Is Golden Elementary a good school?

Yes! Golden Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 12 th of 5862 California elementary schools.

How many students attend Golden Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 803 students attended Golden Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Golden Elementary?

Students at Golden Elementary are 53% Asian, 21% White, 17% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Golden Elementary attend?

Students who attend Golden Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Col. J. K. Tuffree Middle High : El Dorado High

Golden Elementary

Summary:

Golden Elementary is a highly-performing public elementary school in Placentia, California, serving 759 students from kindergarten to 6th grade. It is part of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, which is ranked 277 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Golden Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in California, with over 90% proficiency in English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grade levels. The school's exceptional academic performance is significantly higher than the district and state averages, often by 20-30 percentage points. Golden Elementary also excels in supporting the academic growth of diverse student subgroups, including female students, male students, Asian students, Hispanic students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Additionally, the school maintains a relatively low chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 2.0% to 8.6%, which is much lower than the district and state averages.

When compared to other elementary schools in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, such as Topaz Elementary and Morse Elementary, Golden Elementary stands out as a clear leader in academic achievement and overall performance. This consistent high ranking and exceptional test scores make Golden Elementary a valuable case study for understanding effective educational practices that could be replicated in other schools, both within the district and across the state.

Detail:

Public K-6

740 East Golden Ave.
Placentia, CA 92870-1635

(714) 986-7160

District: Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,614

Students who attend Golden Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Col. J. K. Tuffree Middle
High:	El Dorado High

Student/teacher ratio: 27.6

Number of students: 803

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

53.4%

White:

20.8%

Hispanic:

17.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 18.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Golden Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Golden Elementary ranks better than 99.8% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks first among 21 ranked elementary schools in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 99.13. (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 Golden Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (53.4%), White (20.8%), Hispanic (17.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 18.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Golden Elementary is 27.6. 16 elementary schools in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Golden Elementary employs 29 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Golden Elementary is $5,614. 18 elementary schools in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Golden Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Golden Elementary 12^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Golden 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:

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified 277^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Golden Elementary.

What do you think?

Your rating for Golden Elementary?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Golden Elementary

Compare

Rank History for all students at Golden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	93.97	278^th	4809	94.2%
2005	95.23	205^th	4822	95.7%
2006	95.52	189^th	4818	96.1%
2007	91.32	447^th	5113	91.3%
2008	90.79	440^th	5113	91.4%
2009	93.10	279^th	5193	94.6%
2010	94.38	175^th	5314	96.7%
2011	94.06	183^rd	5377	96.6%
2012	93.53	193^rd	5390	96.4%
2013	93.14	239^th	5530	95.7%
2015	97.78	125^th	5611	97.8%
2016	97.53	98^th	5614	98.3%
2017	98.73	32^nd	5692	99.4%
2018	98.61	30^th	5662	99.5%
2019	98.20	53^rd	5789	99.1%
2022	98.77	36^th	5883	99.4%
2023	98.77	36^th	5874	99.4%
2024	99.13	12^th	5862	99.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Golden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	90.31	13^th	669	98.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Golden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	99.12	16^th	5084	99.7%
2019	88.92	327^th	5173	93.7%
2022	98.79	60^th	5264	98.9%
2023	99.76	11^th	5374	99.8%
2024	99.75	12^th	5511	99.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Golden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	98.06	32^nd	5413	99.4%
2019	97.32	62^nd	5492	98.9%
2022	97.79	76^th	5635	98.7%
2023	97.80	73^rd	5617	98.7%
2024	98.36	30^th	5605	99.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Golden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	98.46	31^st	5431	99.4%
2019	98.11	49^th	5510	99.1%
2022	98.85	20^th	5663	99.6%
2023	98.90	15^th	5650	99.7%
2024	99.15	12^th	5636	99.8%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Golden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	87.27	12^th	1071	98.9%
2019	86.23	18^th	1149	98.4%
2022	86.39	28^th	1154	97.6%
2023	86.40	26^th	1190	97.8%
2024	87.89	21^st	1203	98.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Golden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	99.29	20^th	4830	99.6%
2019	93.17	190^th	4963	96.2%
2022	93.26	253^rd	5084	95.0%
2023	98.34	55^th	5098	98.9%
2024	99.10	24^th	5102	99.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Golden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	88.98	123^rd	2737	95.5%
2019	89.46	110^th	2834	96.1%
2022	88.59	156^th	2726	94.3%
2023	88.17	160^th	2662	94.0%
2024	87.26	168^th	2647	93.7%

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: 1.5)

50%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Golden Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	356	8	18	32	0	n/a	n/a	0	414
1989	341	11	29	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	416
1990	340	8	29	44	1	n/a	n/a	0	422
1991	333	8	29	51	0	n/a	n/a	0	421
1992	376	6	41	68	0	n/a	n/a	0	491
1993	364	6	42	85	0	n/a	n/a	0	497
1994	353	9	41	91	1	n/a	n/a	0	495
1995	388	19	49	101	0	n/a	n/a	0	557
1996	388	19	49	101	0	n/a	n/a	0	557
1997	396	21	51	97	0	n/a	n/a	0	565
1998	414	17	58	60	0	n/a	n/a	0	549
1999	430	16	62	55	0	n/a	n/a	0	563
2000	433	14	61	54	0	n/a	n/a	0	562
2001	488	13	63	50	2	n/a	n/a	0	616
2002	501	13	129	51	2	n/a	n/a	0	696
2003	501	13	129	51	2	n/a	n/a	0	696
2004	478	7	132	70	2	n/a	n/a	0	689
2005	492	8	151	72	3	n/a	n/a	0	726
2006	508	9	167	92	6	n/a	n/a	0	782
2007	502	8	164	84	5	n/a	n/a	3	766
2008	470	9	165	85	4	n/a	n/a	0	733
2009	409	11	184	75	2	3	48	0	732
2010	392	9	219	96	2	2	45	0	765
2011	369	12	262	105	2	3	42	0	795
2012	344	9	277	121	0	2	38	0	791
2013	306	6	295	136	0	3	47	0	793
2014	277	6	307	145	0	1	56	0	792
2015	254	4	360	148	0	1	39	0	806
2016	252	8	396	138	1	2	32	0	829
2017	249	7	390	134	1	2	28	0	811
2018	243	8	412	135	3	0	22	0	823
2019	240	10	413	141	3	0	26	0	833
2020	233	9	437	129	3	0	29	0	840
2021	191	6	420	106	3	0	37	0	763
2022	166	5	424	113	1	0	50	0	759
2023	167	5	401	125	0	1	60	0	759
2024	167	6	429	137	1	2	61	0	803

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 Golden Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	414	15.9	26.0	n/a
1989	416	16.9	24.6	n/a
1990	422	17.2	24.5	n/a
1991	421	18.6	22.6	n/a
1992	491	18.9	25.9	7.1
1993	497	21.3	23.3	12.1
1994	495	21.8	22.7	12.9
1995	557	22.0	25.3	19.6
1996	557	22.0	25.3	19.6
1997	565	23.0	24.6	18.8
1998	549	24.0	22.9	10.4
1999	563	26.0	21.7	10.5
2000	562	27.0	20.8	8.5
2001	616	29.0	21.2	6.2
2002	696	31.0	22.5	7.2
2003	696	31.0	22.5	7.2
2004	689	33.8	20.4	2.8
2005	726	31.0	23.4	7.7
2006	782	33.0	23.7	6.9
2007	766	33.0	23.2	6.3
2008	733	35.0	20.9	5
2009	732	30.0	22.9	5.5
2010	765	29.0	26.3	6.7
2011	795	n/a	n/a	6.2
2012	791	26.5	29.8	n/a
2013	793	27.0	29.3	7.6
2014	792	26.0	30.4	9
2015	806	28.0	28.7	9.9
2016	829	28.0	29.6	10.6
2017	811	28.0	28.9	9.6
2018	823	28.0	29.3	13.6
2019	833	28.0	29.7	12.6
2020	840	n/a	n/a	13.1
2021	763	29.0	26.3	22.1
2022	759	29.0	26.1	20.2
2023	759	28.0	27.1	22.3
2024	803	29.0	27.6	18.8

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 Golden Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	414	15.9	26.0	n/a
1989	416	16.9	24.6	n/a
1990	422	17.2	24.5	n/a
1991	421	18.6	22.6	n/a
1992	491	18.9	25.9	7.1
1993	497	21.3	23.3	12.1
1994	495	21.8	22.7	12.9
1995	557	22.0	25.3	19.6
1996	557	22.0	25.3	19.6
1997	565	23.0	24.6	18.8
1998	549	24.0	22.9	10.4
1999	563	26.0	21.7	10.5
2000	562	27.0	20.8	8.5
2001	616	29.0	21.2	6.2
2002	696	31.0	22.5	7.2
2003	696	31.0	22.5	7.2
2004	689	33.8	20.4	2.8
2005	726	31.0	23.4	7.7
2006	782	33.0	23.7	6.9
2007	766	33.0	23.2	6.3
2008	733	35.0	20.9	5
2009	732	30.0	22.9	5.5
2010	765	29.0	26.3	6.7
2011	795	n/a	n/a	6.2
2012	791	26.5	29.8	n/a
2013	793	27.0	29.3	7.6
2014	792	26.0	30.4	9
2015	806	28.0	28.7	9.9
2016	829	28.0	29.6	10.6
2017	811	28.0	28.9	9.6
2018	823	28.0	29.3	13.6
2019	833	28.0	29.7	12.6
2020	840	n/a	n/a	13.1
2021	763	29.0	26.3	22.1
2022	759	29.0	26.1	20.2
2023	759	28.0	27.1	22.3
2024	803	29.0	27.6	18.8

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