Summary:
This analysis examines six elementary schools (grades K-8) located in Lathrop, California (zip code 95330), revealing a landscape of high-performing charter schools alongside traditional public schools facing significant academic challenges.
The standout school is EPIC Academy, a charter school ranking in the top 10% of the state with exceptional test scores and very low chronic absenteeism. Other charter schools, River Islands Technology Academy II and NextGeneration STEAM Academy, also perform well above state averages. In contrast, the traditional public schools within Manteca Unified—Mossdale Elementary, Lathrop Elementary, and Joseph Widmer Junior Elementary—rank in the bottom half of the state, with the latter two in the bottom 20%.
Key insights show an inverse relationship between spending and results, as the highest-spending school has the lowest performance. There is also a strong link between lower rates of economic disadvantage and higher academic achievement, though Mossdale Elementary is a notable exception. Chronic absenteeism is a clear predictor, with the best-performing school having the best attendance. Science scores lag behind English and math at nearly every school, and the charter schools demonstrate remarkable consistency in performance across grade levels compared to their district counterparts.
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