Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Waukena Joint Union Elementary

Q: Is Waukena Joint Union Elementary a good school?

Waukena Joint Union Elementary ranks 3651 st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

3651^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 38% of California elementary schools

Summary

Waukena Joint Union Elementary is a public K-8 school in Tulare, California, serving about 220 students in its own small district, where academic performance has been variable and chronic absenteeism is a growing concern.

Academically, the school has a clear strength in science, where its students outperform the state average and most nearby schools like Lakeside Elementary and Maple Elementary. However, performance in English and math is below state averages, and there are dramatic differences in success between grade levels, such as very low 3rd-grade math scores but strong 7th-grade math results. The school spends more per student than many area schools, including Palo Verde Elementary and Buena Vista Elementary, yet overall outcomes lag.

Notable challenges include a chronic absenteeism rate that has risen sharply and is now higher than the state average and most comparable schools, though lower than Bret Harte Elementary. Performance has also fluctuated significantly year-to-year. When compared to other schools with similar high-poverty demographics, Waukena performs better than some, like Lakeside Elementary, but is outperformed by others like Pleasant Elementary. The Waukena Joint Union Elementary district itself ranks in the middle statewide, performing better than the larger Tulare City district but below neighboring districts like Oak Valley Union Elementary.

220

Students ?

22.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,928

Per pupil spending ?

84.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

19113 Road 28
Tulare, CA 93274-8924

(559) 686-3328

District: Waukena Joint Union Elementary

Students who attend Waukena Joint Union Elementary usually attend:

High:

Tulare Western High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

92.3%

White:

7.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Waukena Joint Union Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 32nd percentile in 2015 → 38th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (33% vs 41% meeting standards)

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

!English Language Arts/Literacy scores 12 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school33%

District avg33%

California avg41%

Elementary school

3,651^st of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 38%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 32% (2015) to bottom 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,439^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 48%▼ down 30 pts since 2015

From top 22% (2015) to bottom 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

909^th of 1,543Waukena Joint 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	34.0	3651 of 5857	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.3	3835 of 5869	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.8	3508 of 5859	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.5	4296 of 5883	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.6	920 of 1417	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.1	2594 of 5789	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.1	3213 of 5662	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	32.9	3609 of 5692	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	20.7	4555 of 5614	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	28.5	3830 of 5611	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.2	3061 of 5530	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	37.4	3430 of 5390	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	36.7	3481 of 5377	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	12.1	5049 of 5314	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	11.2	4946 of 5193	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	6.7	5049 of 5113	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	8.6	4982 of 5113	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	13.1	4463 of 4818	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	25.8	3569 of 4822	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	18.1	4104 of 4809	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	28.4	2640 of 3245	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	54.3	989 of 3311	70.1%	★★★★☆
2021	63.1	114 of 602	81.1%	★★★★☆
2019	81.2	300 of 3275	90.8%	★★★★★
2018	64.9	705 of 3246	78.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	17.3	4914 of 5597	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.8	3581 of 5612	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.7	3791 of 5609	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.3	4477 of 5635	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.6	980 of 1267	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.8	2448 of 5492	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	34.7	3431 of 5413	36.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	46.4	2535 of 5107	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.4	2940 of 5107	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.3	2533 of 5087	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.5	3572 of 5084	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.1	1571 of 4963	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.0	2548 of 4830	47.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	42.1	3010 of 5460	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.9	3376 of 5517	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.9	2643 of 5363	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	27.8	4016 of 5264	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.9	588 of 1110	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.6	1369 of 5173	73.5%	★★★★☆
2018	50.9	2303 of 5084	54.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	26.6	4145 of 5628	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.9	4197 of 5643	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.1	4130 of 5638	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.9	3712 of 5663	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.6	727 of 1272	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.6	2163 of 5510	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.2	2557 of 5431	52.9%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	41.8	1439 of 2761	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.3	1490 of 2783	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.2	1161 of 2781	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.4	1051 of 2740	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.9	358 of 894	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.0	1052 of 2715	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.0	1192 of 2480	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	49.8	1111 of 2508	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	58.5	906 of 2497	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	74.7	537 of 2477	78.3%	★★★★☆
2013	48.4	1203 of 2379	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	50.5	1088 of 2259	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	27.3	1717 of 2236	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	15.8	1942 of 2179	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	14.9	1838 of 2063	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	22.8	1613 of 2005	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	27.6	1461 of 1999	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	22.7	1422 of 1804	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	34.4	1115 of 1777	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2004	25.2	1310 of 1769	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	87.1	69 of 1540	95.5%	★★★★★
2021	75.3	34 of 363	90.6%	★★★★★
2019	86.3	86 of 1442	94.0%	★★★★★
2018	69.9	212 of 1364	84.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.2	1152 of 2533	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.4	896 of 2551	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.0	909 of 2509	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.7	313 of 738	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	37.9	1369 of 2380	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	20.4	1831 of 2262	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	47.7	1086 of 2395	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.9	951 of 2388	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.4	739 of 2374	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.6	655 of 2359	72.2%	★★★★☆
2019	62.4	633 of 2213	71.4%	★★★★☆
2018	51.7	860 of 2072	58.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.0	1269 of 2542	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.3	1258 of 2579	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.1	1025 of 2531	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.2	663 of 2458	73.0%	★★★★☆
2021	71.1	143 of 721	80.2%	★★★★☆
2019	65.6	592 of 2369	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	59.2	723 of 2230	67.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	34.5	1550 of 2534	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.9	1608 of 2552	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.8	1040 of 2538	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.0	1089 of 2527	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.9	284 of 763	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.7	807 of 2407	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.7	665 of 2273	70.7%	★★★★☆

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)

Elementary school

Hispanic (2025)50th percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)45th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)26th percentile-11 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)19th percentile-21 vs school

Female (2025)12th percentile-25 vs school

Middle school

English Language Learner (2022)96th percentile+34 vs school

Hispanic (2025)55th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)55th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)50th percentile~ school

Male (2025)39th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Science37%+4 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy37%-12 vs state

Mathematics28%-9 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Waukena Joint Union Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Waukena Joint Union Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Waukena Joint Union 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)	% DTP (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 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	% DTP KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Waukena Joint Union Elementary	Public	K-8	19113 Road 28	Tulare	93274	Tulare County	Waukena Joint Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 686-3328	220	10	22.0	84.1%	17 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	203 (92.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34	3651^st of 5857 public elementary schools	37.7%		31.3	3835^th of 5869 public elementary schools	34.7%	184	37.0	37.0	37.0	31.8	34.8	59.3	18.5	26.3	44.4	36.6	9.1	26.1	37.0	11.5	50.0	40.0	28.4				$19,928	$1,128	$18,800
John C. Fremont Elementary	Public	2-3	1900 Bell Ave.	Corcoran	93212	Kings County	Corcoran Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 992-8888	467	21	22.2	92.9%	27 (5.8%)	15 (3.2%)	420 (89.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)								(n/a)				31.0						31.0	18.9						18.9				$17,511	$2,517	$14,994
Bret Harte Elementary	Public	K-1	1300 Letts Ave.	Corcoran	93212	Kings County	Corcoran Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 992-8881	546	26	21.4	94.5%	32 (5.9%)	14 (2.6%)	495 (90.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)								(n/a)																		97.1		97.4	$17,848	$3,409	$14,439
Mark Twain Elementary	Public	4-5	1500 Oregon Ave.	Corcoran	93212	Kings County	Corcoran Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 992-8888	454	21	21.6	90.3%	19 (4.2%)	9 (2.0%)	421 (92.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	19.5	4873^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	16.8%		20.2	4848^th of 5869 public elementary schools	17.4%	25	14.4		14.4		29.1	30.6				29.9		23.3	14.0				18.4				$17,057	$2,599	$14,458
Buena Vista Elementary	Public	K-8	21660 Road 60	Tulare	93274	Tulare County	Buena Vista Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 686-2015	180	10	18.0	52.2%	46 (25.6%)	0 (0.0%)	131 (72.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.7%)	46.1	2821^st of 5857 public elementary schools	51.8%		51.9	2455^th of 5869 public elementary schools	58.2%	366	25.0	13.0	18.0	60.0	58.8	56.3	19.1	72.7	30.4	48.3	46.7	35.3	31.3	23.8	45.5	26.1	34.2				$18,005	$569	$17,436
Oak Valley Elementary	Public	K-8	24500 Road 68	Tulare	93274	Tulare County	Oak Valley Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 688-2908	562	31	17.8	65.3%	101 (18.0%)	6 (1.1%)	447 (79.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.2%)	56.4	2232^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	61.9%		51.5	2472^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	57.9%	240	29.8	45.8	37.9	67.2	58.3	33.3	46.8	55.1	56.9	53.0	65.6	55.0	24.6	24.2	32.7	20.7	37.5				$19,186	$485	$18,701
Palo Verde Elementary	Public	K-8	9637 Avenue 196	Tulare	93274	Tulare County	Palo Verde Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 688-0648	511	23	22.2	87.7%	29 (5.7%)	5 (1.0%)	470 (92.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	38.8	3298^th of 5857 public elementary schools	43.7%		56.1	2238^th of 5869 public elementary schools	61.9%	1060	21.3	19.7	20.4	15.8	35.9	32.6	58.1	49.2	50.9	41.3	21.1	46.3	31.9	39.7	34.9	32.8	34.0	95.5	95.5	95.5	$18,618	$546	$18,072
Roosevelt Elementary	Public	K-4	1046 West Sonora Ave.	Tulare	93274	Tulare County	Tulare City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 685-7280	561	27	20.7	97.1%	21 (3.7%)	7 (1.2%)	520 (92.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	15.1	5253^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	10.3%		8.7	5742^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	2.2%	489				23.9	22.8					23.3	27.6	13.0					19.8				$18,877	$3,425	$15,452
Pleasant Elementary	Public	K-5	1855 West Pleasant Ave.	Tulare	93274	Tulare County	Tulare City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 685-7300	668	28	23.8	84.4%	38 (5.7%)	15 (2.2%)	585 (87.6%)	17 (2.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	11 (1.6%)	46.5	2795^th of 5857 public elementary schools	52.3%		37.5	3336^th of 5869 public elementary schools	43.2%	541	18.0		18.0	51.3	43.5	48.5				48.0	51.8	27.2	31.0				37.6	98.3			$18,240	$3,458	$14,782
Lakeside Elementary	Public	K-8	9100 Jersey Ave.	Hanford	93230	Kings County	Lakeside Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 582-2868	238	12	19.8	96.6%	7 (2.9%)	13 (5.5%)	209 (87.8%)	6 (2.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	14.2	5333^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	8.9%		17.3	5089^th of 5869 public elementary schools	13.3%	244	9.4	23.5	16.7	25.0	24.0	21.9	11.1	36.4	29.4	25.9	25.0	20.0	15.6	11.1	21.2	20.6	19.1				$20,583	$2,835	$17,748

Frequently Asked Questions about Waukena Joint Union Elementary

What schools do graduates of Waukena Joint Union Elementary attend?

Students who attend Waukena Joint Union Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Tulare Western High

What district is Waukena Joint Union Elementary in?

Waukena Joint Union Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Waukena Joint Union Elementary?

Students at Waukena Joint Union Elementary are 92% Hispanic, 8% White.

Is Waukena Joint Union Elementary a good school?

Waukena Joint Union Elementary ranks 3651^st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Waukena Joint Union Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 220 students attended Waukena Joint Union Elementary.

Rate Waukena Joint Union Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Tulare, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Waukena Joint Union Elementary!

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.