Best Public Schools in Zip Code 93701

This analysis covers five public schools in the 93701 zip code of Fresno, California, all part of the Fresno Unified district, serving grades K-8 in a high-poverty area where 85-97% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Among these schools, Akira Yokomi Elementary and Jefferson Elementary stand out for stronger performance. Jefferson is the top performer, ranking in the 70th percentile statewide with the highest test scores in English and math, the best student-teacher ratio, and the most funding per student. Akira Yokomi, the largest school, shows consistent improvement, has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate, and leads in science proficiency. In contrast, Tehipite Middle faces significant challenges, ranking in the bottom 10% of state middle schools with very low proficiency rates and the highest chronic absenteeism. Lowell Elementary and Webster Elementary also rank below the state average.

A key finding is the sharp performance drop from elementary to middle school, with Jefferson feeding into the much lower-performing Tehipite. Chronic absenteeism is a notable concern, as schools with higher absence rates tend to have lower rankings. While Jefferson's success correlates with higher resources, Akira Yokomi achieves solid results with lower per-student spending, suggesting different factors influence success. All schools operate in a district that ranks in the bottom third statewide, making the stronger performance of some elementary schools particularly noteworthy given the shared economic challenges of the student population.