Is Witter Ranch Elementary a good school?

Witter Ranch Elementary ranks 3193 rd of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Witter Ranch Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 618 students attended Witter Ranch Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Witter Ranch Elementary?

Students at Witter Ranch Elementary are 34% Asian, 26% Hispanic, 13% African American, 12% White, 12% Two or more races, 2% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of Witter Ranch Elementary attend?

Students who attend Witter Ranch Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Natomas Middle High : Inderkum High

Witter Ranch Elementary

Summary:

Witter Ranch Elementary is a public elementary school in Sacramento, California, serving 597 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Natomas Unified School District, which is ranked 869 out of 1,568 school districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Witter Ranch Elementary faces several challenges, including lower academic performance compared to the district and state averages. On Smarter Balanced Assessments, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are below the Natomas Unified and California state averages across grade levels. The school's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with Asian and Multi-racial students performing the lowest compared to their peers statewide, while Hispanic and English Language Learner students perform relatively better. Additionally, Witter Ranch has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 13.3% in 2018-2019 to 35.5% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the district's average.

Witter Ranch's performance is generally lower than most of the nearby schools in the Natomas Unified School District, such as Two Rivers Elementary, Paso Verde, and Heron, which have higher proficiency rates in ELA and Mathematics, as well as lower chronic absenteeism rates. The exception is American Lakes, which has significantly lower performance than Witter Ranch across most metrics. The high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch at Witter Ranch may be a contributing factor to the school's lower academic performance, and the increase in chronic absenteeism could also be negatively impacting student learning and achievement.

Detail:

Public K-5

3790 Poppy Hill Way
Sacramento, CA 95834-1030

(916) 567-5620

District: Natomas Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3193^rd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,968

Students who attend Witter Ranch Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Natomas Middle
High:	Inderkum High

Student/teacher ratio: 24.2

Number of students: 618

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

34.3%

Hispanic:

25.7%

African American:

13.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 72.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Witter Ranch Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Witter Ranch Elementary ranks worse than 54.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 5^th among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Natomas Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.63. (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 Student population at Witter Ranch Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (34.3%), Hispanic (25.7%), African American (13.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 72.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Witter Ranch Elementary is 24.2. 7 elementary schools in the Natomas Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Witter Ranch Elementary employs 25.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Witter Ranch Elementary is $5,968. 8 elementary schools in the Natomas Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Witter Ranch Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Witter Ranch Elementary 3193^rd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Witter Ranch Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Natomas Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Natomas Unified 869^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Witter Ranch Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Witter Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2007	44.02	2671^st	5113	47.8%
2008	43.45	2755^th	5113	46.1%
2009	53.64	2262^nd	5193	56.4%
2010	48.51	2655^th	5314	50.0%
2011	50.20	2591^st	5377	51.8%
2012	59.14	2091^st	5390	61.2%
2013	48.88	2754^th	5530	50.2%
2015	58.39	2012^th	5611	64.1%
2016	45.32	2761^st	5614	50.8%
2017	38.83	3183^rd	5692	44.1%
2018	31.24	3728^th	5662	34.2%
2019	44.06	2944^th	5789	49.1%
2022	40.04	3081^st	5883	47.6%
2023	47.66	2662^nd	5874	54.7%
2024	39.63	3193^rd	5862	45.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Witter Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	22.05	497^th	610	18.5%
2023	24.74	544^th	669	18.7%
2024	8.00	629^th	669	6.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Witter Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	39.56	1784^th	3246	45.0%
2019	43.31	1589^th	3275	51.5%
2022	45.83	1421^st	3311	57.1%
2023	61.92	715^th	3250	78.0%
2024	59.08	765^th	3160	75.8%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Witter Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	66.17	534^th	2420	77.9%
2024	77.04	394^th	2634	85.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Witter Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	28.09	3908^th	5084	23.1%
2019	46.23	2663^rd	5173	48.5%
2022	40.42	2971^st	5264	43.6%
2023	51.40	2276^th	5374	57.6%
2024	41.39	3030^th	5511	45.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Witter Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.16	3474^th	5413	35.8%
2019	54.79	2240^th	5492	59.2%
2022	38.43	3095^th	5635	45.1%
2023	47.14	2567^th	5617	54.3%
2024	43.04	2853^rd	5605	49.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Witter Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	72.91	373^rd	2128	82.5%
2019	64.07	626^th	2585	75.8%
2022	48.74	838^th	2227	62.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Witter Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	29.21	3759^th	5431	30.8%
2019	35.38	3373^rd	5510	38.8%
2022	40.96	2949^th	5663	47.9%
2023	47.45	2598^th	5650	54.0%
2024	36.69	3295^th	5636	41.5%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Witter Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	13.56	955^th	1071	10.8%
2019	23.17	956^th	1149	16.8%
2022	5.33	1076^th	1154	6.8%
2023	9.42	1076^th	1190	9.6%
2024	5.64	1116^th	1203	7.2%

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

Rank History for African American students at Witter Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.46	304^th	700	56.6%
2019	41.68	399^th	747	46.6%
2022	55.62	214^th	663	67.7%
2023	58.13	218^th	662	67.1%
2024	41.57	302^nd	593	49.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Witter Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	22.94	4050^th	4830	16.1%
2019	42.51	2788^th	4963	43.8%
2022	58.72	1704^th	5084	66.5%
2023	72.87	1038^th	5098	79.6%
2024	57.47	1814^th	5102	64.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Witter Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	29.46	2091^st	2737	23.6%
2019	48.04	1612^th	2834	43.1%
2023	22.63	2159^th	2662	18.9%
2024	48.20	1459^th	2647	44.9%

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: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Our child is in 4th grade, and has attended Witter Ranch since Kindergarten. His teachers are all fantastic. His kindergarten teacher was so loving and kind and great with the children. She instilled a feeling of happiness for learning in the child that is carrying him through life. It's a shame the principal is not up to the same high standards as the teacher. She has no social skills. She is rude to the children when speaking to them. Fortunately that isn't often. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Witter Ranch Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2005	113	108	139	69	7	n/a	n/a	44	480
2006	208	159	261	152	9	n/a	n/a	20	809
2007	196	175	251	142	6	n/a	n/a	13	783
2008	212	187	266	145	9	n/a	n/a	0	819
2009	211	192	262	152	3	25	23	0	868
2010	210	177	257	170	3	32	17	0	866
2011	223	190	292	187	6	35	48	0	981
2012	216	144	288	184	9	41	62	0	944
2013	194	120	244	202	8	38	87	0	893
2014	192	127	228	233	6	34	101	0	921
2015	192	120	228	217	6	28	111	0	902
2016	164	107	215	192	7	25	113	0	823
2017	158	112	180	187	9	20	71	0	737
2018	140	104	174	167	11	17	63	0	676
2019	113	103	170	171	9	15	69	0	650
2020	89	113	176	192	6	25	67	0	668
2021	83	105	176	194	6	22	76	0	662
2022	73	99	167	164	6	17	60	1	587
2023	67	99	186	160	7	15	62	1	597
2024	73	83	212	159	5	13	73	0	618

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 Witter Ranch Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	480	20.0	24.0	47.7
2006	809	39.0	20.7	26.4
2007	783	40.0	19.6	43.9
2008	819	45.0	18.2	43.6
2009	868	44.0	18.1	50.7
2010	866	38.0	22.7	45.7
2011	981	n/a	n/a	46
2012	944	34.1	27.6	n/a
2013	893	34.0	26.2	48.3
2014	921	35.1	26.2	46.7
2015	902	35.0	25.7	48.9
2016	823	32.0	25.7	53.5
2017	737	31.5	23.3	57.9
2018	676	27.0	25.0	61.4
2019	650	29.5	22.0	68.6
2020	668	n/a	n/a	64.8
2021	662	30.0	22.0	62.1
2022	587	28.0	20.9	56.7
2023	597	25.0	23.8	57.8
2024	618	25.5	24.2	72.7

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 Witter Ranch Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	480	20.0	24.0	47.7
2006	809	39.0	20.7	26.4
2007	783	40.0	19.6	43.9
2008	819	45.0	18.2	43.6
2009	868	44.0	18.1	50.7
2010	866	38.0	22.7	45.7
2011	981	n/a	n/a	46
2012	944	34.1	27.6	n/a
2013	893	34.0	26.2	48.3
2014	921	35.1	26.2	46.7
2015	902	35.0	25.7	48.9
2016	823	32.0	25.7	53.5
2017	737	31.5	23.3	57.9
2018	676	27.0	25.0	61.4
2019	650	29.5	22.0	68.6
2020	668	n/a	n/a	64.8
2021	662	30.0	22.0	62.1
2022	587	28.0	20.9	56.7
2023	597	25.0	23.8	57.8
2024	618	25.5	24.2	72.7

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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