Is Don Benito Fundamental a good school?

Don Benito Fundamental ranks 1961 st of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Don Benito Fundamental?

In the 2023-24 school year, 398 students attended Don Benito Fundamental.

What is the racial makeup of Don Benito Fundamental?

Students at Don Benito Fundamental are 49% Hispanic, 26% White, 9% Two or more races, 9% Asian, 7% African American.

What schools do graduates of Don Benito Fundamental attend?

Students who attend Don Benito Fundamental usually go on to attend: High : Pasadena High

Don Benito Fundamental

Summary:

Don Benito Fundamental is a public elementary school in Pasadena, California, serving 386 students in grades K-5 and part of the Pasadena Unified School District. The school generally performs better than the district and state averages in academic achievement, with 49.26% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy compared to 45.87% for Pasadena Unified and 47.04% for California. However, the school has seen a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 5.9% in 2017-2018 to 31.6% in 2022-2023, which warrants further investigation and intervention.

When analyzing student subgroup performance, some interesting patterns emerge. Female students at Don Benito Fundamental outperform male students, and White students perform better than Hispanic and African American students, highlighting potential achievement gaps that need to be addressed. Comparing Don Benito Fundamental to nearby schools, Hamilton Elementary and Field (Eugene) Elementary consistently outperform Don Benito Fundamental in academic achievement, while the school performs better than Norma Coombs Elementary and Willard Elementary. Additionally, Aveson School of Leaders, a public charter school outside the Pasadena Unified School District, also outperforms Don Benito Fundamental in academic achievement.

Overall, Don Benito Fundamental is a relatively strong-performing school within the Pasadena Unified School District, but there is room for improvement, particularly in addressing the concerning trend of increasing chronic absenteeism and addressing achievement gaps between different student subgroups. Examining the practices and strategies of the higher-performing nearby schools, both within and outside the district, could provide valuable insights and opportunities for Don Benito Fundamental to learn and improve.

Detail:

Public K-5

3700 Denair St.
Pasadena, CA 91107-1303

(626) 396-5870

District: Pasadena Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1961^st of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,663

Students who attend Don Benito Fundamental usually attend:

High:

Pasadena High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.1

Number of students: 398

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

49.0%

White:

25.6%

Two or more races:

9.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 58%

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Compare Don Benito Fundamental to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Don Benito Fundamental ranks better than 66.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 4^th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Pasadena Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 62.34. (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 (49%), White (25.6%), two or more races (9.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 58% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Don Benito Fundamental is 22.1, which is the 3^rd best among 14 elementary schools in the Pasadena Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Don Benito Fundamental employs 17.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Don Benito Fundamental is $6,663. 8 elementary schools in the Pasadena Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Don Benito Fundamental:

SchoolDigger ranks Don Benito Fundamental 1961^st of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Don Benito Fundamental 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:

Pasadena Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Pasadena Unified 730^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Don Benito Fundamental

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Rank History for all students at Don Benito Fundamental

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	84.29	731^st	4809	84.8%
2005	82.55	834^th	4822	82.7%
2006	73.70	1183^rd	4818	75.4%
2007	73.04	1243^rd	5113	75.7%
2008	66.82	1547^th	5113	69.7%
2009	70.35	1420^th	5193	72.7%
2010	76.34	1167^th	5314	78.0%
2011	77.25	1148^th	5377	78.6%
2012	80.30	1014^th	5390	81.2%
2013	72.17	1465^th	5530	73.5%
2015	75.55	1300^th	5611	76.8%
2016	71.75	1447^th	5614	74.2%
2017	73.05	1425^th	5692	75.0%
2018	63.60	1881^st	5662	66.8%
2019	67.46	1721^st	5789	70.3%
2022	62.69	1906^th	5883	67.6%
2023	66.08	1754^th	5874	70.1%
2024	62.34	1961^st	5862	66.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Don Benito Fundamental

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	44.80	1052^nd	2420	56.5%
2024	39.91	1328^th	2634	49.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Don Benito Fundamental

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	48.79	2448^th	5084	51.8%
2019	46.62	2637^th	5173	49.0%
2022	41.10	2902^nd	5264	44.9%
2023	59.25	1786^th	5374	66.8%
2024	47.50	2561^st	5511	53.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Don Benito Fundamental

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	54.06	2275^th	5413	58.0%
2019	59.80	1976^th	5492	64.0%
2022	71.07	1476^th	5635	73.8%
2023	67.43	1616^th	5617	71.2%
2024	64.17	1750^th	5605	68.8%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Don Benito Fundamental

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	42.33	1218^th	2585	52.9%
2022	39.71	1089^th	2227	51.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Don Benito Fundamental

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	69.53	1506^th	5431	72.3%
2019	71.90	1443^rd	5510	73.8%
2022	54.55	2216^th	5663	60.9%
2023	62.69	1822^nd	5650	67.8%
2024	58.14	2056^th	5636	63.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Don Benito Fundamental

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	43.30	320^th	663	51.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Don Benito Fundamental

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	58.51	1703^rd	4830	64.7%
2019	64.31	1440^th	4963	71.0%
2022	57.16	1770^th	5084	65.2%
2023	59.30	1710^th	5098	66.5%
2024	46.22	2527^th	5102	50.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Don Benito Fundamental

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	52.39	1439^th	2737	47.4%
2019	65.16	1012^th	2834	64.3%
2022	64.69	998^th	2726	63.4%
2023	59.96	1112^th	2662	58.2%
2024	61.85	1066^th	2647	59.7%

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
Monday, October 17, 2022

This school is the best we have been to after several moves. The teachers and staff are really caring and supportive. It is a great community with lots of activities like movie nights and the fall carnival, stargazing, assemblies. The PTA and annual fund raise money for supplies and extra staff to help the teachers and students so they have a full time librarian and a music teacher too. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Don Benito Fundamental

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	222	294	65	136	1	n/a	n/a	0	718
1989	179	291	65	121	3	n/a	n/a	0	659
1990	170	282	53	118	3	n/a	n/a	0	626
1991	211	322	68	110	0	n/a	n/a	0	711
1992	211	324	69	126	2	n/a	n/a	0	732
1993	242	342	66	116	2	n/a	n/a	0	768
1994	244	309	77	107	2	n/a	n/a	0	739
1995	300	273	70	129	3	n/a	n/a	0	775
1996	300	273	70	129	3	n/a	n/a	0	775
1997	304	240	74	140	4	n/a	n/a	0	762
1998	282	228	72	157	3	n/a	n/a	0	742
1999	255	207	74	182	2	n/a	n/a	0	720
2000	259	184	77	202	4	n/a	n/a	0	726
2001	269	179	69	211	7	n/a	n/a	0	735
2002	267	154	81	210	4	n/a	n/a	0	716
2003	267	154	81	210	4	n/a	n/a	0	716
2004	304	156	45	195	2	n/a	n/a	0	702
2005	294	189	103	233	1	n/a	n/a	0	820
2006	279	190	103	242	4	n/a	n/a	0	818
2007	263	190	92	240	4	n/a	n/a	50	839
2008	290	168	104	243	2	n/a	n/a	0	807
2009	276	155	96	216	2	2	0	0	747
2010	189	104	86	246	2	1	81	0	709
2011	192	101	79	233	2	0	59	0	666
2012	205	97	79	239	2	0	53	0	675
2013	210	98	71	218	2	1	38	0	638
2014	218	92	59	218	2	1	39	0	629
2015	223	96	57	226	2	1	28	0	633
2016	209	87	50	230	0	1	31	0	608
2017	209	75	52	249	1	1	35	0	622
2018	199	67	42	243	2	1	41	0	595
2019	174	67	36	232	2	1	42	0	554
2020	146	59	38	210	2	1	38	0	494
2021	131	54	43	204	0	0	39	0	471
2022	112	34	29	181	0	0	31	0	387
2023	107	24	33	188	0	0	34	0	386
2024	102	27	35	195	1	0	37	1	398

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 Don Benito Fundamental

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	718	25.0	28.7	n/a
1989	659	22.0	29.9	n/a
1990	626	23.0	27.2	n/a
1991	711	26.0	27.3	n/a
1992	732	26.4	27.7	n/a
1993	768	27.0	28.4	31.9
1994	739	27.0	27.4	32.9
1995	775	26.0	29.8	30.7
1996	775	26.0	29.8	30.7
1997	762	31.0	24.6	29.7
1998	742	33.0	22.5	28.6
1999	720	33.0	21.8	26.5
2000	726	35.0	20.7	25.1
2001	735	35.0	21.0	26.3
2002	716	34.0	21.1	25.8
2003	716	34.0	21.1	25.8
2004	702	34.0	20.6	31.8
2005	820	38.0	21.6	29.9
2006	818	38.0	21.5	31.7
2007	839	35.0	24.0	32.2
2008	807	41.1	19.6	0
2009	747	37.4	18.5	24.4
2010	709	33.0	21.4	36
2011	666	n/a	n/a	38
2012	675	26.0	25.9	n/a
2013	638	24.0	26.5	35.4
2014	629	24.0	26.2	37.8
2015	633	25.0	25.3	39
2016	608	23.0	26.4	40.8
2017	622	20.6	30.1	38.9
2018	595	24.5	24.2	38
2019	554	23.0	24.0	39.9
2020	494	n/a	n/a	49.8
2021	471	19.0	24.7	53.1
2022	387	18.0	21.5	52.7
2023	386	17.0	22.7	57.8
2024	398	17.9	22.1	58

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 Don Benito Fundamental

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	718	25.0	28.7	n/a
1989	659	22.0	29.9	n/a
1990	626	23.0	27.2	n/a
1991	711	26.0	27.3	n/a
1992	732	26.4	27.7	n/a
1993	768	27.0	28.4	31.9
1994	739	27.0	27.4	32.9
1995	775	26.0	29.8	30.7
1996	775	26.0	29.8	30.7
1997	762	31.0	24.6	29.7
1998	742	33.0	22.5	28.6
1999	720	33.0	21.8	26.5
2000	726	35.0	20.7	25.1
2001	735	35.0	21.0	26.3
2002	716	34.0	21.1	25.8
2003	716	34.0	21.1	25.8
2004	702	34.0	20.6	31.8
2005	820	38.0	21.6	29.9
2006	818	38.0	21.5	31.7
2007	839	35.0	24.0	32.2
2008	807	41.1	19.6	0
2009	747	37.4	18.5	24.4
2010	709	33.0	21.4	36
2011	666	n/a	n/a	38
2012	675	26.0	25.9	n/a
2013	638	24.0	26.5	35.4
2014	629	24.0	26.2	37.8
2015	633	25.0	25.3	39
2016	608	23.0	26.4	40.8
2017	622	20.6	30.1	38.9
2018	595	24.5	24.2	38
2019	554	23.0	24.0	39.9
2020	494	n/a	n/a	49.8
2021	471	19.0	24.7	53.1
2022	387	18.0	21.5	52.7
2023	386	17.0	22.7	57.8
2024	398	17.9	22.1	58

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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