Is Yucca Elementary a good school?

Yucca Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.2% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Yucca Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 477 students attended Yucca Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Yucca Elementary?

Students at Yucca Elementary are 74% Hispanic, 19% African American, 3% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Yucca Elementary attend?

Students who attend Yucca Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy High : Highland High

Yucca Elementary

Summary:

Yucca Elementary is a public elementary school located in Palmdale, California, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 484 students. The school is part of the Palmdale Elementary School District, which is ranked 1346 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating out of 5 from SchoolDigger.

Yucca Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 5% of California elementary schools over the past decade, with a statewide rank ranging from 5110 to 5791 out of around 5,800 schools. The school has received a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years, indicating very poor performance. This is in stark contrast to nearby schools like Ocotillo Elementary and Palmdale Learning Plaza, which have much higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Yucca Elementary faces significant challenges, including persistently low academic performance, high chronic absenteeism rates, and a student population with extremely high socioeconomic needs. The school's extremely high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, at 92.36%, appears to be a significant factor contributing to its poor academic performance. Addressing these issues will require a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach that goes beyond just academic interventions and focuses on addressing the underlying social and economic factors that are impacting student success.

Detail:

Public K-5

38440 Second St. East
Palmdale, CA 93550-3603

(661) 273-5052

District: Palmdale Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
5791^st of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $275

Students who attend Yucca Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy
High:	Highland High

Student/teacher ratio: 24.5

Number of students: 477

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

74.4%

African American:

18.7%

White:

2.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 97.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Yucca Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Yucca Elementary ranks worse than 98.8% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks last among 20 ranked elementary schools in the Palmdale Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.36. (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 (74.4%), African American (18.7%), White (2.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 97.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Yucca Elementary is 24.5, which is the 6^th best among 20 elementary schools in the Palmdale Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Yucca Elementary employs 19.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Yucca Elementary is $275. 17 elementary schools in the Palmdale Elementary School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Yucca Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Yucca Elementary 5791^st of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Yucca 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:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Palmdale Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmdale Elementary 1346^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Yucca Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Yucca Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	7.79	4757^th	4809	1.1%
2005	6.23	4784^th	4822	0.8%
2006	6.16	4766^th	4818	1.1%
2007	7.84	5017^th	5113	1.9%
2008	6.01	5065^th	5113	0.9%
2009	10.56	4979^th	5193	4.1%
2010	9.76	5163^rd	5314	2.8%
2011	13.51	5033^rd	5377	6.4%
2012	3.55	5368^th	5390	0.4%
2013	5.10	5474^th	5530	1.0%
2015	12.22	5336^th	5611	4.9%
2016	14.23	5110^th	5614	9.0%
2017	11.68	5386^th	5692	5.4%
2018	13.10	5247^th	5662	7.3%
2019	12.47	5421^st	5789	6.4%
2022	10.18	5721^st	5883	2.8%
2023	10.31	5692^nd	5874	3.1%
2024	7.36	5791^st	5862	1.2%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Yucca Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	17.65	3159^th	3246	2.7%
2019	32.59	2305^th	3275	29.6%
2022	20.93	3154^th	3311	4.7%
2023	24.20	2938^th	3250	9.6%
2024	20.07	3072^nd	3160	2.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Yucca Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	19.12	4534^th	5084	10.8%
2019	17.18	4729^th	5173	8.6%
2022	12.75	5087^th	5264	3.4%
2023	13.12	5160^th	5374	4.0%
2024	9.35	5422^nd	5511	1.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Yucca Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.58	5160^th	5413	4.7%
2019	10.86	5266^th	5492	4.1%
2022	8.49	5586^th	5635	0.9%
2023	10.09	5503^rd	5617	2.0%
2024	7.54	5560^th	5605	0.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Yucca Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	16.97	4824^th	5431	11.2%
2019	16.02	4979^th	5510	9.6%
2022	13.95	5304^th	5663	6.3%
2023	12.47	5345^th	5650	5.4%
2024	8.66	5550^th	5636	1.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Yucca Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	24.32	567^th	700	19.0%
2019	18.17	686^th	747	8.2%
2022	24.59	548^th	663	17.3%
2023	31.67	445^th	662	32.8%
2024	26.34	466^th	593	21.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Yucca Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	19.33	4294^th	4830	11.1%
2019	20.94	4307^th	4963	13.2%
2022	13.77	4865^th	5084	4.3%
2023	12.46	4936^th	5098	3.2%
2024	9.11	5012^th	5102	1.8%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Too Much Bullying! Not enough action is done to protect the Children . Close Quote

Enrollment information for Yucca Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	638	70	15	175	19	n/a	n/a	0	917
1989	405	80	23	171	24	n/a	n/a	0	703
1990	371	72	23	226	22	n/a	n/a	0	714
1991	348	60	26	323	15	n/a	n/a	0	772
1992	302	104	31	424	20	n/a	n/a	0	881
1993	237	123	28	385	23	n/a	n/a	0	796
1994	188	122	24	406	11	n/a	n/a	0	751
1995	164	106	6	458	3	n/a	n/a	0	737
1996	164	106	6	458	3	n/a	n/a	0	737
1997	147	102	5	494	3	n/a	n/a	0	751
1998	116	116	6	517	8	n/a	n/a	0	763
1999	116	112	11	551	4	n/a	n/a	0	794
2000	100	141	8	608	4	n/a	n/a	8	869
2001	84	154	7	576	2	n/a	n/a	3	826
2002	46	194	6	656	3	n/a	n/a	1	906
2003	46	194	6	656	3	n/a	n/a	1	906
2004	33	215	6	687	4	n/a	n/a	7	952
2005	44	162	7	720	3	n/a	n/a	12	948
2006	58	150	9	629	5	n/a	n/a	24	875
2007	37	94	9	607	6	n/a	n/a	25	778
2008	25	79	17	599	5	n/a	n/a	0	725
2009	30	80	15	586	3	0	34	0	748
2010	27	100	14	522	6	0	23	0	692
2011	34	176	12	699	4	0	25	0	950
2012	32	176	10	683	8	1	21	0	931
2013	33	183	5	634	9	0	22	0	886
2014	27	195	3	652	9	2	22	0	910
2015	13	98	2	577	5	0	2	0	697
2016	10	110	3	645	5	0	9	0	782
2017	10	110	3	595	3	0	3	0	724
2018	12	111	3	477	10	0	8	0	621
2019	12	138	4	475	1	0	5	0	635
2020	10	126	5	452	3	1	14	0	611
2021	13	115	4	393	3	2	11	0	541
2022	8	83	5	356	3	1	10	0	466
2023	10	85	5	365	7	1	11	0	484
2024	13	89	4	355	5	3	8	0	477

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 Yucca Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	917	33.0	27.7	n/a
1989	703	26.0	27.0	n/a
1990	714	28.0	25.5	n/a
1991	772	31.0	24.9	n/a
1992	881	31.5	27.9	75.1
1993	796	35.0	22.7	73.9
1994	751	35.0	21.5	75.6
1995	737	28.0	26.3	75
1996	737	28.0	26.3	75
1997	751	27.0	27.8	71.4
1998	763	34.0	22.4	73.9
1999	794	39.0	20.4	90.9
2000	869	40.0	21.7	64.7
2001	826	41.0	20.1	74.8
2002	906	40.0	22.7	95.2
2003	906	40.0	22.7	95.2
2004	952	35.0	27.2	91.7
2005	948	36.0	26.3	90.6
2006	875	32.0	27.3	94.1
2007	778	29.0	26.8	92.3
2008	725	36.0	20.1	66.5
2009	748	34.0	20.2	93
2010	692	30.0	23.0	96
2011	950	n/a	n/a	92.6
2012	931	34.0	27.3	n/a
2013	886	32.0	27.6	95.7
2014	910	32.1	28.3	96.5
2015	697	27.0	25.8	95.1
2016	782	25.0	31.2	97.2
2017	724	28.5	25.4	96.8
2018	621	23.5	26.4	97.6
2019	635	24.0	26.4	95.3
2020	611	n/a	n/a	98.4
2021	541	23.0	23.5	98.5
2022	466	21.0	22.1	98.7
2023	484	19.7	24.5	92.4
2024	477	19.4	24.5	97.1

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 Yucca Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	917	33.0	27.7	n/a
1989	703	26.0	27.0	n/a
1990	714	28.0	25.5	n/a
1991	772	31.0	24.9	n/a
1992	881	31.5	27.9	75.1
1993	796	35.0	22.7	73.9
1994	751	35.0	21.5	75.6
1995	737	28.0	26.3	75
1996	737	28.0	26.3	75
1997	751	27.0	27.8	71.4
1998	763	34.0	22.4	73.9
1999	794	39.0	20.4	90.9
2000	869	40.0	21.7	64.7
2001	826	41.0	20.1	74.8
2002	906	40.0	22.7	95.2
2003	906	40.0	22.7	95.2
2004	952	35.0	27.2	91.7
2005	948	36.0	26.3	90.6
2006	875	32.0	27.3	94.1
2007	778	29.0	26.8	92.3
2008	725	36.0	20.1	66.5
2009	748	34.0	20.2	93
2010	692	30.0	23.0	96
2011	950	n/a	n/a	92.6
2012	931	34.0	27.3	n/a
2013	886	32.0	27.6	95.7
2014	910	32.1	28.3	96.5
2015	697	27.0	25.8	95.1
2016	782	25.0	31.2	97.2
2017	724	28.5	25.4	96.8
2018	621	23.5	26.4	97.6
2019	635	24.0	26.4	95.3
2020	611	n/a	n/a	98.4
2021	541	23.0	23.5	98.5
2022	466	21.0	22.1	98.7
2023	484	19.7	24.5	92.4
2024	477	19.4	24.5	97.1

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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