Is Smith River Elementary a good school?

Smith River Elementary ranks in the bottom 17.1% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Smith River Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 245 students attended Smith River Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Smith River Elementary?

Students at Smith River Elementary are 50% Hispanic, 26% White, 16% American Indian, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Smith River Elementary attend?

Students who attend Smith River Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Del Norte High

Smith River Elementary

Summary:

Smith River Elementary is a public elementary school serving grades K-8 in Smith River, California, with 245 students and part of the Del Norte County Unified School District, which is ranked 1191 out of 1568 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Smith River Elementary is part of the same school district as nearby schools like Joe Hamilton Elementary, Mary Peacock Elementary, and Mountain Elementary, its performance is generally lower across various metrics. The school has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 8.7% to 44.3% in recent years, significantly higher than the 4.9% to 43.6% range of nearby schools. Additionally, Smith River Elementary's test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are lower than the district and state averages, and the school struggles to serve certain student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 10% of California elementary schools for female students, male students, Hispanic students, and low socioeconomic status students.

The data suggests that Smith River Elementary is facing significant challenges, with a declining statewide ranking over the past decade and a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 64.49% to 71.84% in recent years. To address these issues, the school may benefit from targeted interventions to improve attendance, academic performance, and support for its diverse student population, such as increased family engagement, targeted academic support, and professional development for teachers.

Detail:

Public K-8

134 First St.
Smith River, CA 95567-0280

(707) 464-0370

District: Del Norte County Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
4857^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,976

Students who attend Smith River Elementary usually attend:

High:

Del Norte High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.3

Number of students: 245

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

49.8%

White:

26.1%

American Indian:

15.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 70.2%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Smith River Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Smith River Elementary ranks worse than 82.9% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 4^th among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Del Norte County Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.02. (See more...)

Compare Details Smith River Elementary ranks better than 61.4% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.81. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Smith River Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (49.8%), White (26.1%), American Indian (15.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 70.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Smith River Elementary is 22.3. 5 elementary schools in the Del Norte County Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Smith River Elementary employs 10.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Smith River Elementary is $13,976, which is the 3^rd highest among 7 elementary schools in the Del Norte County Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Smith River Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Smith River Elementary 4857^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Smith River Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks Smith River Elementary 1073^rd of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Smith River Elementary in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Del Norte County Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Del Norte County Unified 1191^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Smith River Elementary?

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Rank History for Smith River Elementary

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Smith River Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	38.67	2712^th	4809	43.6%
2005	50.31	2181^st	4822	54.8%
2006	33.22	3092^nd	4818	35.8%
2007	34.72	3242^nd	5113	36.6%
2008	22.88	4128^th	5113	19.3%
2009	27.27	3898^th	5193	24.9%
2010	30.54	3805^th	5314	28.4%
2011	15.23	4937^th	5377	8.2%
2012	15.06	4953^rd	5390	8.1%
2013	19.73	4758^th	5530	14.0%
2015	24.30	4194^th	5611	25.3%
2016	23.61	4289^th	5614	23.6%
2017	21.16	4585^th	5692	19.4%
2018	31.83	3684^th	5662	34.9%
2019	31.89	3784^th	5789	34.6%
2022	25.77	4269^th	5883	27.4%
2023	33.36	3617^th	5874	38.4%
2024	20.02	4857^th	5862	17.1%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Smith River Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	30.47	3730^th	5084	26.6%
2019	36.81	3370^th	5173	34.9%
2022	30.00	3842^nd	5264	27.0%
2023	25.33	4285^th	5374	20.3%
2024	15.56	5103^rd	5511	7.4%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Smith River Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.46	3643^rd	5413	32.7%
2019	40.10	3098^th	5492	43.6%
2022	25.92	4133^rd	5635	26.7%
2023	30.65	3698^th	5617	34.2%
2024	21.25	4577^th	5605	18.3%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Smith River Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	36.28	3266^th	5431	39.9%
2019	29.37	3841^st	5510	30.3%
2022	21.95	4512^th	5663	20.3%
2023	44.64	2765^th	5650	51.1%
2024	19.48	4777^th	5636	15.2%

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

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Smith River Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	27.49	3718^th	4830	23.0%
2019	33.72	3410^th	4963	31.3%
2022	20.85	4453^rd	5084	12.4%
2023	24.48	4159^th	5098	18.4%
2024	18.45	4555^th	5102	10.7%

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

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

Rank History for Smith River Elementary

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Rank History for all middle school students at Smith River Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	40.87	964^th	1769	45.5%
2005	50.78	788^th	1777	55.7%
2006	40.39	998^th	1804	44.7%
2007	34.22	1281^st	1999	35.9%
2008	24.03	1592^nd	2005	20.6%
2009	23.22	1652^nd	2063	19.9%
2010	20.70	1831^st	2179	16.0%
2011	21.46	1866^th	2236	16.5%
2012	34.93	1508^th	2259	33.2%
2013	54.62	1029^th	2379	56.7%
2015	18.00	2081^st	2477	16.0%
2016	16.87	2146^th	2497	14.1%
2017	27.17	1755^th	2508	30.0%
2018	25.30	1810^th	2480	27.0%
2019	26.17	1952^nd	2715	28.1%
2022	35.29	1615^th	2740	41.1%
2023	49.65	1175^th	2802	58.1%
2024	52.81	1073^rd	2777	61.4%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Smith River Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.35	1712^th	2230	23.2%
2019	30.35	1677^th	2369	29.2%
2022	34.31	1525^th	2458	38.0%
2023	39.10	1377^th	2549	46.0%
2024	50.94	1008^th	2575	60.9%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Smith River Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	18.72	1892^nd	2262	16.4%
2019	11.66	2221^st	2380	6.7%
2022	23.88	1885^th	2509	24.9%
2023	46.66	1142^nd	2547	55.2%
2024	53.03	983^rd	2546	61.4%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Smith River Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	35.54	1384^th	2273	39.1%
2019	40.38	1301^st	2407	45.9%
2022	48.27	1112^th	2527	56.0%
2023	55.12	930^th	2558	63.6%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Smith River Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	36.21	1290^th	2072	37.7%
2019	13.17	2063^rd	2213	6.8%
2022	44.94	1129^th	2359	52.1%
2023	40.83	1250^th	2391	47.7%

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

Rank History for middle school White students at Smith River Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	10.71	1378^th	1496	7.9%

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

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Enrollment information for Smith River Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	184	0	4	52	46	n/a	n/a	286
1989	209	2	0	64	32	n/a	n/a	307
1990	210	3	0	76	54	n/a	n/a	343
1991	223	0	0	95	61	n/a	n/a	379
1992	214	0	0	90	53	n/a	n/a	357
1993	208	2	0	105	62	n/a	n/a	377
1994	185	2	1	123	59	n/a	n/a	370
1995	178	0	4	118	58	n/a	n/a	358
1996	178	0	4	118	58	n/a	n/a	358
1997	170	1	4	119	63	n/a	n/a	357
1998	142	0	4	110	61	n/a	n/a	317
1999	137	1	4	126	55	n/a	n/a	323
2000	113	4	6	123	49	n/a	n/a	295
2001	114	2	5	113	43	n/a	n/a	277
2002	99	1	4	130	48	n/a	n/a	282
2003	99	1	4	130	48	n/a	n/a	282
2004	83	2	5	154	43	n/a	n/a	287
2005	85	0	4	141	47	n/a	n/a	277
2006	86	0	3	143	40	n/a	n/a	272
2007	85	0	2	150	43	n/a	n/a	280
2008	90	3	3	143	40	n/a	n/a	279
2009	79	0	1	146	36	0	3	265
2010	77	0	1	155	34	0	1	268
2011	60	0	0	148	38	0	5	251
2012	62	0	0	148	32	0	4	246
2013	60	0	0	145	26	0	6	237
2014	77	0	2	126	32	0	5	242
2015	77	2	2	130	34	0	3	248
2016	79	0	0	128	39	0	3	249
2017	88	1	0	117	34	0	4	244
2018	79	1	0	108	28	0	4	220
2019	74	2	0	105	29	0	3	213
2020	97	2	0	121	38	0	4	262
2021	76	3	0	119	42	0	5	245
2022	68	3	3	119	42	0	10	245
2023	64	2	4	122	39	0	14	245

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 Smith River Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	286	10.9	26.2	n/a
1989	307	13.0	23.6	n/a
1990	343	13.9	24.6	n/a
1991	379	16.4	23.1	n/a
1992	357	16.7	21.3	41.5
1993	377	16.5	22.8	46.7
1994	370	16.9	21.9	64.1
1995	358	15.8	22.7	59.2
1996	358	15.8	22.7	59.2
1997	357	18.8	19.0	61.3
1998	317	19.0	16.7	65.3
1999	323	17.3	18.7	57.6
2000	295	14.8	19.9	67.1
2001	277	15.0	18.5	70
2002	282	14.9	18.9	80.9
2003	282	14.9	18.9	80.9
2004	287	15.2	18.9	81.2
2005	277	15.1	18.3	75.5
2006	272	14.6	18.6	77.9
2007	280	15.5	18.1	76.1
2008	279	16.2	17.2	78.1
2009	265	15.2	16.4	77
2010	268	13.0	20.6	80.6
2011	251	n/a	n/a	81.3
2012	246	12.0	20.5	n/a
2013	237	11.0	21.5	84
2014	242	10.0	24.2	85.1
2015	248	11.0	22.5	76.6
2016	249	12.0	20.7	77.1
2017	244	10.6	23.0	74.2
2018	220	10.6	20.7	80.9
2019	213	10.6	20.0	79.3
2020	262	n/a	n/a	66.4
2021	245	11.4	21.3	64.5
2022	245	12.2	20.0	71.8
2023	245	10.9	22.3	70.2

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 Smith River Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	286	10.9	26.2	n/a
1989	307	13.0	23.6	n/a
1990	343	13.9	24.6	n/a
1991	379	16.4	23.1	n/a
1992	357	16.7	21.3	41.5
1993	377	16.5	22.8	46.7
1994	370	16.9	21.9	64.1
1995	358	15.8	22.7	59.2
1996	358	15.8	22.7	59.2
1997	357	18.8	19.0	61.3
1998	317	19.0	16.7	65.3
1999	323	17.3	18.7	57.6
2000	295	14.8	19.9	67.1
2001	277	15.0	18.5	70
2002	282	14.9	18.9	80.9
2003	282	14.9	18.9	80.9
2004	287	15.2	18.9	81.2
2005	277	15.1	18.3	75.5
2006	272	14.6	18.6	77.9
2007	280	15.5	18.1	76.1
2008	279	16.2	17.2	78.1
2009	265	15.2	16.4	77
2010	268	13.0	20.6	80.6
2011	251	n/a	n/a	81.3
2012	246	12.0	20.5	n/a
2013	237	11.0	21.5	84
2014	242	10.0	24.2	85.1
2015	248	11.0	22.5	76.6
2016	249	12.0	20.7	77.1
2017	244	10.6	23.0	74.2
2018	220	10.6	20.7	80.9
2019	213	10.6	20.0	79.3
2020	262	n/a	n/a	66.4
2021	245	11.4	21.3	64.5
2022	245	12.2	20.0	71.8
2023	245	10.9	22.3	70.2

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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