Is Foothill Elementary a good school?

Foothill Elementary ranks 3069 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Foothill Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 660 students attended Foothill Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Foothill Elementary?

Students at Foothill Elementary are 56% White, 23% Hispanic, 15% American Indian, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Foothill Elementary attend?

Students who attend Foothill Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Sierra Junior High High : Sierra High

Foothill Elementary

Summary:

Foothill Elementary is a public elementary school located in Prather, CA, serving grades KG-6 with a total enrollment of 660 students. It is part of the Sierra Unified School District, which is ranked 788 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Foothill Elementary faces several challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates, lower-than-average test scores, and significant performance gaps across different student subgroups. The school's chronic absenteeism rate has risen from 17.3% in 2017-2018 to 37.0% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the state average of 14.3%. Academically, Foothill's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are around 5-10 percentage points below the state and district averages, with particularly weak performance in 5th and 6th grade. The school's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with Native American students performing relatively well, but White students, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, Hispanic students, and special education students performing significantly worse.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Woods (Harold L.) Elementary and Dry Creek Elementary, both within 15 miles of Foothill, the latter performs significantly worse, with higher test scores and lower chronic absenteeism rates. This suggests that the challenges faced by Foothill Elementary may be unique to the school or the Sierra Unified School District, rather than being a broader regional issue. Addressing the socioeconomic factors, such as the high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, could be a key focus area for improving the school's overall performance.

Detail:

Public K-6

29147 Auberry Rd.
Prather, CA 93651-9757

(559) 855-3551

District: Sierra Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3069^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,815

Students who attend Foothill Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sierra Junior High
High:	Sierra High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.8

Number of students: 660

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.8%

Hispanic:

22.9%

American Indian:

14.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 47%

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Compare Foothill Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Foothill Elementary ranks worse than 52.4% of elementary schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 41.85. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Foothill Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (55.8%), Hispanic (22.9%), American Indian (14.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 47% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Foothill Elementary is 22.8. (See more...)

Compare Foothill Elementary employs 28.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Foothill Elementary is $6,815.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Foothill Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Foothill Elementary 3069^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Foothill 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:

Native American students:

White students:

Sierra Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Sierra Unified 788^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Foothill Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Foothill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2013	56.27	2333^rd	5530	57.8%
2015	53.90	2245^th	5611	60.0%
2016	45.73	2725^th	5614	51.5%
2017	53.97	2329^th	5692	59.1%
2018	45.36	2811^th	5662	50.4%
2019	51.47	2517^th	5789	56.5%
2021	60.62	501^st	1417	64.6%
2022	50.64	2510^th	5883	57.3%
2023	43.11	2940^th	5874	49.9%
2024	41.85	3069^th	5862	47.6%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Foothill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	52.36	851^st	2420	64.8%
2024	41.58	1256^th	2634	52.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Foothill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	38.79	3115^th	5084	38.7%
2019	38.52	3233^rd	5173	37.5%
2021	86.22	95^th	1110	91.4%
2022	41.07	2906^th	5264	44.8%
2023	33.91	3573^rd	5374	33.5%
2024	29.37	4004^th	5511	27.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Foothill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.32	2532^nd	5413	53.2%
2019	54.96	2232^nd	5492	59.4%
2021	54.70	516^th	1267	59.3%
2022	52.70	2276^th	5635	59.6%
2023	48.86	2470^th	5617	56.0%
2024	43.08	2850^th	5605	49.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Foothill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	26.67	1603^rd	2128	24.7%
2022	53.64	731^st	2227	67.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Foothill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	40.63	3002^nd	5431	44.7%
2019	47.28	2592^nd	5510	53.0%
2021	64.88	399^th	1272	68.6%
2022	47.59	2575^th	5663	54.5%
2023	36.94	3271^st	5650	42.1%
2024	40.39	3044^th	5636	46.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Foothill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	43.50	2645^th	4830	45.2%
2019	40.40	2933^rd	4963	40.9%
2022	43.88	2599^th	5084	48.9%
2023	42.00	2753^rd	5098	46.0%
2024	53.04	2063^rd	5102	59.6%

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

Rank History for Native American students at Foothill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	62.45	3^rd	14	78.6%
2019	68.94	2^nd	18	88.9%
2022	59.46	4^th	11	63.6%
2023	56.83	4^th	11	63.6%
2024	39.06	5^th	8	37.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Foothill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	32.10	2026^th	2737	26.0%
2019	34.17	2038^th	2834	28.1%
2022	38.25	1794^th	2726	34.2%
2023	31.57	1945^th	2662	26.9%
2024	25.89	2071^st	2647	21.8%

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

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Enrollment information for Foothill Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2012	417	12	10	66	121	0	626
2013	384	12	12	92	114	1	615
2014	366	6	10	90	100	7	579
2015	387	6	10	102	100	10	615
2016	408	6	12	104	105	8	643
2017	397	6	16	126	102	6	653
2018	386	7	12	93	137	2	637
2019	404	9	13	93	123	5	647
2020	386	6	9	119	103	18	641
2021	254	4	4	91	77	13	443
2022	335	0	8	132	83	33	591
2023	368	1	9	151	97	34	660

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 Foothill Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	626	30.0	20.8	n/a
2013	615	28.6	21.4	55
2014	579	26.6	21.7	49.9
2015	615	30.0	20.5	50.2
2016	643	31.0	20.7	49
2017	653	31.0	21.0	53
2018	637	32.0	19.9	54.8
2019	647	32.0	20.2	53.2
2020	641	n/a	n/a	52.9
2021	443	27.0	16.4	88.3
2022	591	32.0	18.4	46
2023	660	28.9	22.8	47

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 Foothill Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	626	30.0	20.8	n/a
2013	615	28.6	21.4	55
2014	579	26.6	21.7	49.9
2015	615	30.0	20.5	50.2
2016	643	31.0	20.7	49
2017	653	31.0	21.0	53
2018	637	32.0	19.9	54.8
2019	647	32.0	20.2	53.2
2020	641	n/a	n/a	52.9
2021	443	27.0	16.4	88.3
2022	591	32.0	18.4	46
2023	660	28.9	22.8	47

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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