Helendale Elementary

The Helendale Elementary district in California serves students from preschool through 8th grade across 4 schools: Helendale Elementary, Academy of Careers and Exploration, Riverview Middle, and Independence Charter Academy. The data reveals notable differences in academic performance, student demographics, and operational metrics across these schools.

Helendale Elementary, the largest school with 520 students, stands out for its relatively high chronic absenteeism rate of 22.5% and a free/reduced lunch rate of 55.77%, indicating a significant economically disadvantaged student population. In contrast, Academy of Careers and Exploration has the highest graduation rate at 95.2% and the lowest dropout rate at 3.2%, though it also has the second-highest chronic absenteeism rate at 26.3%. Independence Charter Academy stands out for having 0% chronic absenteeism, the lowest among the schools, but also has the lowest test scores and the highest free/reduced lunch rate at 68.7%.

The data reveals a significant disparity in test scores, with Helendale Elementary and Academy of Careers and Exploration generally performing better than Riverview Middle and Independence Charter Academy. This suggests potential differences in educational resources, teaching quality, or student demographics that may be contributing to the achievement gap. The data also highlights the unique challenges faced by alternative and charter schools in the district, as evidenced by their lower test scores and higher dropout rates compared to the traditional public schools.