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Gateway Elementary

Q: Is Gateway Elementary a good school?

Gateway Elementary ranks 2900 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

2900^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of California elementary schools

Summary

Gateway Elementary is a K-5 public school serving 346 students in the Sierra Sands Unified School District in Ridgecrest, CA, performing at an average level statewide with a 3-star rating.

The school maintains steady academic performance despite a significant and rapid increase in students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and a chronic absenteeism rate higher than the state average. An interesting strength is its consistent success with Hispanic students, where it ranks significantly higher than its overall state percentile. The school also shows notable effectiveness in supporting students with special education needs. Performance varies by grade, with upper grades often outperforming district averages in English and Math, while third grade presents an opportunity for growth.

Within the district, Gateway is a mid-tier performer; it trails higher-achieving schools like Las Flores Elementary and Richmond Elementary in core subjects but performs better than others like Pierce Elementary. It operates with a higher student-teacher ratio than most district peers and has lower per-student spending than schools like Inyokern Elementary. Compared to schools in other local districts, such as Trona Elementary, Gateway's performance is stronger, highlighting the relative stability of its district.

346

Students ?

24.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,631

Per pupil spending ?

66.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

501 South Gateway
Ridgecrest, CA 93555-8245

(760) 499-1850

District: Sierra Sands Unified

Students who attend Gateway Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Murray Middle
High:	Burroughs High

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.5%

Hispanic:

33.8%

African American:

8.4%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Gateway Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2015 → 50th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the California median (50th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2015

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

!Large classes — about 25 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg33%

California avg41%

2,900^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 13 pts since 2015

From top 36% (2015) to top 50% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Sierra Sands Unified

882^nd of 1,543Sierra Sands 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	44.8	2900 of 5857	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.3	2778 of 5869	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.3	2315 of 5859	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.9	2537 of 5883	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.3	846 of 1417	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.7	2093 of 5789	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.4	2762 of 5662	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	42.4	2950 of 5692	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	43.4	2881 of 5614	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	58.1	2021 of 5611	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	61.5	2031 of 5530	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.0	2207 of 5390	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	64.7	1765 of 5377	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	70.0	1453 of 5314	72.7%	★★★★☆
2009	73.0	1302 of 5193	74.9%	★★★★☆
2008	58.8	1908 of 5113	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	63.6	1650 of 5113	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	73.1	1215 of 4818	74.8%	★★★★☆
2005	81.4	870 of 4822	82.0%	★★★★☆
2004	63.8	1534 of 4809	68.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.6	2794 of 5597	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.7	2680 of 5612	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.2	1988 of 5609	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.5	2388 of 5635	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.7	807 of 1267	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.4	2369 of 5492	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.9	2960 of 5413	45.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	65.6	1416 of 5107	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	63.4	1507 of 5107	70.5%	★★★★☆
2023	68.9	1229 of 5087	75.8%	★★★★☆
2022	52.3	2059 of 5084	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.0	1854 of 4963	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.6	2816 of 4830	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	49.6	2462 of 5460	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.5	2570 of 5517	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.8	2772 of 5363	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.9	2047 of 5264	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.4	479 of 1110	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.0	923 of 5173	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	44.6	2700 of 5084	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.5	2847 of 5628	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.4	2672 of 5643	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.2	2727 of 5638	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.2	2544 of 5663	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.8	689 of 1272	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.1	1765 of 5510	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.6	2471 of 5431	54.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	67.8	544 of 2635	79.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	23.6	2094 of 2598	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.8	2021 of 2651	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.3	2117 of 2661	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.8	2301 of 2726	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.5	1808 of 2834	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.9	2055 of 2737	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2024)79th percentile+27 vs school

Hispanic (2025)72nd percentile+22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)55th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)50th percentile~ school

Male (2025)49th percentile~ school

White (2025)19th percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy41%-7 vs state

Mathematics38%~ state avg

Science30%-3 vs state

4.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, September 22, 2009

My son went to Gateway Elementary and his father and I were extremely happy with the teachers. Unfortionatly, we had to transfer to other schools but hopefully we'll be able to get our son back in Gateway before middle school! Close Quote

Schools Near Gateway 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 (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 (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/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
Gateway Elementary	Public	K-5	501 South Gateway	Ridgecrest	93555	Kern County	Sierra Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 499-1850	346	14	24.6	66.8%	161 (46.5%)	29 (8.4%)	117 (33.8%)	7 (2.0%)	2 (0.6%)	5 (1.4%)	25 (7.2%)	44.8	2900^th of 5857 public elementary schools	50.5%		46.3	2778^th of 5869 public elementary schools	52.7%	122	29.8	29.8	36.4	36.8	50.9		41.4	36.4	42.1	36.8		38.5	93.9	96.9		96.9	93.9	96.9	$17,631	$16,870	$761
Pierce Elementary	Public	K-5	674 North Gold Canyon	Ridgecrest	93555	Kern County	Sierra Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 499-1670	297	16	19.0	82.2%	97 (32.7%)	55 (18.5%)	119 (40.1%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	20 (6.7%)	27.9	4140^th of 5857 public elementary schools	29.3%		14.5	5355^th of 5869 public elementary schools	8.8%	1215	21.8	21.8	34.9	27.5	27.3		29.5	34.1	39.2	18.2		30.0	94.3				94.3		$19,337	$18,306	$1,031
Richmond Elementary	Public	K-5	348 Rowe St.	Ridgecrest	93555	Kern County	Sierra Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 499-1840	364	22	16.5	61.0%	160 (44.0%)	36 (9.9%)	132 (36.3%)	9 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (7.1%)	55.5	2276^th of 5857 public elementary schools	61.1%		54.7	2303^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	60.8%	27	49.2	49.2	42.9	40.0	63.3		49.4	35.6	31.4	45.0		37.7	81.2	82.6	95.7	84.1	82.6	84.1	$19,431	$17,886	$1,545
Ridgecrest Elementary Academy for Language Music and Sci	Public, Charter	K-6	325 South Downs St.	Ridgecrest	93555	Kern County	Ridgecrest Elementary Academy for Language Music and Sci Di	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 375-1010	239	13	19.1	52.3%	68 (28.5%)	13 (5.4%)	125 (52.3%)	15 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.5%)	16.9	5106^th of 5857 public elementary schools	12.8%		26.5	4248^th of 5869 public elementary schools	27.6%	858	19.1	19.1	19.4	20.0	14.3	19.2	18.5	25.0	32.0	14.3	19.2	23.2	25.7	31.4	48.6	40.0	45.7	42.9	$24,365	$22,676	$1,689
Las Flores Elementary	Public	K-5	720 West Las Flores	Ridgecrest	93555	Kern County	Sierra Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 499-1860	526	21	25.4	47.3%	274 (52.1%)	18 (3.4%)	165 (31.4%)	19 (3.6%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (8.4%)	58.7	2134^th of 5857 public elementary schools	63.6%		49.9	2558^th of 5869 public elementary schools	56.4%	424	36.4	36.4	30.5	63.0	55.8		49.1	48.8	54.8	36.4		46.6	95.4	96.6	96.6	96.6	96.6	95.4	$14,913	$14,186	$727
Faller Elementary	Public	K-5	1500 West Upjohn St.	Ridgecrest	93555	Kern County	Sierra Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 499-1690	516	22	23.8	61.8%	222 (43.0%)	37 (7.2%)	198 (38.4%)	13 (2.5%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.8%)	39 (7.6%)	35.1	3562^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	39.2%		38.2	3295^th of 5869 public elementary schools	43.9%	267	20.7	20.7	50.0	34.4	33.0		38.4	46.8	28.9	21.7		31.7	95.4	96.5			96.5		$13,930	$13,160	$770
Inyokern Elementary	Public	K-5	6601 Locust St.	Inyokern	93527	Kern County	Sierra Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 499-1683	161	7	23.0	80.1%	87 (54.0%)	8 (5.0%)	45 (28.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (10.6%)	53.4	2397^th of 5857 public elementary schools	59.1%		59.8	2073^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	64.7%	324	50.0	50.0	35.5	45.2	65.4		47.7	38.7	32.3	42.3		37.5	88.2	91.2		91.2	91.2	91.2	$20,271	$19,340	$931
Trona Elementary	Public	K-6	83600 Trona Rd.	Trona	93562	San Bernardino County	Trona Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 372-2868	147	7	21.0	79.6%	86 (58.5%)	14 (9.5%)	41 (27.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.1%)	17.6	5041^st of 5857 public elementary schools	13.9%		17.3	5090^th of 5869 public elementary schools	13.3%	49	11.1	11.1	24.0	25.0	16.7	26.1	23.2	28.0	31.3	11.1	17.4	22.0							$24,164	$18,542	$5,622

Frequently Asked Questions about Gateway Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Gateway Elementary?

Students at Gateway Elementary are 47% White, 34% Hispanic, 8% African American, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander.

Is Gateway Elementary a good school?

Gateway Elementary ranks 2900^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Gateway Elementary attend?

Students who attend Gateway Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Murray Middle
High : Burroughs High

What district is Gateway Elementary in?

Sierra Sands Unified

How many students attend Gateway Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 346 students attended Gateway 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.