Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Summary:

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary is a public elementary school in Bakersfield, California, serving 703 students in grades K-6 as part of the Bakersfield City School District.

This school consistently ranks in the bottom 5% of California elementary schools, with significantly lower academic performance than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 13.42% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 27.74% for Bakersfield City and 47.04% for California. The school's performance on Mathematics assessments is particularly low, with only 6.49% of students proficient or better, compared to 15.01% for Bakersfield City and 35.54% for California. Additionally, Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 31.0% to 58.9% over the past two school years.

Interestingly, the nearby Leo G. Pauly Elementary, Fremont Elementary, and Bessie E. Owens Elementary generally perform better academically than Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary, with higher proficiency rates on state assessments and lower rates of chronic absenteeism. The high rates of chronic absenteeism and the school's socioeconomic status, with 94.45% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, may be contributing factors to the low academic performance observed at this school.

Detail:

Public K-6

1100 Citadel St.
Bakersfield, CA 93307

(661) 631-5229

District: Bakersfield City

SchoolDigger Rank:
5751^st of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Student/teacher ratio: 20.7

Number of students: 703

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

80.1%

African American:

12.2%

White:

5.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 94.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary ranks worse than 98.1% of elementary schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.3. (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

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Teachers

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary 5751^st of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Bakersfield City:

SchoolDigger ranks Bakersfield City 1338^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	7.96	5815^th	5883	1.2%
2023	9.93	5713^th	5874	2.7%
2024	8.30	5751^st	5862	1.9%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	20.54	3180^th	3311	4.0%
2023	29.90	2542^nd	3250	21.8%
2024	32.99	2337^th	3160	26.0%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	24.21	2153^rd	2634	18.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	9.08	5207^th	5264	1.1%
2023	12.06	5208^th	5374	3.1%
2024	9.89	5401^st	5511	2.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	8.36	5590^th	5635	0.8%
2023	9.84	5511^th	5617	1.9%
2024	9.10	5499^th	5605	1.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	8.78	5597^th	5663	1.2%
2023	11.63	5401^st	5650	4.4%
2024	8.75	5547^th	5636	1.6%

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

Rank History for African American students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	19.50	616^th	663	7.1%
2023	28.78	486^th	662	26.6%
2024	27.94	443^rd	593	25.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	9.66	5018^th	5084	1.3%
2023	12.46	4935^th	5098	3.2%
2024	11.26	4959^th	5102	2.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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

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Enrollment information for Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2021	22	97	4	561	2	9	695
2022	39	82	3	560	2	10	696
2023	38	86	4	563	2	10	703

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 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	695	30.3	22.9	97.3
2022	696	31.3	22.2	91.2
2023	703	33.9	20.7	94.5

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 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	695	30.3	22.9	97.3
2022	696	31.3	22.2	91.2
2023	703	33.9	20.7	94.5

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.

Schools Near Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)						Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)						% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Total
Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary	Public	K-6	1100 Citadel St.	Bakersfield	93307	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5229	703	34	20.7	94.5%	38 (5.4%)	86 (12.2%)	563 (80.1%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	10 (1.4%)	8.3	5751^st of 5862 public elementary schools	1.9%		9.9	5713^th of 5874 public elementary schools	2.7%	38	11.6	11.6	13.1	14.7	18.2	8.4		13.4	8.3	7.9	7.9	2.1		6.5
Casa Loma Elementary	Public	K-6	525 East Casa Loma Dr.	Bakersfield	93307	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5200	435	22	20.0	94.0%	12 (2.8%)	15 (3.4%)	405 (93.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	12.8	5485^th of 5862 public elementary schools	6.4%		11.1	5649^th of 5874 public elementary schools	3.8%	164	9.7	9.7	11.6	20.0	21.3	12.9		16.6	8.7	11.9	9.7	21.1		13.5	94.1	94.1	96.4	94.1	94.1	94.1	$7,441
Fremont Elementary	Public	K-6	607 Texas St.	Bakersfield	93307	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5280	742	36	20.6	91.2%	16 (2.2%)	57 (7.7%)	662 (89.2%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	17.2	5096^th of 5862 public elementary schools	13.1%		14	5401^st of 5874 public elementary schools	8.1%	305	6.7	6.7	29.7	23.6	19.1	38.8		27.5	19.4	9.6	3.4	17.8		12.0	92.8	97.8		94.2	95.7	95.7	$9,066
Wayside Elementary	Public	K-6	1000 Ming Ave.	Bakersfield	93307	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5820	683	32	21.3	93.7%	29 (4.2%)	45 (6.6%)	597 (87.4%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.3%)	16.3	5183^rd of 5862 public elementary schools	11.6%		16.6	5189^th of 5874 public elementary schools	11.7%	6	16.4	16.4	15.4	17.7	26.4	28.3		22.2	9.9	12.6	11.8	21.4		14.0	97.5			98.4	98.4	98.4	$7,872
Bessie E. Owens Elementary	Public	K-6	815 Potomac Ave.	Bakersfield	93307	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5420	889	40	22.2	91.6%	45 (5.1%)	90 (10.1%)	742 (83.5%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (0.9%)	33	3677^th of 5862 public elementary schools	37.3%		26.4	4242^nd of 5874 public elementary schools	27.8%	565	32.4	32.4	28.5	27.8	40.9	32.8		32.9	28.5	26.7	26.8	23.4		26.3	91.1	98.0	98.0	97.3	92.5		$10,334
McKinley Elementary	Public	K-6	601 Fourth St.	Bakersfield	93304	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5370	666	31	21.4	94.1%	24 (3.6%)	120 (18.0%)	509 (76.4%)	4 (0.6%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	9.7	5689^th of 5862 public elementary schools	3.0%		12.6	5520^th of 5874 public elementary schools	6.0%	169	7.6	7.6	15.5	10.9	22.5	19.2		16.5	13.6	7.6	8.5	7.7		9.7	94.4			97.6	95.2	98.4	$10,145
Leo G. Pauly Elementary	Public	K-6	313 Planz Rd.	Bakersfield	93304	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5430	689	33	20.8	92.0%	42 (6.1%)	49 (7.1%)	577 (83.7%)	9 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.5%)	22.5	4626^th of 5862 public elementary schools	21.1%		16.6	5188^th of 5874 public elementary schools	11.7%	562	11.2	11.2	33.0	21.1	31.1	26.9		28.0	40.7	15.7	21.9	10.1		21.1	93.4				95.6	96.7	$7,619
Mt. Vernon Elementary	Public	K-6	2161 Potomac Ave.	Bakersfield	93307	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5380	678	32	21.1	92.3%	28 (4.1%)	37 (5.5%)	601 (88.6%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	8.3	5752^nd of 5862 public elementary schools	1.9%		10.3	5694^th of 5874 public elementary schools	3.1%	58	10.5	10.5	7.1	15.8	15.8	9.5		12.6	8.2	5.9	8.0	3.6		6.6							$9,275
Rafer Johnson	Public	K-8	1001 Tenth St.	Bakersfield	93304	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5445	32	6	5.8	78.1%	7 (21.9%)	11 (34.4%)	13 (40.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.1%)								(n/a)		7.1					0.0	0.0					0.0	0.0							$102,358
Prosperity Elementary	Public	K-5	901 Prosperity Way.	Bakersfield	93304	Kern County	Greenfield Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 837-6070	633	29	21.7	93.7%	18 (2.8%)	63 (10.0%)	534 (84.4%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.4%)	22.4	4630^th of 5862 public elementary schools	21.0%		23.5	4505^th of 5874 public elementary schools	23.3%	125	19.1	19.1	30.3	34.5	31.5			32.1	21.1	14.6	13.3			16.4	97.2				97.2		$7,425

Frequently Asked Questions about Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary

What district is Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary in?

Bakersfield City

What is the racial makeup of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary?

Students at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary are 80% Hispanic, 12% African American, 5% White, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 703 students attended Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary.

Is Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary a good school?

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.9% of California elementary schools.

Rate Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Elementary!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.