Sparks Elementary

Summary:

Sparks Elementary is a public elementary school located in La Puente, California, serving 455 students in grades K-6. It is part of the Hacienda la Puente Unified School District, which is ranked 782 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sparks Elementary faces significant challenges, including a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism rates, from 4.1% in 2018-2019 to 34.1% in 2021-2022, which is notably higher than nearby schools like California Elementary (39.7%) and Sunset Elementary (25.9%). Academically, Sparks Elementary's performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments is consistently lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with only 24.58% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy and 28.34% in Mathematics, compared to the district's 48.59% and 36.92%, respectively.

The school's performance for specific student subgroups, such as English Language Learners, Special Education students, and Disabled students, is particularly concerning, with Sparks Elementary's Disabled students ranking 1,823 out of 2,227 California elementary schools, with a 1-star rating. Additionally, Sparks Elementary has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 86.33% in 2020-2021, significantly higher than nearby schools like California Elementary (75.68%) and Sunset Elementary (73.24%). These challenges suggest that Sparks Elementary is struggling to keep up with the academic performance of other schools in the Hacienda la Puente Unified School District and the state of California.


Detail:

Public K-6

 15151 East Temple Ave.
       La Puente, CA  91744-3765


(626) 933-5100

District: Hacienda la Puente Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
4250th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools


Students who attend Sparks Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Sparks Middle
High:    La Puente High

Student/teacher ratio:  25.7 Help
Number of students:  455

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
91.6%
Asian:
4.0%
White:
1.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  80% Help


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 Compare Sparks Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Sparks Elementary ranks worse than 72.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 19th among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Hacienda la Puente Unified School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26.48. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (91.6%), Asian (4%), White (1.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 80% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sparks Elementary is 25.7. 18 elementary schools in the Hacienda la Puente Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Sparks Elementary employs 17.6 full-time teachers.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sparks Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sparks Elementary 4250th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Sparks 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:


Hacienda la Puente Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Hacienda la Puente Unified 782nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Sparks Elementary?

Rank History for Sparks Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Sparks Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 25.41 3534th 4809 26.5%
2005 16.18 4242nd 4822 12.0%
2006 14.59 4376th 4818 9.2%
2007 19.18 4360th 5113 14.7%
2008 27.99 3749th 5113 26.7%
2009 44.55 2785th 5193 46.4%
2010 70.55 1432nd 5314 73.1%
2011 72.23 1380th 5377 74.3%
2012 61.51 1965th 5390 63.5%
2013 55.94 2358th 5530 57.4%
2015 49.97 2445th 5611 56.4%
2016 43.12 2889th 5614 48.5%
2017 43.63 2886th 5692 49.3%
2018 34.19 3530th 5662 37.7%
2019 39.91 3194th 5789 44.8%
2022 28.93 3956th 5883 32.8%
2023 27.93 4084th 5874 30.5%
2024 26.48 4250th 5862 27.5%
See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sparks Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.60 1585th 3246 51.2%
2019 42.08 1665th 3275 49.2%
2022 46.58 1387th 3311 58.1%
2023 55.35 973rd 3250 70.1%
2024 41.18 1731st 3160 45.2%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sparks Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 34.85 1438th 2420 40.6%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sparks Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.48 2325th 5084 54.3%
2019 54.28 2122nd 5173 59.0%
2022 42.43 2802nd 5264 46.8%
2023 38.23 3208th 5374 40.3%
2024 34.97 3524th 5511 36.1%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sparks Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.20 3593rd 5413 33.6%
2019 42.22 2969th 5492 45.9%
2022 30.53 3678th 5635 34.7%
2023 34.95 3357th 5617 40.2%
2024 28.00 3971st 5605 29.2%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Sparks Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 23.64 1823rd 2227 18.1%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sparks Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 36.53 3247th 5431 40.2%
2019 37.70 3218th 5510 41.6%
2022 28.55 3917th 5663 30.8%
2023 23.27 4419th 5650 21.8%
2024 27.35 4060th 5636 28.0%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sparks Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 45.36 2526th 4830 47.7%
2019 52.97 2099th 4963 57.7%
2022 39.33 2947th 5084 42.0%
2023 38.43 3032nd 5098 40.5%
2024 37.65 3142nd 5102 38.4%
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.

Sparks Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 







Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a citizen
Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Open Quote EXCELLENT 2019 New Programs: NPDL, Code to the Future. New TK, New Library Media Center With New Principal Close Quote



Enrollment information for Sparks Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 33 20 15 387 1 n/a n/a 0 456
1989 34 19 12 376 1 n/a n/a 0 442
1990 24 14 17 392 2 n/a n/a 0 449
1991 39 17 22 451 2 n/a n/a 0 531
1992 35 19 18 487 1 n/a n/a 0 560
1993 35 21 29 514 0 n/a n/a 0 599
1994 39 20 29 535 1 n/a n/a 0 624
1995 28 14 27 563 3 n/a n/a 0 635
1996 28 14 27 563 3 n/a n/a 0 635
1997 34 14 29 613 5 n/a n/a 0 695
1998 20 9 22 530 3 n/a n/a 0 584
1999 14 7 16 516 2 n/a n/a 0 555
2000 17 8 22 513 3 n/a n/a 0 563
2001 16 3 16 485 0 n/a n/a 0 520
2002 13 4 16 437 0 n/a n/a 0 470
2003 13 4 16 437 0 n/a n/a 0 470
2004 8 5 12 408 5 n/a n/a 0 438
2005 4 4 7 392 3 n/a n/a 0 410
2006 4 1 16 376 1 n/a n/a 0 398
2007 3 0 14 431 1 n/a n/a 0 449
2008 4 2 11 419 1 n/a n/a 0 437
2009 1 6 7 447 1 1 0 0 463
2010 1 6 6 449 2 2 0 0 466
2011 2 1 11 438 1 3 0 0 456
2012 3 0 11 429 1 2 2 0 448
2013 3 0 12 473 1 2 2 0 493
2014 6 2 11 501 1 2 1 0 524
2015 3 2 15 488 2 3 0 0 513
2016 2 3 19 496 1 3 0 0 524
2017 4 4 15 444 0 3 2 0 472
2018 4 4 12 441 0 2 0 0 463
2019 2 3 11 428 0 2 0 0 446
2020 1 3 17 419 0 1 0 0 441
2021 5 1 20 410 1 0 2 0 439
2022 6 0 16 424 2 1 7 0 456
2023 8 3 18 417 1 1 7 0 455

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 Sparks Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 456 17.6 25.9 n/a
1989 442 17.1 25.8 n/a
1990 449 17.0 26.4 n/a
1991 531 19.5 27.2 n/a
1992 560 19.8 28.2 69.1
1993 599 19.0 31.5 57.6
1994 624 21.0 29.7 68.1
1995 635 23.0 27.6 72.6
1996 635 23.0 27.6 72.6
1997 695 26.0 26.7 86.2
1998 584 26.0 22.5 80.1
1999 555 26.0 21.3 89.9
2000 563 26.0 21.7 79
2001 520 25.0 20.8 86.7
2002 470 26.0 18.1 99.4
2003 470 26.0 18.1 99.4
2004 438 24.0 18.3 88.4
2005 410 24.0 17.1 89.5
2006 398 22.0 18.1 81.9
2007 449 22.0 20.4 90
2008 437 23.0 19.0 82.6
2009 463 24.0 18.5 90.3
2010 466 22.0 21.1 94.6
2011 456 n/a n/a 95.8
2012 448 19.8 22.6 n/a
2013 493 21.0 23.4 94.1
2014 524 21.6 24.2 94.5
2015 513 20.0 25.6 94.9
2016 524 20.0 26.2 92.7
2017 472 18.0 26.2 91.3
2018 463 18.0 25.7 91.4
2019 446 17.0 26.2 89.2
2020 441 n/a n/a 90.5
2021 439 17.0 25.8 86.3
2022 456 20.0 22.7 73.9
2023 455 17.6 25.7 80

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 Sparks Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 456 17.6 25.9 n/a
1989 442 17.1 25.8 n/a
1990 449 17.0 26.4 n/a
1991 531 19.5 27.2 n/a
1992 560 19.8 28.2 69.1
1993 599 19.0 31.5 57.6
1994 624 21.0 29.7 68.1
1995 635 23.0 27.6 72.6
1996 635 23.0 27.6 72.6
1997 695 26.0 26.7 86.2
1998 584 26.0 22.5 80.1
1999 555 26.0 21.3 89.9
2000 563 26.0 21.7 79
2001 520 25.0 20.8 86.7
2002 470 26.0 18.1 99.4
2003 470 26.0 18.1 99.4
2004 438 24.0 18.3 88.4
2005 410 24.0 17.1 89.5
2006 398 22.0 18.1 81.9
2007 449 22.0 20.4 90
2008 437 23.0 19.0 82.6
2009 463 24.0 18.5 90.3
2010 466 22.0 21.1 94.6
2011 456 n/a n/a 95.8
2012 448 19.8 22.6 n/a
2013 493 21.0 23.4 94.1
2014 524 21.6 24.2 94.5
2015 513 20.0 25.6 94.9
2016 524 20.0 26.2 92.7
2017 472 18.0 26.2 91.3
2018 463 18.0 25.7 91.4
2019 446 17.0 26.2 89.2
2020 441 n/a n/a 90.5
2021 439 17.0 25.8 86.3
2022 456 20.0 22.7 73.9
2023 455 17.6 25.7 80

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates

Sparks Elementary

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionConditionalPolioHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMMR
201293.0%2.0%0.0%5.0%93.0%98.0%98.0%93.0%93.0%
201393.0%0.0%0.0%7.0%95.0%100.0%100.0%95.0%93.0%
201475.0%0.0%0.0%25.0%84.0%75.0%100.0%83.0%87.0%
201582.0%0.0%0.0%18.0%87.0%100.0%100.0%84.0%83.0%
2017≥98.0%≤2.0%≤2.0%≤2.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%
2018≥95.0%≤5.0%≤5.0%≤5.0%≥95.0%≥95.0%≥95.0%≥95.0%≥95.0%
2019≥95.0%≤5.0%≤5.0%≥95.0%≥95.0%≥95.0%≥95.0%≥95.0%
202189.7%0.0%0.0%89.7%89.7%89.7%89.7%
202297.3%0.0%2.7%97.3%97.3%97.3%

Data source: California Department of Public Health
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sparks Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 3194th of 5789 Elementary schoolsRanks 4084th of 5874 Elementary schools
 14.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sparks Elementary)36.118.6
 17.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Hacienda la Puente Unified)5448.3
 5.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.543
 5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Sparks Elementary)33.337.3
 4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Hacienda la Puente Unified)54.250.7
 3.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (California)50.245.1
 5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sparks Elementary)40.931.3
 9.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Hacienda la Puente Unified)52.445.5
 6.9%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.543.7
 5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Sparks Elementary)36.637.5
 0.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Hacienda la Puente Unified)47.742.1
 5.7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (California)44.940.8
 4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sparks Elementary)6021.9
 38.1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Hacienda la Puente Unified)54.648.1
 6.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.746.7
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Sparks Elementary)43.99.4
 34.6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Hacienda la Puente Unified)39.835.4
 4.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (California)3833.4
 4.6%
5th Grade Science (Sparks Elementary)37.517.5
 20%
   5th Grade Science (Hacienda la Puente Unified)34.832.4
 2.4%
   5th Grade Science (California)31.731.9
 0.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sparks Elementary)33.337.1
 3.8%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Hacienda la Puente Unified)51.846.3
 5.5%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.544.2
 4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Sparks Elementary)21.721.4
 0.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Hacienda la Puente Unified)39.434.2
 5.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (California)38.533.2
 5.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students446455
 2%
African American33
American Indian01
Asian1118
 63.6%
Hispanic428417
 2.6%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White28
 300%
Two or More Races07
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients89.2%80%
 9.2%


Schools Near Sparks Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Sparks Elementary

Students who attend Sparks Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sparks Middle
High : La Puente High

Sparks Elementary ranks 4250th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 455 students attended Sparks Elementary.

Students at Sparks Elementary are 92% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 2% White, 2% Two or more races.


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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.





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