Is Charles H. Castle Elementary a good school?

Charles H. Castle Elementary ranks in the bottom 11.8% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Charles H. Castle Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 844 students attended Charles H. Castle Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Charles H. Castle Elementary?

Students at Charles H. Castle Elementary are 69% Hispanic, 14% African American, 9% White, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Charles H. Castle Elementary attend?

Students who attend Charles H. Castle Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : O. J. Actis Junior High High : West High

Charles H. Castle Elementary

Summary:

Charles H. Castle Elementary is a public elementary school in Bakersfield, California, serving 839 students in grades K-6. It is part of the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District, which is ranked 790 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Charles H. Castle Elementary faces several key challenges. The school has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 11.2% in 2018-2019 to 54.2% in 2021-2022, which is notably higher than nearby schools like Bill L. Williams Elementary (26.0%) and Christa McAuliffe Elementary (25.5%). Academically, the school consistently underperforms compared to district and state averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency, with only 24.74% of students proficient in ELA and 14.43% in Mathematics, compared to 46.16% and 30.2% for the district, respectively.

Additionally, Charles H. Castle Elementary struggles to support its diverse student population, with lower rankings for subgroups such as Female Students, Male Students, Hispanic Students, and Low Socioeconomic Status Students compared to the state. The school also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 92.85% in 2022-2023, significantly higher than nearby schools. Addressing these challenges, such as through targeted interventions, learning from higher-performing nearby schools, and leveraging community resources, could be crucial in improving the overall performance and outcomes of Charles H. Castle Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-6

6001 Edgemont Dr.
Bakersfield, CA 93309-8300

(661) 834-5311

District: Panama-Buena Vista Union

SchoolDigger Rank:
5170^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,651

Students who attend Charles H. Castle Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	O. J. Actis Junior High
High:	West High

Student/teacher ratio: 26.5

Number of students: 844

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

69.4%

African American:

13.7%

White:

9.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 93%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Charles H. Castle Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Charles H. Castle Elementary ranks worse than 88.2% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 16^th among 18 ranked elementary schools in the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 16.41. (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 (69.4%), African American (13.7%), White (9.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 93% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Charles H. Castle Elementary is 26.5. 12 elementary schools in the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Charles H. Castle Elementary employs 31.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Charles H. Castle Elementary is $12,651, which is the 4^th highest among 18 elementary schools in the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Charles H. Castle Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Charles H. Castle Elementary 5170^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Charles H. Castle Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Panama-Buena Vista Union:

SchoolDigger ranks Panama-Buena Vista Union 790^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Charles H. Castle Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Charles H. Castle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	41.44	2574^th	4809	46.5%
2005	39.63	2734^th	4822	43.3%
2006	32.27	3158^th	4818	34.5%
2007	36.89	3114^th	5113	39.1%
2008	31.67	3473^rd	5113	32.1%
2009	40.90	3000^th	5193	42.2%
2010	33.35	3593^rd	5314	32.4%
2011	32.55	3793^rd	5377	29.5%
2012	24.39	4355^th	5390	19.2%
2013	30.17	4030^th	5530	27.1%
2015	26.11	4024^th	5611	28.3%
2016	24.22	4239^th	5614	24.5%
2017	24.28	4317^th	5692	24.2%
2018	27.00	4080^th	5662	27.9%
2019	32.50	3733^rd	5789	35.5%
2022	35.59	3414^th	5883	42.0%
2023	24.43	4417^th	5874	24.8%
2024	16.41	5170^th	5862	11.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Charles H. Castle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	42.01	1665^th	3246	48.7%
2019	36.74	2004^th	3275	38.8%
2022	47.48	1330^th	3311	59.8%
2023	44.84	1496^th	3250	54.0%
2024	34.64	2201^st	3160	30.3%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Charles H. Castle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	26.08	1851^st	2420	23.5%
2024	25.04	2105^th	2634	20.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Charles H. Castle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	36.57	3270^th	5084	35.7%
2019	44.26	2804^th	5173	45.8%
2022	48.49	2364^th	5264	55.1%
2023	31.98	3736^th	5374	30.5%
2024	21.01	4705^th	5511	14.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Charles H. Castle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.97	4089^th	5413	24.5%
2019	29.15	3893^rd	5492	29.1%
2022	39.76	3008^th	5635	46.6%
2023	24.97	4233^rd	5617	24.6%
2024	20.75	4636^th	5605	17.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Charles H. Castle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	27.09	1580^th	2128	25.8%
2019	29.37	1835^th	2585	29.0%
2022	31.62	1418^th	2227	36.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Charles H. Castle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	28.81	3786^th	5431	30.3%
2019	35.94	3324^th	5510	39.7%
2022	32.70	3560^th	5663	37.1%
2023	25.18	4239^th	5650	25.0%
2024	14.06	5224^th	5636	7.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Charles H. Castle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	36.82	424^th	700	39.4%
2019	44.75	369^th	747	50.6%
2022	49.13	269^th	663	59.4%
2023	37.02	394^th	662	40.5%
2024	24.66	480^th	593	19.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Charles H. Castle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	40.83	2800^th	4830	42.0%
2019	49.24	2331^st	4963	53.0%
2022	55.12	1894^th	5084	62.7%
2023	36.95	3142^nd	5098	38.4%
2024	22.89	4278^th	5102	16.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Charles H. Castle Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	17.86	2375^th	2737	13.2%
2019	17.48	2453^rd	2834	13.4%
2023	20.21	2220^th	2662	16.6%
2024	16.00	2303^rd	2647	13.0%

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 Charles H. Castle Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	633	57	26	85	5	n/a	n/a	0	806
1990	624	67	26	101	11	n/a	n/a	0	829
1991	635	71	24	103	0	n/a	n/a	0	833
1992	655	62	37	92	0	n/a	n/a	0	846
1993	593	56	24	105	1	n/a	n/a	0	779
1994	556	72	32	132	5	n/a	n/a	0	797
1995	486	121	29	143	7	n/a	n/a	0	786
1996	486	121	29	143	7	n/a	n/a	0	786
1997	472	155	36	141	11	n/a	n/a	0	815
1998	413	148	37	167	15	n/a	n/a	0	780
1999	414	157	26	178	8	n/a	n/a	0	783
2000	395	145	20	193	5	n/a	n/a	0	758
2001	364	155	25	211	5	n/a	n/a	0	760
2002	342	173	24	242	6	n/a	n/a	2	789
2003	342	173	24	242	6	n/a	n/a	2	789
2004	330	156	21	279	5	n/a	n/a	1	792
2005	272	177	19	315	8	n/a	n/a	2	793
2006	237	182	15	356	14	n/a	n/a	0	804
2007	218	176	14	349	8	n/a	n/a	2	767
2008	205	151	13	385	9	n/a	n/a	0	763
2009	207	154	9	382	10	0	0	0	762
2010	162	151	15	403	13	0	0	0	744
2011	141	159	19	402	12	0	4	0	737
2012	107	161	16	390	8	1	6	0	689
2013	129	168	16	382	4	4	11	0	714
2014	119	132	16	380	3	7	20	0	677
2015	111	127	22	418	3	6	17	0	704
2016	101	126	18	447	4	6	21	0	723
2017	104	125	11	426	3	3	24	0	696
2018	117	136	8	542	4	5	31	0	843
2019	108	141	11	556	3	6	28	0	853
2020	100	132	14	546	4	4	23	0	823
2021	83	116	14	544	6	5	21	0	789
2022	85	115	11	551	5	7	23	0	797
2023	74	124	9	582	5	7	38	0	839
2024	79	116	12	586	5	7	38	1	844

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 Charles H. Castle Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	806	33.0	24.4	n/a
1990	829	32.0	25.9	n/a
1991	833	32.0	26.0	n/a
1992	846	32.5	26.0	21.3
1993	779	32.0	24.3	25.4
1994	797	30.0	26.6	30.5
1995	786	35.9	21.9	39.6
1996	786	35.9	21.9	39.6
1997	815	34.5	23.6	43.9
1998	780	37.4	20.9	43.1
1999	783	37.8	20.7	46.4
2000	758	36.8	20.6	49.3
2001	760	35.5	21.4	54.7
2002	789	37.0	21.3	63.3
2003	789	37.0	21.3	63.3
2004	792	39.3	20.2	65.5
2005	793	40.0	19.8	69.3
2006	804	38.5	20.9	72.3
2007	767	40.0	19.2	73.5
2008	763	41.2	18.5	76.3
2009	762	37.6	17.9	78.5
2010	744	33.0	22.5	83.7
2011	737	n/a	n/a	90.6
2012	689	23.5	29.2	87.1
2013	714	27.2	26.2	89.5
2014	677	24.2	27.8	88.8
2015	704	28.0	25.1	88.5
2016	723	25.0	28.9	88.4
2017	696	26.5	26.2	89.4
2018	843	29.5	28.5	89.7
2019	853	26.7	31.8	86.9
2020	823	n/a	n/a	91.7
2021	789	29.2	26.9	90.7
2022	797	29.1	27.3	91.5
2023	839	31.7	26.4	92.8
2024	844	31.7	26.5	93

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 Charles H. Castle Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	806	33.0	24.4	n/a
1990	829	32.0	25.9	n/a
1991	833	32.0	26.0	n/a
1992	846	32.5	26.0	21.3
1993	779	32.0	24.3	25.4
1994	797	30.0	26.6	30.5
1995	786	35.9	21.9	39.6
1996	786	35.9	21.9	39.6
1997	815	34.5	23.6	43.9
1998	780	37.4	20.9	43.1
1999	783	37.8	20.7	46.4
2000	758	36.8	20.6	49.3
2001	760	35.5	21.4	54.7
2002	789	37.0	21.3	63.3
2003	789	37.0	21.3	63.3
2004	792	39.3	20.2	65.5
2005	793	40.0	19.8	69.3
2006	804	38.5	20.9	72.3
2007	767	40.0	19.2	73.5
2008	763	41.2	18.5	76.3
2009	762	37.6	17.9	78.5
2010	744	33.0	22.5	83.7
2011	737	n/a	n/a	90.6
2012	689	23.5	29.2	87.1
2013	714	27.2	26.2	89.5
2014	677	24.2	27.8	88.8
2015	704	28.0	25.1	88.5
2016	723	25.0	28.9	88.4
2017	696	26.5	26.2	89.4
2018	843	29.5	28.5	89.7
2019	853	26.7	31.8	86.9
2020	823	n/a	n/a	91.7
2021	789	29.2	26.9	90.7
2022	797	29.1	27.3	91.5
2023	839	31.7	26.4	92.8
2024	844	31.7	26.5	93

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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