Horizon Elementary

Q: Is Horizon Elementary a good school?

Horizon Elementary ranks 2961 st of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Horizon Elementary is a public elementary school located in Mc Farland, CA, serving grades KG-6 with a total enrollment of 555 students. It is part of the McFarland Unified School District, which is ranked 1254 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Horizon Elementary consistently outperforms the McFarland Unified School District and the state of California in standardized test scores across various grade levels and subjects. In the 2023-2024 school year, 41.27% of Horizon Elementary students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 31.9% for the district and 47.04% for the state. In mathematics, 33.65% of Horizon Elementary students were proficient or better, compared to 20.32% for the district and 35.54% for the state. The school's performance is particularly strong in English Language Arts/Literacy for 5th grade (49.43% proficient) and in mathematics for 3rd grade (40% proficient). Horizon Elementary also performs well for its English Language Learner and Hispanic student subgroups, ranking in the top 17% and 34% of California elementary schools, respectively.

However, Horizon Elementary has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 1.0% in 2018-2019 to 9.9% in 2022-2023. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 81.44% to 83.87% over the past three school years. While Horizon Elementary outperforms the nearby Browning Road STEAM Academy and Kern Avenue Elementary, the nearby Harvest Elementary, which is part of the Delano Union Elementary School District, outperforms Horizon Elementary in both English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics.

Detail:

Public K-6

800 South Garzoli Ave.
Mc Farland, CA 93250-1304

(661) 792-3081

District: McFarland Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2961^st of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,537

Student/teacher ratio: 24.3

Number of students: 535

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

97.6%

Asian:

1.5%

African American:

0.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 84.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Horizon Elementary ranks worse than 50.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks first among 3 ranked elementary schools in the McFarland Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 43.42. (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 (97.6%), Asian (1.5%), African American (0.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 84.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the McFarland Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Horizon Elementary is 24.3, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the McFarland Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Horizon Elementary employs 22 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Horizon Elementary is $5,537, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the McFarland Unified School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Horizon Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Horizon Elementary 2961^st of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Horizon 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:

McFarland Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks McFarland Unified 1254^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Horizon Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Horizon Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	49.59	2617^th	5789	54.8%
2021	23.82	1078^th	1417	23.9%
2022	40.92	3027^th	5883	48.5%
2023	38.23	3269^th	5874	44.3%
2024	43.42	2961^st	5862	49.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Horizon Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	45.76	1464^th	3246	54.9%
2019	82.24	283^rd	3275	91.4%
2021	26.15	550^th	602	8.6%
2022	55.92	931^st	3311	71.9%
2023	67.75	557^th	3250	82.9%
2024	65.16	538^th	3160	83.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Horizon Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	44.83	2681^st	5084	47.3%
2019	66.93	1351^st	5173	73.9%
2021	32.70	771^st	1110	30.5%
2022	57.15	1851^st	5264	64.8%
2023	47.44	2540^th	5374	52.7%
2024	53.83	2128^th	5511	61.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Horizon Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	30.27	3747^th	5413	30.8%
2019	41.48	3015^th	5492	45.1%
2021	21.80	997^th	1267	21.3%
2022	38.80	3067^th	5635	45.6%
2023	36.79	3241^st	5617	42.3%
2024	44.00	2793^rd	5605	50.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Horizon Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	35.80	3295^th	5431	39.3%
2019	56.65	2108^th	5510	61.7%
2021	27.22	892^nd	1272	29.9%
2022	43.54	2801^st	5663	50.5%
2023	39.46	3093^rd	5650	45.3%
2024	42.51	2901^st	5636	48.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Horizon Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	45.42	2522^nd	4830	47.8%
2019	65.96	1358^th	4963	72.6%
2022	55.98	1838^th	5084	63.8%
2023	51.86	2132^nd	5098	58.2%
2024	59.25	1716^th	5102	66.4%

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 Horizon Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2017	4	0	13	497	0	0	514
2018	6	1	11	503	0	0	521
2019	8	0	11	469	0	0	488
2020	8	0	12	580	0	0	600
2021	5	0	9	549	0	1	564
2022	4	0	4	545	0	0	553
2023	0	2	8	540	1	4	555
2024	0	2	8	522	1	2	535

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 Horizon Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	514	19.0	27.0	85.8
2018	521	19.0	27.4	84.8
2019	488	19.0	25.6	84.8
2020	600	n/a	n/a	87.3
2021	564	22.0	25.6	83.9
2022	553	22.0	25.1	83
2023	555	22.0	25.2	81.4
2024	535	22.0	24.3	84.1

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 Horizon Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	514	19.0	27.0	85.8
2018	521	19.0	27.4	84.8
2019	488	19.0	25.6	84.8
2020	600	n/a	n/a	87.3
2021	564	22.0	25.6	83.9
2022	553	22.0	25.1	83
2023	555	22.0	25.2	81.4
2024	535	22.0	24.3	84.1

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates

Horizon Elementary

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Year	Completely Immunized	Religious Exemption	Medical Exemption	Conditional	Polio	Hepatitis B	Varicella	DTP	MMR
2017	≥99.0%	≤1.0%	≤1.0%	≤1.0%	≥99.0%	≥99.0%	≥99.0%	≥99.0%	≥99.0%
2018	≥99.0%	≤1.0%	≤1.0%	≤1.0%	≥99.0%	≥99.0%	≥99.0%	≥99.0%	≥99.0%
2019	≥98.0%		≤2.0%	≤2.0%	≥98.0%	≥98.0%	≥98.0%	≥98.0%	≥98.0%
2020	98.2%		0.0%	0.9%
2022	77.1%		0.0%	0.0%	80.7%	89.2%	90.4%	80.7%	86.8%

Data source: California Department of Public Health

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Horizon Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$5,537

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Horizon Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 2617^th of 5789 Elementary schools	Ranks 3269^th of 5874 Elementary schools	10.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Horizon Elementary)	50.6	29.7	20.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (McFarland Unified)	28.6	26.1	2.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	43	5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Horizon Elementary)	58	33.8	24.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (McFarland Unified)	35.1	23.7	11.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (California)	50.2	45.1	5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Horizon Elementary)	57.5	43.4	14.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (McFarland Unified)	39.8	29.2	10.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.5	43.7	5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Horizon Elementary)	49.3	53	3.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (McFarland Unified)	30.7	29.2	1.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (California)	44.9	40.8	4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Horizon Elementary)	44.9	35.7	9.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (McFarland Unified)	35.6	30.2	5.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.7	46.7	5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Horizon Elementary)	33.3	23.8	9.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (McFarland Unified)	19.3	18.2	1.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (California)	38	33.4	4.6%
5th Grade Science (Horizon Elementary)	15.6	20.5	4.9%
5th Grade Science (McFarland Unified)	11.8	17	5.2%
5th Grade Science (California)	31.7	31.9	0.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	488	555	13.7%
African American	0	2
American Indian	0	0
Asian	11	8	27.3%
Hispanic	469	540	15.1%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	8	0	100%
Two or More Races	0	4
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	84.8%	81.4%	3.4%

Schools Near Horizon Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Total
Horizon Elementary	Public	K-6	800 South Garzoli Ave.	Mc Farland	93250	Kern County	McFarland Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 792-3081	535	22	24.3	84.1%	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	522 (97.6%)	8 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	43.4	2961^st of 5862 public elementary schools	49.5%		38.2	3269^th of 5874 public elementary schools	44.3%	308	25.3		25.3	38.7	37.8	49.4	38.0			41.3	40.0	32.4	39.1	22.8			33.7	77.1	80.7	89.2	90.4	80.7	86.8	$5,537
Kern Avenue Elementary	Public	K-6	356 West Kern Ave.	Mc Farland	93250	Kern County	McFarland Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 792-3033	706	32	22.0	92.1%	7 (1.0%)	4 (0.6%)	682 (96.6%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.0%)	21.1	4758^th of 5862 public elementary schools	18.8%		25.1	4357^th of 5874 public elementary schools	25.8%	401	13.3		13.3	16.1	25.4	29.6	31.2			25.9	21.0	21.1	17.4	24.7			21.0	81.0	81.0	92.2	91.4	81.9	85.3	$55,377
Browning Road STEAM Academy	Public	K-6	410 East Perkins	Mc Farland	93250	Kern County	McFarland Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 792-2113	490	23	21.3	92.9%	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	484 (98.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	18.9	4935^th of 5862 public elementary schools	15.8%		11.6	5608^th of 5874 public elementary schools	4.5%	673	25.3		25.3	17.7	18.7	33.3	29.5			25.0	20.6	9.3	12.0	14.1			13.9	82.3	85.4	95.8	94.8	84.4	89.6	$7,152
Pond Elementary	Public	K-8	29585 Pond Rd.	Wasco	93280	Kern County	Pond Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 792-2545	169	9	18.7	88.8%	4 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	159 (94.1%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.4%)	21.1	4750^th of 5862 public elementary schools	19.0%		13.6	5438^th of 5874 public elementary schools	7.4%	688	11.1	13.3	12.1	31.3	28.6	16.7	15.0	18.2	40.0	23.8	37.5	35.7	11.1	15.0	9.1	33.3	21.9	89.3					89.3	$12,927
Nueva Vista Language Academy	Public, Charter	K-6	120 Garces Hwy.	Delano	93215	Kern County	Delano Union Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 721-5070	706	36	19.8	85.6%	5 (0.7%)	9 (1.3%)	635 (89.9%)	42 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.1%)	53.7	2359^th of 5862 public elementary schools	59.8%		48.3	2623^rd of 5874 public elementary schools	55.3%	264	30.4		30.4	44.8	47.8	46.2	61.0			48.7	41.8	45.1	21.7	42.4			37.8							$11,431
Del Vista Math and Science Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	710 Quincy St.	Delano	93215	Kern County	Delano Union Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 721-5040	524	24	21.6	91.2%	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	488 (93.1%)	26 (5.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	49.7	2569^th of 5862 public elementary schools	56.2%		39.4	3180^th of 5874 public elementary schools	45.9%	611	35.8		35.8	37.1	47.3	45.2				43.7	38.0	46.8	26.3				36.9	98.0			98.0			$10,052
James A. Forrest Elementary	Public	K-5	401 North Griffith Ave.	Wasco	93280	Kern County	Wasco Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 758-7490	578	25	22.9	91.0%	10 (1.7%)	8 (1.4%)	552 (95.5%)	6 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27	4192^nd of 5862 public elementary schools	28.5%		29.4	3951^st of 5874 public elementary schools	32.7%	241	10.0		10.0	41.1	23.8	25.0				30.2	46.7	18.3	15.6				27.3	96.8	96.8				96.8
Pioneer	Public	K-8	1001 Hiett Ave.	Delano	93215	Kern County	Delano Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 474-4911	977	48	20.4	88.5%	13 (1.3%)	6 (0.6%)	900 (92.1%)	47 (4.8%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (0.8%)	38.5	3265^th of 5862 public elementary schools	44.3%		31.3	3779^th of 5874 public elementary schools	35.7%	514	21.0	16.4	18.5	40.7	25.0	40.2	50.8	59.2	49.6	45.3	37.2	20.0	23.0	32.6	33.9	34.4	30.5							$7,060
Fremont Elementary	Public	K-5	1318 Clinton St.	Delano	93215	Kern County	Delano Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 721-5050	457	22	21.0	91.2%	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	411 (89.9%)	31 (6.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.0%)	26.8	4220^th of 5862 public elementary schools	28.0%		23	4554^th of 5874 public elementary schools	22.5%	334	25.7		25.7	23.5	28.8	33.3				28.6	23.2	25.4	25.7				24.8							$7,801
Karl F. Clemens Elementary	Public	K-5	523 Broadway Ave.	Wasco	93280	Kern County	Wasco Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 758-7120	527	23	22.8	94.7%	9 (1.7%)	2 (0.4%)	513 (97.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	12.6	5509^th of 5862 public elementary schools	6.0%		14.7	5346^th of 5874 public elementary schools	9.0%	163	6.9		6.9	15.9	22.8	22.0				20.5	22.1	14.4	6.8				14.0	96.9			96.9			$7,696

Frequently Asked Questions about Horizon Elementary

How many students attend Horizon Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 535 students attended Horizon Elementary.

Is Horizon Elementary a good school?

Horizon Elementary ranks 2961^st of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Horizon Elementary in?

McFarland Unified

What is the racial makeup of Horizon Elementary?

Students at Horizon Elementary are 98% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.