Is Joshua Circle Elementary a good school?

Joshua Circle Elementary ranks in the bottom 2.8% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Joshua Circle Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 687 students attended Joshua Circle Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Joshua Circle Elementary?

Students at Joshua Circle Elementary are 88% Hispanic, 6% White, 4% African American, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Joshua Circle Elementary attend?

Students who attend Joshua Circle Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Hesperia Junior High High : Hesperia High

Joshua Circle Elementary

Summary:

Joshua Circle Elementary is a public elementary school located in Hesperia, California, serving 662 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Hesperia Unified School District, which is ranked 1365 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Joshua Circle Elementary faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates, low academic performance, and struggles to support its diverse student population. The school has seen a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 14.6% in 2017-2018 to 54.1% in 2021-2022, which is much higher than the district and state averages. Academically, Joshua Circle consistently ranks in the bottom 5% of California elementary schools, with proficiency rates well below the district and state averages in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. For example, in 2023-2024, only 16.33% of Joshua Circle students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 27.5% for the district and 47.04% for the state. The school also struggles to support its subgroups, such as Hispanic students and English Language Learners, who perform in the bottom 5% and 20% of California elementary schools, respectively.

While the nearby schools in the Hesperia Unified School District, such as Maple Elementary, Cottonwood Elementary, and Juniper Elementary, generally perform better than Joshua Circle Elementary, they still struggle to meet state averages and have their own challenges, such as high chronic absenteeism rates. The district's overall low ranking and 1-star rating suggest systemic challenges that may be impacting all the schools within the district. Addressing the issues at Joshua Circle Elementary will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach from the school and district, with a focus on targeted interventions and support systems to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public K-6

10140 8th Ave.
Hesperia, CA 92345-2801

(760) 244-6133

District: Hesperia Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
5697^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,789

Students who attend Joshua Circle Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Hesperia Junior High
High:	Hesperia High

Student/teacher ratio: 25.4

Number of students: 687

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

88.2%

White:

5.5%

African American:

4.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 78.6%

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Compare Joshua Circle Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Joshua Circle Elementary ranks worse than 97.2% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks last among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Hesperia Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.47. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (88.2%), White (5.5%), African American (4.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 78.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Hesperia Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Joshua Circle Elementary is 25.4. 9 elementary schools in the Hesperia Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Joshua Circle Elementary employs 27 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Joshua Circle Elementary is $6,789, which is the 5^th highest among 15 elementary schools in the Hesperia Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Joshua Circle Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Joshua Circle Elementary 5697^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Joshua Circle Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Hesperia Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Hesperia Unified 1365^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Joshua Circle Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Joshua Circle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	24.71	3585^th	4809	25.5%
2005	33.62	3078^th	4822	36.2%
2006	35.02	2996^th	4818	37.8%
2007	38.39	3016^th	5113	41.0%
2008	36.03	3200^th	5113	37.4%
2009	32.79	3516^th	5193	32.3%
2010	27.44	4052^nd	5314	23.7%
2011	26.62	4212^th	5377	21.7%
2012	27.44	4137^th	5390	23.2%
2013	21.51	4628^th	5530	16.3%
2015	11.37	5389^th	5611	4.0%
2016	10.88	5381^st	5614	4.2%
2017	11.74	5382^nd	5692	5.4%
2018	11.44	5357^th	5662	5.4%
2019	13.14	5370^th	5789	7.2%
2022	13.74	5474^th	5883	7.0%
2023	12.18	5562^nd	5874	5.3%
2024	9.47	5697^th	5862	2.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Joshua Circle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	35.50	2030^th	3246	37.5%
2019	50.85	1204^th	3275	63.2%
2022	37.07	2035^th	3311	38.5%
2023	31.83	2405^th	3250	26.0%
2024	31.33	2467^th	3160	21.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Joshua Circle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	14.59	4771^st	5084	6.2%
2019	18.70	4648^th	5173	10.1%
2022	16.64	4871^st	5264	7.5%
2023	16.29	4952^nd	5374	7.9%
2024	11.52	5330^th	5511	3.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Joshua Circle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	12.63	5089^th	5413	6.0%
2019	13.35	5135^th	5492	6.5%
2022	14.93	5193^rd	5635	7.8%
2023	16.50	5005^th	5617	10.9%
2024	10.06	5460^th	5605	2.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Joshua Circle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	17.73	2071^st	2128	2.7%
2019	18.07	2490^th	2585	3.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Joshua Circle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.27	5204^th	5431	4.2%
2019	14.94	5056^th	5510	8.2%
2022	14.26	5281^st	5663	6.7%
2023	10.79	5486^th	5650	2.9%
2024	10.21	5469^th	5636	3.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Joshua Circle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	17.16	4416^th	4830	8.6%
2019	19.73	4390^th	4963	11.5%
2022	19.11	4572^nd	5084	10.1%
2023	15.99	4735^th	5098	7.1%
2024	11.08	4963^rd	5102	2.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Joshua Circle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	1.80	2816^th	2834	0.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Joshua Circle Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	545	15	10	147	3	n/a	n/a	0	720
1989	554	28	10	176	5	n/a	n/a	0	773
1990	548	20	8	217	10	n/a	n/a	0	803
1991	579	19	8	254	0	n/a	n/a	0	860
1992	593	23	12	283	0	n/a	n/a	0	911
1993	470	32	10	277	5	n/a	n/a	0	794
1994	435	34	11	306	2	n/a	n/a	0	788
1995	359	26	10	309	0	n/a	n/a	0	704
1996	359	26	10	309	0	n/a	n/a	0	704
1997	340	39	16	330	0	n/a	n/a	0	725
1998	303	25	12	302	3	n/a	n/a	0	645
1999	318	40	7	341	6	n/a	n/a	0	712
2000	296	47	6	360	7	n/a	n/a	10	726
2001	268	55	3	398	5	n/a	n/a	5	734
2002	243	47	2	499	12	n/a	n/a	3	806
2003	243	47	2	499	12	n/a	n/a	3	806
2004	230	9	38	531	0	n/a	n/a	4	812
2005	227	41	3	598	4	n/a	n/a	2	875
2006	216	37	8	641	7	n/a	n/a	2	911
2007	172	32	9	695	10	n/a	n/a	6	924
2008	155	47	13	721	7	n/a	n/a	0	943
2009	130	39	12	618	5	3	2	0	809
2010	106	61	13	595	2	1	0	0	778
2011	98	67	10	600	1	1	3	0	780
2012	111	67	9	629	1	1	10	0	828
2013	108	56	7	634	1	1	5	0	812
2014	105	46	10	590	3	1	27	0	782
2015	100	50	6	580	3	3	35	0	777
2016	102	51	4	592	2	3	39	0	793
2017	28	15	1	569	2	0	113	0	728
2018	37	17	1	565	4	1	72	0	697
2019	70	34	4	554	2	2	1	0	667
2020	57	33	5	556	1	1	4	0	657
2021	60	40	6	564	2	1	8	0	681
2022	47	32	3	555	3	1	7	0	648
2023	42	33	4	573	3	0	7	0	662
2024	38	28	4	606	2	2	7	0	687

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Joshua Circle Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	720	28.3	25.4	n/a
1989	773	30.3	25.5	n/a
1990	803	34.5	23.2	n/a
1991	860	31.4	27.3	n/a
1992	911	31.9	28.5	50.7
1993	794	28.0	28.4	51.4
1994	788	26.0	30.3	57.7
1995	704	27.0	26.1	75.1
1996	704	27.0	26.1	75.1
1997	725	30.0	24.2	73.7
1998	645	33.0	19.5	78.6
1999	712	34.0	20.9	80.5
2000	726	33.5	21.7	76.1
2001	734	32.0	22.9	74.9
2002	806	37.0	21.8	84.2
2003	806	37.0	21.8	84.2
2004	812	35.0	23.2	87.4
2005	875	41.0	21.3	82.7
2006	911	43.0	21.2	83.5
2007	924	42.0	22.0	78.1
2008	943	44.0	21.4	80.9
2009	809	36.0	21.3	75.6
2010	778	26.0	29.9	82.4
2011	780	n/a	n/a	83.1
2012	828	28.0	29.5	n/a
2013	812	27.5	29.5	92.2
2014	782	28.0	27.9	83.9
2015	777	30.0	25.9	88.5
2016	793	24.0	33.0	79.8
2017	728	30.0	24.2	89.7
2018	697	27.5	25.3	86.2
2019	667	27.5	24.2	75.1
2020	657	n/a	n/a	95.7
2021	681	27.0	25.2	78
2022	648	27.0	24.0	85.2
2023	662	27.0	24.5	77.8
2024	687	27.0	25.4	78.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Joshua Circle Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	720	28.3	25.4	n/a
1989	773	30.3	25.5	n/a
1990	803	34.5	23.2	n/a
1991	860	31.4	27.3	n/a
1992	911	31.9	28.5	50.7
1993	794	28.0	28.4	51.4
1994	788	26.0	30.3	57.7
1995	704	27.0	26.1	75.1
1996	704	27.0	26.1	75.1
1997	725	30.0	24.2	73.7
1998	645	33.0	19.5	78.6
1999	712	34.0	20.9	80.5
2000	726	33.5	21.7	76.1
2001	734	32.0	22.9	74.9
2002	806	37.0	21.8	84.2
2003	806	37.0	21.8	84.2
2004	812	35.0	23.2	87.4
2005	875	41.0	21.3	82.7
2006	911	43.0	21.2	83.5
2007	924	42.0	22.0	78.1
2008	943	44.0	21.4	80.9
2009	809	36.0	21.3	75.6
2010	778	26.0	29.9	82.4
2011	780	n/a	n/a	83.1
2012	828	28.0	29.5	n/a
2013	812	27.5	29.5	92.2
2014	782	28.0	27.9	83.9
2015	777	30.0	25.9	88.5
2016	793	24.0	33.0	79.8
2017	728	30.0	24.2	89.7
2018	697	27.5	25.3	86.2
2019	667	27.5	24.2	75.1
2020	657	n/a	n/a	95.7
2021	681	27.0	25.2	78
2022	648	27.0	24.0	85.2
2023	662	27.0	24.5	77.8
2024	687	27.0	25.4	78.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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