2022	118	3	4	80	6	1	0	212
2023	109	4	2	96	7	0	4	222

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Bell Hill Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	170	8.0	21.2	77.6
2014	184	8.0	23.0	77.2
2015	201	9.0	22.3	71.6
2016	210	11.0	19.0	68.1
2017	223	10.0	22.3	63.7
2018	221	10.0	22.1	66.5
2019	223	10.0	22.3	64.6
2020	225	n/a	n/a	56
2021	203	10.0	20.3	57.6
2022	212	10.0	21.2	52.4
2023	222	10.0	22.1	58.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Bell Hill Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	170	8.0	21.2	77.6
2014	184	8.0	23.0	77.2
2015	201	9.0	22.3	71.6
2016	210	11.0	19.0	68.1
2017	223	10.0	22.3	63.7
2018	221	10.0	22.1	66.5
2019	223	10.0	22.3	64.6
2020	225	n/a	n/a	56
2021	203	10.0	20.3	57.6
2022	212	10.0	21.2	52.4
2023	222	10.0	22.1	58.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates

Bell Hill Academy

Compare

Year	Completely Immunized	Religious Exemption	Medical Exemption	Conditional	Polio	Hepatitis B	Varicella	DTP	MMR
2013	79.0%	19.0%	0.0%	2.0%	79.0%	79.0%	81.0%	79.0%	79.0%
2014	82.0%	16.0%	0.0%	2.0%	84.0%	82.0%	84.0%	84.0%	82.0%
2015	89.0%	9.0%	0.0%	2.0%	89.0%	89.0%	91.0%	91.0%	89.0%
2016	85.0%	6.0%	0.0%	7.0%	85.0%	89.0%	89.0%	85.0%	85.0%
2017	≥95.0%	≤5.0%	≤5.0%	≤5.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%
2018	≥95.0%	≤5.0%	≤5.0%	≤5.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%
2019	91.0%		4.0%	4.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%
2020	87.2%		8.5%	4.3%	87.2%	89.4%	87.2%	87.2%	89.4%
2022	94.1%		0.0%	5.9%				94.1%

Data source: California Department of Public Health

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Bell Hill Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$7,648

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bell Hill Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 2008^th of 5789 Elementary schools	Ranks 1863^rd of 5874 Elementary schools	3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Bell Hill Academy)	54.8	47.2	7.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Grass Valley Elementary)	48.7	43.7	5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	43	5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Bell Hill Academy)	54.8	47.2	7.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Grass Valley Elementary)	50.8	43.9	6.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (California)	50.2	45.1	5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Bell Hill Academy)	47.7	57.9	10.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Grass Valley Elementary)	57.7	33	24.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.5	43.7	5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Bell Hill Academy)	55.8	46	9.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Grass Valley Elementary)	48	34.3	13.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (California)	44.9	40.8	4.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	223	222	0.4%
African American	2	4	100%
American Indian	0	7
Asian	5	2	60%
Hispanic	79	96	21.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	133	109	18%
Two or More Races	4	4
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	64.6%	58.6%	6%

Schools Near Bell Hill Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				CAST Science (2023)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2023)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2023)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	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 End of Course	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 End of Course	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Total
Bell Hill Academy	Public	K-4	342 South School St.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Grass Valley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-2281	222	10	22.1	58.6%	109 (49.1%)	4 (1.8%)	96 (43.2%)	2 (0.9%)	7 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.8%)	63.6	1863^rd of 5874 public elementary schools	68.3%		56.7	2199^th of 5883 public elementary schools	62.6%	336				47.2	57.9					52.7	47.2	46.0					46.6	94.1				94.1		$7,648
Grass Valley Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	225 South Auburn St.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Grass Valley Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-8723	535	22	24.2	34.2%	436 (81.5%)	3 (0.6%)	47 (8.8%)	11 (2.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.7%)	60.4	2038^th of 5874 public elementary schools	65.3%		60.7	1999^th of 5883 public elementary schools	66.0%	39	42.9	41.8	42.3	46.7	41.7	41.7	44.1	58.0	65.5	49.7	53.3	47.9	39.6	43.1	38.0	39.3	43.8	91.4	96.6	94.8	96.6	94.8	94.8	$9,256
Margaret G. Scotten Elementary	Public	K-4	10821 Squirrel Creek Rd.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Grass Valley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-6472	383	18	21.2	72.3%	276 (72.1%)	1 (0.3%)	65 (17.0%)	9 (2.3%)	5 (1.3%)	5 (1.3%)	22 (5.7%)	27.5	4126^th of 5874 public elementary schools	29.8%		25.6	4282^nd of 5883 public elementary schools	27.2%	156				39.7	17.2					27.9	35.1	21.8					28.1	90.1	96.7		94.5	92.3	95.6	$8,482
Yuba River Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	10085 Adam Ave.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Yuba River Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 272-6060	315	14	22.1	46.3%	247 (78.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.2%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	33 (10.5%)	60.5	2032^nd of 5874 public elementary schools	65.4%					(n/a)	56.7	37.0	47.4	50.0	28.1	50.0	50.0	56.7	63.0	49.2	52.8	34.4	36.7	46.9	53.3	37.0	43.9	55.4	55.4	57.1	57.1	55.4	57.1
Union Hill Elementary	Public, Charter	K-6	11638 Colfax Hwy.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Union Hill Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-8456	541	27	20.3	43.3%	405 (74.9%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (11.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (13.1%)	48.8	2589^th of 5874 public elementary schools	55.9%		53.8	2356^th of 5883 public elementary schools	60.0%	233	31.4		31.4	43.8	41.0	47.1	41.6			43.2	48.0	42.2	27.1	23.4			35.3	96.2	97.2		97.2		98.1	$9,476
Deer Creek Elementary	Public	K-3	805 Lindley Ave.	Nevada City	95959	Nevada County	Nevada City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 265-1870	285	13	21.9	35.8%	234 (82.1%)	2 (0.7%)	26 (9.1%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.0%)								(n/a)				58.8						58.8	55.3						55.3	97.1				97.1		$13,735
Nevada County Special Education	Public	K-8	400 Hoover Ln.	Nevada City	95959	Nevada County	Nevada County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 265-0611	58	8	7.2	34.5%	42 (72.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (13.8%)	1 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (12.1%)								(n/a)																								$133,839
Twin Ridges Home Study Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	111 New Mohawk Rd.	Nevada City	95959	Nevada County	Nevada County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 478-1815	202	10	20.5	27.2%	144 (71.3%)	2 (1.0%)	28 (13.9%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (11.4%)	48	2644^th of 5874 public elementary schools	55.0%		46.8	2707^th of 5883 public elementary schools	54.0%	63	50.0	33.3	43.8	50.0	29.4	50.0	33.3	44.4	30.8	41.9	38.5	12.5	33.3	25.0	35.7	23.1	30.2	25.0	50.0	54.2	50.0	50.0	41.7	$8,688
Nevada City School of the Arts	Public, Charter	K-8	13032 Bitney Springs Rd. Bldg.	Nevada City	95959	Nevada County	Nevada City School of the Arts District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-7736	431	27	16.1	48.5%	320 (74.2%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (13.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (12.1%)	71	1536^th of 5874 public elementary schools	73.9%		75.3	1386^th of 5883 public elementary schools	76.4%	150	45.1	66.7	54.4	53.9	55.8	52.9	73.6	58.5	69.2	60.8	53.9	44.2	35.3	45.3	37.7	44.7	43.0	71.9	79.7	78.1	82.8	79.7	84.4
Ready Springs Elementary	Public	K-8	10862 Spenceville Rd.	Penn Valley	95946	Nevada County	Penn Valley Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 432-1118	371	16	23.6	48.8%	259 (69.8%)	3 (0.8%)	63 (17.0%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (10.2%)	45.3	2805^th of 5874 public elementary schools	52.2%		46.5	2727^th of 5883 public elementary schools	53.6%	78	48.2	33.3	37.9	42.9	8.0	48.2	41.1	57.1	48.3	44.1	46.4	12.0	44.4	23.2	30.4	26.7	29.4	84.1	93.2		88.6	90.9	90.9	$12,204

Frequently Asked Questions about Bell Hill Academy

What district is Bell Hill Academy in?

Grass Valley Elementary

What schools do graduates of Bell Hill Academy attend?

Students who attend Bell Hill Academy usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lyman Gilmore Middle
High : Nevada Union High

How many students attend Bell Hill Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 222 students attended Bell Hill Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Bell Hill Academy?

Students at Bell Hill Academy are 49% White, 43% Hispanic, 3% American Indian, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Is Bell Hill Academy a good school?

Bell Hill Academy ranks 1863^rd of 5874 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Bell Hill Academy!

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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.