Summary:
ZIP code 92866 has two Orange Unified elementary schools, Palmyra GATE Magnet and Cambridge Elementary, both serving K–6, with similar enrollment: 429 and 415 students. In 2025–2026, Palmyra’s all-grades proficiency was 54% in ELA, 43% in math and 62% in science; Cambridge’s was 34%, 25% and 26%. The most important takeaway is that results differ substantially between these two similarly sized schools, with Palmyra ahead in every subject.
Palmyra stands out at the top: it led Cambridge by 20 percentage points in ELA, 18 in math and 37 in science. Palmyra also exceeded state results—49% in ELA, 38% in math and 36% in science—by 5, 5 and 26 points, respectively. Cambridge was below the state in all three subjects, by 15 points in ELA, 14 in math and 10 in science. SchoolDigger’s 2025–2026 statewide rankings reflect the same contrast: Palmyra was in the 68th percentile with 3 stars, while Cambridge was in the 28th percentile with 1 star.
Both schools improved in every tested subject from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, though gains varied: Palmyra rose 25 points in science, 2 in math and less than 1 in ELA; Cambridge gained 13 points in science and 9 points each in math and ELA. SchoolDigger’s rankings also rebounded after a decline: Palmyra went from the 69th percentile to the 64th and then 68th, while Cambridge moved from the 25th to the 12th and then 28th. As context, both schools serve K–6 and report similar student-teacher ratios for 2024–2025—22.1 at Palmyra and 22.5 at Cambridge; their free/reduced lunch eligible measures that year were 77% and 86%, respectively. These figures describe context, not causes, and the proficiency trends cover only two school years.
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