Is Sierra Elementary a good school?

Sierra Elementary ranks 1658 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sierra Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 404 students attended Sierra Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Sierra Elementary?

Students at Sierra Elementary are 67% White, 25% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Sierra Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sierra Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Edwin Markham Middle High : El Dorado High

Sierra Elementary

Summary:

Sierra Elementary is a public elementary school located in Placerville, California, serving 404 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Placerville Union Elementary School District, which is ranked 891 out of 1,568 districts in the state.

Sierra Elementary consistently outperforms the district and the state of California in academic assessments, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts/Literacy ranging from 50.85% to 60.81%, compared to the district's 33.9% to 41.18% and the state's 42.8% to 47.37%. In Mathematics, Sierra Elementary's proficiency rates ranged from 40.68% to 53.33%, while the district's were 26.28% to 41.18% and the state's were 35.02% to 45.64%. The school also excels in CAST Science assessments, with a 42.67% proficiency rate compared to the district's 26.28% and the state's 32.68%. Sierra Elementary's performance for specific student groups, such as Hispanic students and students with disabilities, is notably higher than the district and state averages.

Among the nearby schools, California Montessori Project-Shingle Springs Campus is the only school that comes close to matching Sierra Elementary's academic performance. However, Sierra Elementary has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 7.0% in 2018-2019 to 29.0% in 2021-2022, which is higher than the district and state averages. This is a concerning trend that the school and district should address to ensure continued student success.

Detail:

Public K-5

1100 Thompson Way
Placerville, CA 95667-5726

(530) 622-0814

District: Placerville Union Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
1658^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,095

Students who attend Sierra Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Edwin Markham Middle
High:	El Dorado High

Student/teacher ratio: 24.4

Number of students: 404

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.8%

Hispanic:

25.0%

Two or more races:

6.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 40.6%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Sierra Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sierra Elementary ranks better than 71.7% of elementary schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 68.49. (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: White (66.8%), Hispanic (25%), two or more races (6.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 40.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sierra Elementary is 24.4. (See more...)

Compare Sierra Elementary employs 16.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sierra Elementary is $10,095.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sierra Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sierra Elementary 1658^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Sierra Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Placerville Union Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Placerville Union Elementary 891^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Sierra Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Sierra Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	74.86	1119^th	4809	76.7%
2005	62.56	1637^th	4822	66.1%
2006	60.61	1717^th	4818	64.4%
2007	72.72	1257^th	5113	75.4%
2008	85.05	749^th	5113	85.4%
2009	75.11	1202^nd	5193	76.9%
2010	79.56	1025^th	5314	80.7%
2011	75.69	1222^nd	5377	77.3%
2012	80.96	975^th	5390	81.9%
2013	78.42	1138^th	5530	79.4%
2015	71.88	1425^th	5611	74.6%
2016	72.83	1401^st	5614	75.0%
2017	72.52	1446^th	5692	74.6%
2018	73.95	1403^rd	5662	75.2%
2019	69.20	1633^rd	5789	71.8%
2021	63.25	469^th	1417	66.9%
2022	62.64	1908^th	5883	67.6%
2023	72.42	1483^rd	5874	74.8%
2024	68.49	1658^th	5862	71.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sierra Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	34.43	1590^th	2634	39.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sierra Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	65.82	1403^rd	5084	72.4%
2019	59.88	1786^th	5173	65.5%
2021	64.05	314^th	1110	71.7%
2022	65.12	1413^th	5264	73.2%
2023	78.59	827^th	5374	84.6%
2024	80.62	799^th	5511	85.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Sierra Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	72.77	1379^th	5413	74.5%
2019	73.15	1371^st	5492	75.0%
2021	59.75	452^nd	1267	64.3%
2022	59.85	1938^th	5635	65.6%
2023	74.76	1297^th	5617	76.9%
2024	63.66	1775^th	5605	68.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Sierra Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	48.40	815^th	2128	61.7%
2019	53.07	896^th	2585	65.3%
2021	85.14	29^th	293	90.1%
2022	48.62	840^th	2227	62.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Sierra Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	72.34	1386^th	5431	74.5%
2019	61.50	1889^th	5510	65.7%
2021	64.35	409^th	1272	67.8%
2022	63.83	1789^th	5663	68.4%
2023	68.03	1591^st	5650	71.8%
2024	69.95	1505^th	5636	73.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sierra Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	63.15	1483^rd	4830	69.3%
2019	53.90	2046^th	4963	58.8%
2022	43.82	2604^th	5084	48.8%
2023	50.86	2185^th	5098	57.1%
2024	71.01	1137^th	5102	77.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Sierra Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	56.56	1313^th	2737	52.0%
2019	47.34	1643^rd	2834	42.0%
2022	44.86	1613^th	2726	40.8%
2023	56.11	1256^th	2662	52.8%
2024	46.04	1543^rd	2647	41.7%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, March 21, 2017

An excellent school community. My child goes to Sierra and has flourished there so far! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Sierra Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	519	3	1	22	13	n/a	n/a	0	558
1989	399	3	3	38	19	n/a	n/a	0	462
1990	452	4	7	34	11	n/a	n/a	0	508
1991	447	2	11	35	4	n/a	n/a	0	499
1992	486	2	10	23	18	n/a	n/a	0	539
1993	456	5	12	30	21	n/a	n/a	0	524
1994	455	6	11	67	21	n/a	n/a	0	560
1995	386	2	7	51	16	n/a	n/a	0	462
1996	386	2	7	51	16	n/a	n/a	0	462
1997	352	2	9	48	25	n/a	n/a	0	436
1998	336	2	10	51	20	n/a	n/a	0	419
1999	329	3	8	48	20	n/a	n/a	0	408
2000	341	6	6	46	16	n/a	n/a	0	415
2001	342	7	7	54	21	n/a	n/a	0	431
2002	332	7	10	61	19	n/a	n/a	0	429
2003	332	7	10	61	19	n/a	n/a	0	429
2004	296	0	2	36	11	n/a	n/a	59	404
2005	322	1	3	38	10	n/a	n/a	54	428
2006	299	2	2	54	9	n/a	n/a	61	427
2007	278	3	3	69	6	n/a	n/a	40	399
2008	271	n/a	2	60	6	n/a	n/a	0	339
2009	296	1	1	65	6	1	46	0	416
2010	305	1	3	114	7	1	18	0	449
2011	319	2	3	109	4	1	28	0	466
2012	317	1	4	115	5	1	29	0	472
2013	326	2	9	125	6	1	24	0	493
2014	303	2	8	117	3	1	20	0	454
2015	311	3	7	112	4	1	17	0	455
2016	330	2	6	114	3	0	20	0	475
2017	341	3	3	118	5	0	12	0	482
2018	338	2	4	111	5	0	12	0	472
2019	327	1	3	105	6	0	10	0	452
2020	316	2	2	116	4	0	17	0	457
2021	273	2	1	92	6	0	22	0	396
2022	268	3	1	101	5	0	21	0	399
2023	270	3	1	101	4	0	25	0	404

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 Sierra Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	558	22.0	25.3	n/a
1989	462	20.0	23.1	n/a
1990	508	20.6	24.6	n/a
1991	499	22.5	22.1	n/a
1992	539	22.9	23.5	22.8
1993	524	21.7	24.1	32.1
1994	560	24.0	23.3	29.5
1995	462	20.0	23.1	36.1
1996	462	20.0	23.1	36.1
1997	436	21.0	20.8	47.7
1998	419	22.0	19.0	46.3
1999	408	22.0	18.5	40.7
2000	415	22.0	18.9	37.3
2001	431	22.0	19.6	42.2
2002	429	22.6	19.0	43.4
2003	429	22.6	19.0	43.4
2004	404	21.0	19.2	45.2
2005	428	21.5	19.9	44.1
2006	427	22.8	18.7	45.9
2007	399	20.7	19.3	47.4
2008	339	21.6	15.7	51.9
2009	416	21.9	18.2	50.5
2010	449	22.5	19.9	49.2
2011	466	n/a	n/a	51.1
2012	472	22.0	21.4	n/a
2013	493	20.5	24.0	45.2
2014	454	20.0	22.7	41.9
2015	455	20.0	22.7	42.4
2016	475	20.0	23.7	43.6
2017	482	20.0	24.1	41.9
2018	472	20.0	23.6	45.6
2019	452	20.0	22.6	48.2
2020	457	n/a	n/a	47.3
2021	396	20.0	19.8	46.2
2022	399	19.0	21.0	43.1
2023	404	16.5	24.4	40.6

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 Sierra Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	558	22.0	25.3	n/a
1989	462	20.0	23.1	n/a
1990	508	20.6	24.6	n/a
1991	499	22.5	22.1	n/a
1992	539	22.9	23.5	22.8
1993	524	21.7	24.1	32.1
1994	560	24.0	23.3	29.5
1995	462	20.0	23.1	36.1
1996	462	20.0	23.1	36.1
1997	436	21.0	20.8	47.7
1998	419	22.0	19.0	46.3
1999	408	22.0	18.5	40.7
2000	415	22.0	18.9	37.3
2001	431	22.0	19.6	42.2
2002	429	22.6	19.0	43.4
2003	429	22.6	19.0	43.4
2004	404	21.0	19.2	45.2
2005	428	21.5	19.9	44.1
2006	427	22.8	18.7	45.9
2007	399	20.7	19.3	47.4
2008	339	21.6	15.7	51.9
2009	416	21.9	18.2	50.5
2010	449	22.5	19.9	49.2
2011	466	n/a	n/a	51.1
2012	472	22.0	21.4	n/a
2013	493	20.5	24.0	45.2
2014	454	20.0	22.7	41.9
2015	455	20.0	22.7	42.4
2016	475	20.0	23.7	43.6
2017	482	20.0	24.1	41.9
2018	472	20.0	23.6	45.6
2019	452	20.0	22.6	48.2
2020	457	n/a	n/a	47.3
2021	396	20.0	19.8	46.2
2022	399	19.0	21.0	43.1
2023	404	16.5	24.4	40.6

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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