Is Bear Gulch Elementary a good school?

Bear Gulch Elementary ranks in the bottom 21.9% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Bear Gulch Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 445 students attended Bear Gulch Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Bear Gulch Elementary?

Students at Bear Gulch Elementary are 66% Hispanic, 15% African American, 10% White, 5% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Bear Gulch Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bear Gulch Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Cucamonga Middle High : Alta Loma High

Bear Gulch Elementary

Summary:

Bear Gulch Elementary is a public elementary school in Rancho Cucamonga, California, serving 451 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Central Elementary District, which is ranked 631 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Bear Gulch Elementary has a high percentage of students (over 80%) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating significant socioeconomic challenges, the school has struggled to support its students academically. Compared to the nearby Central Elementary and the state average, Bear Gulch consistently underperforms in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, only 30.7% of Bear Gulch students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 49.3% at Central Elementary and 47.04% statewide. In Mathematics, the proficiency rate at Bear Gulch was just 19.11%, compared to 33.89% at Central Elementary and 35.54% statewide.

Additionally, Bear Gulch Elementary has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism rates, rising from 9.8% in 2017-2018 to 34.7% in 2021-2022, which is notably higher than the 17.6% rate at the nearby Central Elementary school. The school also struggles to support certain student subgroups, with its male students and Hispanic students consistently ranking in the bottom 25% of California elementary schools in terms of academic performance, while its African American students perform relatively better, ranking in the top 50%.

Detail:

Public K-5

8355 Bear Gulch Pl.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-3469

(909) 989-9396

District: Central Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
4576^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,382

Students who attend Bear Gulch Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Cucamonga Middle
High:	Alta Loma High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.4

Number of students: 445

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

65.6%

African American:

14.8%

White:

9.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Bear Gulch Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Bear Gulch Elementary ranks worse than 78.1% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks last among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Central Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.96. (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 (65.6%), African American (14.8%), White (9.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 87.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Central Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bear Gulch Elementary is 23.4, which is the 2^nd best among 5 elementary schools in the Central Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Bear Gulch Elementary employs 19 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bear Gulch Elementary is $8,382, which is the 2^nd highest among 5 elementary schools in the Central Elementary School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bear Gulch Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Bear Gulch Elementary 4576^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Bear Gulch 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:

Central Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Central Elementary 631^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Bear Gulch Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Bear Gulch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	38.36	2724^th	4809	43.4%
2005	51.40	2120^th	4822	56.0%
2006	42.76	2575^th	4818	46.6%
2007	43.71	2693^rd	5113	47.3%
2008	31.96	3456^th	5113	32.4%
2009	28.18	3832^nd	5193	26.2%
2010	48.32	2666^th	5314	49.8%
2011	41.66	3116^th	5377	42.0%
2012	36.09	3516^th	5390	34.8%
2013	35.50	3638^th	5530	34.2%
2015	46.17	2673^rd	5611	52.4%
2016	49.69	2503^rd	5614	55.4%
2017	38.58	3201^st	5692	43.8%
2018	39.20	3206^th	5662	43.4%
2019	36.17	3449^th	5789	40.4%
2022	29.78	3882^nd	5883	34.0%
2023	30.87	3816^th	5874	35.0%
2024	22.96	4576^th	5862	21.9%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Bear Gulch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	50.71	1219^th	3246	62.4%
2019	38.66	1868^th	3275	43.0%
2022	39.35	1851^st	3311	44.1%
2024	40.73	1765^th	3160	44.1%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Bear Gulch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	24.49	1930^th	2420	20.2%
2024	37.75	1431^st	2634	45.7%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bear Gulch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.96	2363^rd	5084	53.5%
2019	43.82	2838^th	5173	45.1%
2022	39.71	3031^st	5264	42.4%
2023	41.76	2934^th	5374	45.4%
2024	28.72	4068^th	5511	26.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Bear Gulch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	39.36	3126^th	5413	42.3%
2019	44.00	2867^th	5492	47.8%
2022	34.72	3354^th	5635	40.5%
2023	35.67	3314^th	5617	41.0%
2024	30.22	3777^th	5605	32.6%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Bear Gulch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	41.29	1001^st	2128	53.0%
2019	39.25	1339^th	2585	48.2%
2022	37.95	1172^nd	2227	47.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Bear Gulch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	39.43	3083^rd	5431	43.2%
2019	30.30	3779^th	5510	31.4%
2022	25.89	4142^nd	5663	26.9%
2023	27.38	4006^th	5650	29.1%
2024	17.20	4964^th	5636	11.9%

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

Rank History for African American students at Bear Gulch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	52.23	277^th	700	60.4%
2019	40.66	416^th	747	44.3%
2023	61.95	189^th	662	71.5%
2024	46.68	270^th	593	54.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Bear Gulch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.30	2269^th	4830	53.0%
2019	48.74	2369^th	4963	52.3%
2022	37.55	3098^th	5084	39.1%
2023	46.25	2472^nd	5098	51.5%
2024	30.80	3682^nd	5102	27.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Bear Gulch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	23.59	2246^th	2737	17.9%
2019	17.23	2465^th	2834	13.0%

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

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Enrollment information for Bear Gulch Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	282	33	20	139	0	n/a	n/a	0	474
1989	305	58	26	135	0	n/a	n/a	0	524
1990	386	73	23	171	0	n/a	n/a	0	653
1991	366	69	28	188	5	n/a	n/a	0	656
1992	357	72	31	241	5	n/a	n/a	0	706
1993	322	73	25	252	1	n/a	n/a	0	673
1994	275	120	23	245	1	n/a	n/a	0	664
1995	282	117	26	345	3	n/a	n/a	0	773
1996	282	117	26	345	3	n/a	n/a	0	773
1997	247	92	23	344	3	n/a	n/a	0	709
1998	229	76	21	347	2	n/a	n/a	0	675
1999	197	62	25	356	4	n/a	n/a	0	644
2000	189	91	25	321	2	n/a	n/a	0	628
2001	174	95	30	310	4	n/a	n/a	9	622
2002	155	67	25	285	14	n/a	n/a	59	605
2003	155	67	25	285	14	n/a	n/a	59	605
2004	155	70	33	350	16	n/a	n/a	29	653
2005	132	76	41	325	13	n/a	n/a	23	610
2006	137	63	50	352	10	n/a	n/a	9	621
2007	124	58	41	334	6	n/a	n/a	13	576
2008	113	55	46	317	6	n/a	n/a	0	537
2009	73	57	34	281	2	1	98	0	546
2010	111	62	36	321	5	2	4	0	541
2011	104	51	35	316	3	1	7	0	517
2012	102	44	36	302	2	2	5	0	493
2013	100	68	39	316	1	3	7	0	534
2014	104	52	40	312	1	4	12	0	525
2015	101	59	31	310	0	5	12	0	518
2016	101	67	37	311	0	4	14	0	534
2017	103	67	35	295	0	2	12	0	514
2018	108	72	36	289	1	7	11	0	524
2019	91	74	37	293	0	7	13	0	515
2020	62	77	33	302	0	5	17	0	496
2021	53	74	23	277	0	4	15	0	446
2022	52	74	15	297	0	2	18	0	458
2023	41	59	18	314	0	0	19	0	451
2024	44	66	22	292	0	0	21	0	445

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 Bear Gulch Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	474	19.9	23.8	n/a
1989	524	21.9	23.9	n/a
1990	653	27.0	24.1	n/a
1991	656	27.6	23.7	n/a
1992	706	28.0	25.2	26.8
1993	673	26.1	25.8	35.1
1994	664	27.4	24.2	32.7
1995	773	30.7	25.2	44.9
1996	773	30.7	25.2	44.9
1997	709	29.1	24.4	51.5
1998	675	35.7	18.9	49.8
1999	644	34.8	18.5	55.7
2000	628	35.2	17.8	56.2
2001	622	35.3	17.6	53.8
2002	605	30.8	19.6	62.1
2003	605	30.8	19.6	62.1
2004	653	29.1	22.4	63.1
2005	610	29.0	21.0	60.6
2006	621	27.8	22.3	64.5
2007	576	27.8	20.7	67.1
2008	537	26.8	20.0	60
2009	546	26.8	19.0	74.2
2010	541	24.8	21.8	77.6
2011	517	n/a	n/a	74.7
2012	493	21.0	23.4	n/a
2013	534	21.0	25.4	75.3
2014	525	22.0	23.8	75.8
2015	518	23.0	22.5	74.3
2016	534	21.0	25.4	68.5
2017	514	21.0	24.4	71.4
2018	524	21.0	24.9	79.8
2019	515	21.0	24.5	75.9
2020	496	n/a	n/a	78
2021	446	21.1	21.0	76
2022	458	19.5	23.4	78.8
2023	451	19.0	23.7	81.6
2024	445	19.0	23.4	87.9

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 Bear Gulch Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	474	19.9	23.8	n/a
1989	524	21.9	23.9	n/a
1990	653	27.0	24.1	n/a
1991	656	27.6	23.7	n/a
1992	706	28.0	25.2	26.8
1993	673	26.1	25.8	35.1
1994	664	27.4	24.2	32.7
1995	773	30.7	25.2	44.9
1996	773	30.7	25.2	44.9
1997	709	29.1	24.4	51.5
1998	675	35.7	18.9	49.8
1999	644	34.8	18.5	55.7
2000	628	35.2	17.8	56.2
2001	622	35.3	17.6	53.8
2002	605	30.8	19.6	62.1
2003	605	30.8	19.6	62.1
2004	653	29.1	22.4	63.1
2005	610	29.0	21.0	60.6
2006	621	27.8	22.3	64.5
2007	576	27.8	20.7	67.1
2008	537	26.8	20.0	60
2009	546	26.8	19.0	74.2
2010	541	24.8	21.8	77.6
2011	517	n/a	n/a	74.7
2012	493	21.0	23.4	n/a
2013	534	21.0	25.4	75.3
2014	525	22.0	23.8	75.8
2015	518	23.0	22.5	74.3
2016	534	21.0	25.4	68.5
2017	514	21.0	24.4	71.4
2018	524	21.0	24.9	79.8
2019	515	21.0	24.5	75.9
2020	496	n/a	n/a	78
2021	446	21.1	21.0	76
2022	458	19.5	23.4	78.8
2023	451	19.0	23.7	81.6
2024	445	19.0	23.4	87.9

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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