Is Heights Elementary a good school?

Heights Elementary ranks 3967 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Heights Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 521 students attended Heights Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Heights Elementary?

Students at Heights Elementary are 73% Hispanic, 10% African American, 7% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 3% White, 3% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of Heights Elementary attend?

Students who attend Heights Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Hillview Junior High High : Pittsburg Senior High

Heights Elementary

Summary:

Heights Elementary is a public elementary school in Pittsburg, CA, serving 532 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Pittsburg Unified School District, which is ranked 1357 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Heights Elementary faces several key challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates, which have risen from 8.1% in 2018-2019 to 46.3% in 2021-2022, notably higher than the district and state averages. The school also generally performs below the Pittsburg Unified and California state averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in 2023-2024, only 34.05% of Heights students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 47.04% statewide. Additionally, Heights Elementary has lower rankings for specific student groups, such as Hispanic students and English Language Learners, compared to the state.

When comparing Heights Elementary to other schools in the Pittsburg Unified district, it generally performs worse than the district averages in test scores and has higher chronic absenteeism rates. For instance, Foothill Elementary and Marina Vista Elementary, which are also in the district, have significantly higher test scores and lower chronic absenteeism. The high rates of free/reduced lunch and English Language Learners at Heights Elementary may be contributing factors to the school's lower academic performance compared to the state and district averages.

Detail:

Public K-5

163 Alturas Ave.
Pittsburg, CA 94565-5883

(925) 473-2410

District: Pittsburg Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3967^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,084

Students who attend Heights Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Hillview Junior High
High:	Pittsburg Senior High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.4

Number of students: 521

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

73.3%

African American:

9.6%

Asian:

6.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 79.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Heights Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Heights Elementary ranks worse than 67.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 3^rd among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Pittsburg Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 29.44. (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 (73.3%), African American (9.6%), Asian (6.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 79.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Heights Elementary is 22.4. 5 elementary schools in the Pittsburg Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Heights Elementary employs 23.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Heights Elementary is $7,084. 6 elementary schools in the Pittsburg Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Heights Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Heights Elementary 3967^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Heights 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:

Pittsburg Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Pittsburg Unified 1357^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Heights Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Heights Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	26.38	3458^th	4809	28.1%
2005	31.11	3213^th	4822	33.4%
2006	27.51	3486^th	4818	27.6%
2007	37.87	3050^th	5113	40.3%
2008	37.15	3123^rd	5113	38.9%
2009	35.22	3354^th	5193	35.4%
2010	38.81	3245^th	5314	38.9%
2011	51.65	2497^th	5377	53.6%
2012	50.55	2580^th	5390	52.1%
2013	50.66	2645^th	5530	52.2%
2015	24.53	4172^nd	5611	25.6%
2016	25.16	4162^nd	5614	25.9%
2017	23.42	4388^th	5692	22.9%
2018	21.46	4568^th	5662	19.3%
2019	17.78	5005^th	5789	13.5%
2022	24.34	4415^th	5883	25.0%
2023	25.64	4303^rd	5874	26.7%
2024	29.44	3967^th	5862	32.3%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Heights Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.10	2122^nd	3246	34.6%
2019	26.31	2755^th	3275	15.9%
2022	42.12	1670^th	3311	49.6%
2023	47.44	1323^rd	3250	59.3%
2024	56.62	851^st	3160	73.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Heights Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	28.52	3882^nd	5084	23.6%
2019	20.26	4555^th	5173	11.9%
2022	27.49	4041^st	5264	23.2%
2023	30.71	3844^th	5374	28.5%
2024	35.52	3479^th	5511	36.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Heights Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.70	4036^th	5413	25.4%
2019	24.91	4233^rd	5492	22.9%
2022	28.32	3895^th	5635	30.9%
2023	26.60	4081^st	5617	27.3%
2024	29.97	3796^th	5605	32.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Heights Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	23.64	1823^rd	2227	18.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Heights Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	17.84	4754^th	5431	12.5%
2019	11.97	5258^th	5510	4.6%
2022	21.69	4545^th	5663	19.7%
2023	25.45	4208^th	5650	25.5%
2024	29.45	3866^th	5636	31.4%

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

Rank History for African American students at Heights Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	25.95	530^th	662	19.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Heights Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.05	3903^rd	4830	19.2%
2019	19.32	4417^th	4963	11.0%
2022	30.94	3630^th	5084	28.6%
2023	36.29	3200^th	5098	37.2%
2024	36.78	3200^th	5102	37.3%

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 Heights Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	303	210	79	134	0	n/a	n/a	0	726
1989	280	212	88	124	0	n/a	n/a	0	704
1990	287	203	92	130	0	n/a	n/a	0	712
1991	221	125	87	168	1	n/a	n/a	0	602
1992	237	104	66	169	0	n/a	n/a	0	576
1993	216	110	62	191	0	n/a	n/a	0	579
1994	229	154	93	238	0	n/a	n/a	0	714
1995	177	140	100	231	2	n/a	n/a	0	650
1996	177	140	100	231	2	n/a	n/a	0	650
1997	147	142	93	207	0	n/a	n/a	0	589
1998	130	129	86	218	0	n/a	n/a	0	563
1999	119	149	95	257	0	n/a	n/a	0	620
2000	105	135	91	277	0	n/a	n/a	0	608
2001	94	134	96	328	1	n/a	n/a	1	654
2002	82	111	74	359	0	n/a	n/a	1	627
2003	82	111	74	359	0	n/a	n/a	1	627
2004	74	96	67	360	0	n/a	n/a	17	614
2005	71	101	55	348	0	n/a	n/a	22	597
2006	59	96	56	342	0	n/a	n/a	29	582
2007	55	89	50	334	0	n/a	n/a	34	562
2008	48	90	50	342	1	n/a	n/a	0	531
2009	49	74	26	349	1	20	54	0	573
2010	53	82	24	379	4	22	1	0	565
2011	48	85	30	398	4	22	4	0	591
2012	51	94	21	381	4	21	8	0	580
2013	53	77	22	421	3	18	4	0	598
2014	41	87	24	444	4	20	11	0	631
2015	36	67	25	477	3	12	18	0	638
2016	41	67	26	495	4	11	19	0	663
2017	45	59	31	484	1	15	22	0	657
2018	41	51	37	471	2	23	30	0	655
2019	33	50	30	455	1	18	28	0	615
2020	33	44	30	443	1	10	34	0	595
2021	29	43	36	425	1	15	31	0	580
2022	23	45	33	381	0	10	25	0	517
2023	18	64	29	391	0	12	18	0	532
2024	18	50	35	382	0	14	22	0	521

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 Heights Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	726	28.0	25.9	n/a
1989	704	27.0	26.0	n/a
1990	712	29.0	24.5	n/a
1991	602	28.0	21.5	n/a
1992	576	28.5	20.2	42.7
1993	579	26.0	22.3	50.8
1994	714	29.0	24.6	46.8
1995	650	27.0	24.1	55.7
1996	650	27.0	24.1	55.7
1997	589	27.0	21.8	60.8
1998	563	28.0	20.1	69.8
1999	620	31.0	20.0	70.3
2000	608	32.0	19.0	72.2
2001	654	32.0	20.4	69.4
2002	627	31.0	20.2	73.3
2003	627	31.0	20.2	73.3
2004	614	32.5	18.9	77.9
2005	597	32.8	18.2	76
2006	582	32.8	17.7	83
2007	562	31.2	18.0	83.5
2008	531	33.4	15.9	88.5
2009	573	28.4	19.5	82.9
2010	565	27.4	20.6	83.4
2011	591	n/a	n/a	84.6
2012	580	26.0	22.3	n/a
2013	598	25.8	23.1	83.9
2014	631	23.2	27.1	84.8
2015	638	26.0	24.5	78.8
2016	663	26.0	25.5	78.4
2017	657	27.2	24.1	72.9
2018	655	27.2	24.0	78.3
2019	615	28.2	21.8	72.5
2020	595	n/a	n/a	72.9
2021	580	27.2	21.3	76.4
2022	517	26.0	19.8	70.8
2023	532	24.5	21.6	75.6
2024	521	23.2	22.4	79.7

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 Heights Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	726	28.0	25.9	n/a
1989	704	27.0	26.0	n/a
1990	712	29.0	24.5	n/a
1991	602	28.0	21.5	n/a
1992	576	28.5	20.2	42.7
1993	579	26.0	22.3	50.8
1994	714	29.0	24.6	46.8
1995	650	27.0	24.1	55.7
1996	650	27.0	24.1	55.7
1997	589	27.0	21.8	60.8
1998	563	28.0	20.1	69.8
1999	620	31.0	20.0	70.3
2000	608	32.0	19.0	72.2
2001	654	32.0	20.4	69.4
2002	627	31.0	20.2	73.3
2003	627	31.0	20.2	73.3
2004	614	32.5	18.9	77.9
2005	597	32.8	18.2	76
2006	582	32.8	17.7	83
2007	562	31.2	18.0	83.5
2008	531	33.4	15.9	88.5
2009	573	28.4	19.5	82.9
2010	565	27.4	20.6	83.4
2011	591	n/a	n/a	84.6
2012	580	26.0	22.3	n/a
2013	598	25.8	23.1	83.9
2014	631	23.2	27.1	84.8
2015	638	26.0	24.5	78.8
2016	663	26.0	25.5	78.4
2017	657	27.2	24.1	72.9
2018	655	27.2	24.0	78.3
2019	615	28.2	21.8	72.5
2020	595	n/a	n/a	72.9
2021	580	27.2	21.3	76.4
2022	517	26.0	19.8	70.8
2023	532	24.5	21.6	75.6
2024	521	23.2	22.4	79.7

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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