Is Harding Elementary a good school?

Harding Elementary ranks 1696 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Harding Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 474 students attended Harding Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Harding Elementary?

Students at Harding Elementary are 30% White, 23% Hispanic, 23% Asian, 18% Two or more races, 5% African American.

What schools do graduates of Harding Elementary attend?

Students who attend Harding Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Fred T. Korematsu Middle High : El Cerrito High

Harding Elementary

Summary:

Harding Elementary is a public elementary school in El Cerrito, California, serving 475 students in grades K-6. It is part of the West Contra Costa Unified School District, which has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Harding Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state in academic assessments, with 55.98% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy and 46.92% proficient in Mathematics, compared to the district's 32.53% and 23.33%, respectively, and the state's 47.04% and 35.54%. However, the school's performance varies across student subgroups, with White and Multi-racial students performing well, but Asian and Hispanic students performing below average. Additionally, Harding Elementary has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 6.8% in 2018-2019 to 20.9% in 2021-2022, which is higher than the district average.

Compared to nearby schools, Harding Elementary outperforms the lower-performing Stege Elementary, but lags behind the higher-performing Madera Elementary and Kensington Elementary, which are also part of the West Contra Costa Unified District. Harding Elementary is also located in close proximity to several high-performing elementary schools, such as Cornell Elementary and Ruth Acty Elementary, which are part of the Albany City Unified and Berkeley Unified districts, respectively.

Detail:

Public K-6

7230 Fairmont Ave.
El Cerrito, CA 94530-3797

(510) 231-1413

District: West Contra Costa Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1696^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,490

Students who attend Harding Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Fred T. Korematsu Middle
High:	El Cerrito High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.7

Number of students: 474

Racial breakdown:

White:

30.2%

Hispanic:

23.4%

Asian:

22.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 29.3%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Harding Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Harding Elementary ranks better than 71.1% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 6^th among 37 ranked elementary schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 67.64. (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 Student population at Harding Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (30.2%), Hispanic (23.4%), Asian (22.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 29.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Harding Elementary is 23.7. 28 elementary schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Harding Elementary employs 20 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Harding Elementary is $6,490. 22 elementary schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Harding Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Harding Elementary 1696^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Harding Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

West Contra Costa Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks West Contra Costa Unified 1129^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Harding Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Harding Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	33.00	3067^th	4809	36.2%
2005	24.74	3641^st	4822	24.5%
2006	32.12	3166^th	4818	34.3%
2007	24.53	3968^th	5113	22.4%
2008	36.16	3190^th	5113	37.6%
2009	36.98	3243^rd	5193	37.6%
2010	48.77	2635^th	5314	50.4%
2011	56.09	2240^th	5377	58.3%
2012	68.55	1602^nd	5390	70.3%
2013	59.41	2145^th	5530	61.2%
2015	67.98	1579^th	5611	71.9%
2016	66.13	1707^th	5614	69.6%
2017	71.83	1478^th	5692	74.0%
2018	68.20	1664^th	5662	70.6%
2019	73.21	1460^th	5789	74.8%
2022	72.46	1508^th	5883	74.4%
2023	78.45	1222^nd	5874	79.2%
2024	67.64	1696^th	5862	71.1%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Harding Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	54.22	371^st	669	44.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Harding Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	20.35	4467^th	5084	12.1%
2019	33.16	3627^th	5173	29.9%
2022	50.31	2258^th	5264	57.1%
2023	59.67	1762^nd	5374	67.2%
2024	50.41	2367^th	5511	57.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Harding Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	71.43	1436^th	5413	73.5%
2019	67.68	1621^st	5492	70.5%
2022	69.89	1525^th	5635	72.9%
2023	68.90	1556^th	5617	72.3%
2024	62.53	1834^th	5605	67.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Harding Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	30.53	1410^th	2128	33.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Harding Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	63.27	1795^th	5431	66.9%
2019	74.62	1318^th	5510	76.1%
2022	71.37	1464^th	5663	74.1%
2023	80.17	1085^th	5650	80.8%
2024	68.10	1600^th	5636	71.6%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Harding Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	50.86	705^th	1149	38.6%
2022	36.21	840^th	1154	27.2%
2023	30.73	917^th	1190	22.9%
2024	26.71	952^nd	1203	20.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Harding Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.36	2264^th	4830	53.1%
2019	50.74	2236^th	4963	54.9%
2022	42.50	2710^th	5084	46.7%
2023	53.76	2017^th	5098	60.4%
2024	45.03	2610^th	5102	48.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Harding Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	83.41	319^th	2737	88.3%
2019	83.12	346^th	2834	87.8%
2022	70.36	797^th	2726	70.8%
2023	79.19	460^th	2662	82.7%
2024	68.60	849^th	2647	67.9%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Harding Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	146	180	71	11	3	n/a	n/a	0	411
1989	169	177	80	15	5	n/a	n/a	0	446
1990	200	216	94	25	3	n/a	n/a	0	538
1991	228	208	102	22	5	n/a	n/a	0	565
1992	205	235	96	27	5	n/a	n/a	0	568
1993	169	234	88	35	6	n/a	n/a	0	532
1994	172	224	80	33	5	n/a	n/a	0	514
1995	165	186	81	38	5	n/a	n/a	0	475
1996	165	186	81	38	5	n/a	n/a	0	475
1997	167	178	79	52	4	n/a	n/a	0	480
1998	136	167	92	61	3	n/a	n/a	0	459
1999	129	162	82	71	3	n/a	n/a	0	447
2000	124	168	85	72	1	n/a	n/a	0	450
2001	109	176	71	72	1	n/a	n/a	4	433
2002	73	141	56	86	1	n/a	n/a	18	375
2003	73	141	56	86	1	n/a	n/a	18	375
2004	59	131	43	77	1	n/a	n/a	13	324
2005	52	106	33	77	1	n/a	n/a	29	298
2006	48	89	41	76	3	n/a	n/a	32	289
2007	55	93	34	73	3	n/a	n/a	62	320
2008	54	80	32	81	3	n/a	n/a	0	250
2009	63	79	29	78	3	1	74	0	327
2010	121	93	54	89	2	8	2	0	369
2011	112	61	56	100	1	7	60	0	397
2012	128	74	62	95	1	4	1	0	365
2013	129	50	59	91	1	4	9	0	343
2014	141	57	61	97	1	3	10	0	370
2015	139	42	65	100	0	3	18	0	367
2016	144	38	79	96	1	3	31	0	392
2017	154	43	84	104	1	2	32	0	420
2018	169	47	92	100	1	3	36	0	448
2019	175	43	97	100	0	1	43	0	459
2020	181	29	96	93	0	3	52	0	454
2021	175	19	109	91	0	2	57	0	453
2022	156	22	103	104	1	1	73	1	461
2023	148	19	119	108	0	1	79	1	475
2024	143	25	107	111	0	1	86	1	474

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 Harding Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	411	15.5	26.5	n/a
1989	446	18.2	24.5	n/a
1990	538	21.9	24.5	n/a
1991	565	21.0	26.9	n/a
1992	568	21.3	26.6	28.3
1993	532	22.0	24.2	36.1
1994	514	21.0	24.5	40.7
1995	475	19.0	25.0	40.2
1996	475	19.0	25.0	40.2
1997	480	19.0	25.3	37.9
1998	459	20.0	23.0	36.4
1999	447	24.3	18.4	36.9
2000	450	23.0	19.6	35.6
2001	433	22.5	19.2	43.8
2002	375	21.0	17.9	26.3
2003	375	21.0	17.9	26.3
2004	324	20.5	15.8	48.2
2005	298	17.9	16.6	52.4
2006	289	19.0	15.2	52.1
2007	320	18.5	17.3	57
2008	250	19.0	13.2	60.8
2009	327	20.4	15.3	45.9
2010	369	22.8	16.1	42.8
2011	397	n/a	n/a	37.5
2012	365	21.0	17.3	n/a
2013	343	19.0	18.0	32.4
2014	370	19.4	19.0	35.1
2015	367	19.0	19.3	31.3
2016	392	20.0	19.6	31.4
2017	420	20.0	21.0	33.3
2018	448	19.1	23.4	37.5
2019	459	17.8	25.7	34.6
2020	454	n/a	n/a	28.9
2021	453	19.0	23.8	30.7
2022	461	20.5	22.4	29.1
2023	475	20.9	22.6	25.5
2024	474	20.0	23.7	29.3

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 Harding Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	411	15.5	26.5	n/a
1989	446	18.2	24.5	n/a
1990	538	21.9	24.5	n/a
1991	565	21.0	26.9	n/a
1992	568	21.3	26.6	28.3
1993	532	22.0	24.2	36.1
1994	514	21.0	24.5	40.7
1995	475	19.0	25.0	40.2
1996	475	19.0	25.0	40.2
1997	480	19.0	25.3	37.9
1998	459	20.0	23.0	36.4
1999	447	24.3	18.4	36.9
2000	450	23.0	19.6	35.6
2001	433	22.5	19.2	43.8
2002	375	21.0	17.9	26.3
2003	375	21.0	17.9	26.3
2004	324	20.5	15.8	48.2
2005	298	17.9	16.6	52.4
2006	289	19.0	15.2	52.1
2007	320	18.5	17.3	57
2008	250	19.0	13.2	60.8
2009	327	20.4	15.3	45.9
2010	369	22.8	16.1	42.8
2011	397	n/a	n/a	37.5
2012	365	21.0	17.3	n/a
2013	343	19.0	18.0	32.4
2014	370	19.4	19.0	35.1
2015	367	19.0	19.3	31.3
2016	392	20.0	19.6	31.4
2017	420	20.0	21.0	33.3
2018	448	19.1	23.4	37.5
2019	459	17.8	25.7	34.6
2020	454	n/a	n/a	28.9
2021	453	19.0	23.8	30.7
2022	461	20.5	22.4	29.1
2023	475	20.9	22.6	25.5
2024	474	20.0	23.7	29.3

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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