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Pioneer Elementary

Q: Is Pioneer Elementary a good school?

Pioneer Elementary ranks 4339 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

4339^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 26% of California elementary schools

Summary

Pioneer Elementary is a K-5 public school serving about 162 students in the rural community of Somerset, California, as part of the Pioneer Union school district.

Recent academic performance at the school has been a significant concern, with its statewide ranking dropping over several years to a 1-star rating; currently, less than a third of students are proficient in English and less than a quarter are proficient in math, which is well below the state average. This is happening alongside a sharp increase in the student-teacher ratio to 36-to-1 and a chronic absenteeism rate that, while improved, remains notable. Interestingly, the school spends over $26,000 per student, which is much higher than many nearby schools like Camino Elementary and Sierra Elementary that achieve better academic results with significantly less funding.

The performance trends show inconsistency, with scores varying widely between grade levels, and similar challenges are seen at Walt Tyler Elementary, another school in the same district located very close by. However, the success of other local schools with similar student demographics suggests there are models for improvement, particularly in managing resources and supporting consistent attendance and instruction across all grades.

162

Students ?

36.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$26,176

Per pupil spending ?

45.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6860 Mt. Aukum Rd.
Somerset, CA 95684-0008

(530) 620-7210

District: Pioneer Union

Students who attend Pioneer Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Mountain Creek Middle
High:	Union Mine High

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.8%

Hispanic:

18.5%

Two or more races:

8.0%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Pioneer Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 55th percentile in 2015 → 26th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (27% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 29 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg35%

California avg41%

4,339^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 29 pts since 2015

From top 45% (2015) to bottom 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

896^th of 1,543Pioneer Union 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	25.7	4339 of 5857	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.8	4034 of 5869	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.2	3329 of 5859	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.2	3775 of 5883	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.9	813 of 1417	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.5	2679 of 5789	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.0	3335 of 5662	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	45.7	2767 of 5692	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	40.2	3065 of 5614	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	48.5	2528 of 5611	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	50.3	2672 of 5530	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	54.3	2377 of 5390	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	49.5	2624 of 5377	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	71.5	1396 of 5314	73.7%	★★★★☆
2009	71.5	1374 of 5193	73.5%	★★★★☆
2008	47.8	2506 of 5113	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	60.2	1820 of 5113	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	69.1	1380 of 4818	71.4%	★★★★☆
2005	77.0	1055 of 4822	78.1%	★★★★☆
2004	72.2	1219 of 4809	74.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	26.1	4157 of 5597	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.4	3539 of 5612	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.1	3407 of 5635	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.4	705 of 1267	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.3	3324 of 5492	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.9	3362 of 5413	37.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	28.7	3810 of 5084	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	26.7	4233 of 5460	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	4283 of 5517	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	56.0	1981 of 5363	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.5	3051 of 5264	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.2	2253 of 5173	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.0	2357 of 5084	53.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	30.0	3859 of 5628	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.7	3847 of 5643	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.8	3345 of 5638	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.2	3256 of 5663	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.4	1857 of 5510	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.2	3098 of 5431	43.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	11.0	2383 of 2598	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.3	2411 of 2651	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.5	2462 of 2661	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.8	2422 of 2726	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.2	2359 of 2834	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.8	2518 of 2737	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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 (2025)31st percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)26th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2022)25th percentile-11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)22nd percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)8th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy30%-19 vs state

Science26%-6 vs state

Mathematics24%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Pioneer Elementary

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 (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	CSA Spanish Overall 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 5th 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
Pioneer Elementary	Public	K-5	6860 Mt. Aukum Rd.	Somerset	95684	El Dorado County	Pioneer Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 620-7210	162	5	36.0	45.7%	113 (69.8%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (18.5%)	4 (2.5%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (8.0%)	25.7	4339^th of 5857 public elementary schools	25.9%		28.8	4034^th of 5869 public elementary schools	31.3%	305																	26.3		26.3	18.2	42.3	26.3				29.9	27.3	19.2	26.3				23.9	84.4	84.4	84.4	87.5	84.4	$26,176	$9,272	$16,904
Walt Tyler Elementary	Public	K-5	6860 Mt. Aukum Rd.	Somerset	95684	El Dorado County	Pioneer Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 620-7210	31	4	8.8	64.5%	18 (58.1%)	1 (3.2%)	8 (25.8%)	1 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (9.7%)								(n/a)																										42.9							14.3						$30,163	$7,314	$22,849
Gold Oak Elementary	Public	K-5	3171 Pleasant Valley Rd.	Placerville	95667	El Dorado County	Gold Oak Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 626-3160	270	14	19.2	39.6%	207 (76.7%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (20.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	34	3653^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	37.6%		38.1	3304^th of 5869 public elementary schools	43.7%	349																	39.5		39.5	33.3	34.2	44.7				36.9	26.0	29.3	21.1				25.6	95.0		95.0		95.0	$13,393	$1,958	$11,435
Indian Diggings Elementary	Public	K-8	6020 Omo Ranch Rd.	Somerset	95684	El Dorado County	Indian Diggings Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 620-6546	12	1	15.0	50.0%	10 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (8.3%)								(n/a)																																							$53,769	$9,611	$44,158
Charter Home Study Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	6520 Oak Dell Rd.	El Dorado	95623	El Dorado County	El Dorado County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 622-6984	295	17	17.6	33.2%	181 (61.4%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (11.2%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (26.1%)	60.7	2030^th of 5857 public elementary schools	65.3%		52.3	2439^th of 5869 public elementary schools	58.4%	409																	43.3	65.5	58.0	64.7	57.1	50.0	22.2	52.8	60.4	50.2	52.9	57.1	43.3	46.0	37.7	31.3	41.8						$15,455	$341	$15,114
Charles F. Brown Elementary	Public	2-6	6520 Oak Dell Rd.	El Dorado	95623	El Dorado County	Mother Lode Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 642-6996	85	5	17.0	61.2%	51 (60.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (36.5%)	1 (1.2%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)	42.5	3040^th of 5857 public elementary schools	48.1%		32.3	3754^th of 5869 public elementary schools	36.0%	714																	38.9		38.9	28.6	41.2	55.6	43.8			43.1	28.6	29.4	33.3	25.0			29.2						$21,329	$657	$20,672
Camino Polytechnic	Public, Charter	K-8	3060 Snows Rd.	Camino	95709	El Dorado County	Camino Polytechnic District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 644-4552	31	2	17.2	64.5%	26 (83.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (16.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																										77.8							11.8						$17,259	$3,855	$13,404
Camino Elementary	Public	K-8	3060 Snows Rd.	Camino	95709	El Dorado County	Camino Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 644-4552	375	22	16.8	56.0%	258 (68.8%)	2 (0.5%)	94 (25.1%)	4 (1.1%)	9 (2.4%)	2 (0.5%)	6 (1.6%)	60.6	2032^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	65.3%		54.4	2325^th of 5869 public elementary schools	60.4%	293																	42.9	39.4	41.3	63.2	44.7	45.2	50.0	46.8	65.6	51.9	63.2	56.4	26.2	34.2	15.2	37.5	37.9	93.3		93.3	93.3	93.3	$17,259	$3,855	$13,404
Sierra Elementary	Public	K-5	1100 Thompson Way	Placerville	95667	El Dorado County	Placerville Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 622-0814	402	17	23.6	50.5%	260 (64.7%)	2 (0.5%)	98 (24.4%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.5%)	67.4	1714^th of 5857 public elementary schools	70.7%		68.5	1661^st of 5869 public elementary schools	71.7%	53																	46.2		46.2	62.9	56.5	60.0				59.9	46.5	46.8	37.9				43.7	94.2	95.7		94.2		$14,814	$1,338	$13,476
Louisiana Schnell Elementary	Public	K-5	2871 Schnell School Rd.	Placerville	95667	El Dorado County	Placerville Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 622-6244	370	16	23.1	69.7%	164 (44.3%)	2 (0.5%)	162 (43.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (10.5%)	18.6	4959^th of 5857 public elementary schools	15.3%		14.9	5315^th of 5869 public elementary schools	9.4%	356	0.0	5.6	8.3	4.6	13.0	5.6	37.5	20.0	4.4	16.7	12.5	10.8	0.0	5.6	0.0	1.5	17.0		17.0	20.0	24.1	34.0				25.9	16.4	15.4	26.4				19.4	95.4	96.9	96.9			$16,337	$1,634	$14,703

Frequently Asked Questions about Pioneer Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Pioneer Elementary?

Students at Pioneer Elementary are 70% White, 19% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Pioneer Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pioneer Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mountain Creek Middle
High : Union Mine High

How many students attend Pioneer Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 162 students attended Pioneer Elementary.

What district is Pioneer Elementary in?

Pioneer Union

Is Pioneer Elementary a good school?

Pioneer Elementary ranks 4339^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Pioneer 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.