Carmela Elementary

Summary:

Carmela Elementary is a public elementary school located in Whittier, California, serving 347 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the South Whittier Elementary School District, which is ranked 1156 out of 1568 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Carmela Elementary faces significant challenges, including a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism rates, from 8.2% in 2018-2019 to 40.1% in 2022-2023, which is much higher than the state average and surrounding schools in the district. Academically, the school consistently performs below state and district averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics, with proficiency rates ranging from 16.98% to 30% in ELA and 2.78% to 32.5% in Math, compared to state averages of 42.8% to 47.04% in ELA and 34.31% to 45.64% in Math. The school's performance in CAST Science assessments is also significantly lower than the state and district averages. Carmela Elementary's student subgroups, such as female students, male students, Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, consistently perform below their peers at the state level across multiple academic measures.

Interestingly, the nearby Loma Vista Elementary and Howard J. McKibben Elementary schools within the South Whittier Elementary School District generally perform better than Carmela Elementary across academic measures, but they also have high rates of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, ranging from 84.71% to 91.79%, suggesting that the socioeconomic challenges faced by Carmela Elementary are not unique to the school. Addressing the high chronic absenteeism rates and providing targeted interventions and support to address the specific needs of Carmela Elementary's student population could be crucial in helping the school improve its overall academic performance.


Detail:

Public K-6

 13300 Lakeland Rd.
       Whittier, CA  90605-3241


(562) 941-2132

District: South Whittier Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
5037th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $5,999 Help


Students who attend Carmela Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Richard L. Graves Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  20.5 Help
Number of students:  337

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
95.0%
White:
3.3%
Asian:
0.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  95.3% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Carmela Elementary ranks worse than 85.9% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks last among 5 ranked elementary schools in the South Whittier Elementary School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.86. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (95%), White (3.3%), Asian (0.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 95.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the South Whittier Elementary School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Carmela Elementary is 20.5, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the South Whittier Elementary School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Carmela Elementary employs 16.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Carmela Elementary is $5,999. 2 elementary schools in the South Whittier Elementary School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Carmela Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Carmela Elementary 5037th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Carmela 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:


South Whittier Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks South Whittier Elementary 1156th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Carmela Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Carmela Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 22.68 3730th 4809 22.4%
2005 27.15 3470th 4822 28.0%
2006 26.01 3584th 4818 25.6%
2007 23.30 4049th 5113 20.8%
2008 22.54 4157th 5113 18.7%
2009 30.50 3673rd 5193 29.3%
2010 30.07 3843rd 5314 27.7%
2011 20.70 4626th 5377 14.0%
2012 8.92 5231st 5390 2.9%
2013 15.69 5006th 5530 9.5%
2015 11.75 5364th 5611 4.4%
2016 11.64 5329th 5614 5.1%
2017 16.80 4967th 5692 12.7%
2018 20.66 4630th 5662 18.2%
2019 15.40 5213th 5789 9.9%
2022 23.11 4536th 5883 22.9%
2023 17.06 5148th 5874 12.4%
2024 17.86 5037th 5862 14.1%
See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Carmela Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 36.13 1994th 3246 38.6%
2019 32.89 2283rd 3275 30.3%
2022 41.53 1703rd 3311 48.6%
2023 24.42 2921st 3250 10.1%
2024 22.04 2994th 3160 5.3%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Carmela Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.27 3828th 5084 24.7%
2019 21.79 4442nd 5173 14.1%
2022 35.76 3352nd 5264 36.3%
2023 23.26 4440th 5374 17.4%
2024 22.70 4558th 5511 17.3%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Carmela Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.38 4141st 5413 23.5%
2019 13.44 5123rd 5492 6.7%
2022 27.72 3960th 5635 29.7%
2023 23.79 4355th 5617 22.5%
2024 21.10 4594th 5605 18.0%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Carmela Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.19 4811th 5431 11.4%
2019 18.97 4753rd 5510 13.7%
2022 20.67 4646th 5663 18.0%
2023 12.44 5347th 5650 5.4%
2024 16.17 5060th 5636 10.2%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Carmela Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.78 3642nd 4830 24.6%
2019 20.88 4312th 4963 13.1%
2022 30.83 3639th 5084 28.4%
2023 22.89 4276th 5098 16.1%
2024 25.31 4083rd 5102 20.0%
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.

Carmela Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 







Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Carmela Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1998 11 0 0 692 0 n/a n/a 0 703
1999 40 7 4 787 2 n/a n/a 0 840
2000 26 10 4 945 2 n/a n/a 0 987
2001 24 17 2 997 1 n/a n/a 1 1042
2002 20 9 3 890 0 n/a n/a 0 922
2003 20 9 3 890 0 n/a n/a 0 922
2004 10 10 3 799 1 n/a n/a 0 823
2005 12 7 2 739 0 n/a n/a 0 760
2006 12 5 0 654 0 n/a n/a 0 671
2007 9 3 1 604 0 n/a n/a 2 619
2008 8 4 2 614 n/a n/a n/a 0 628
2009 7 5 3 585 0 2 1 0 603
2010 17 6 2 538 0 3 0 0 566
2011 21 0 3 539 0 3 0 0 566
2012 25 0 2 544 0 6 0 0 577
2013 16 0 1 515 0 3 0 0 535
2014 14 3 1 490 0 2 0 0 510
2015 7 2 1 478 0 2 0 0 490
2016 6 3 0 442 0 3 0 0 454
2017 6 3 0 431 0 0 0 0 440
2018 7 2 2 403 0 0 0 0 414
2019 4 1 1 383 0 0 0 0 389
2020 5 2 3 363 0 0 0 0 373
2021 6 2 3 335 0 0 1 0 347
2022 8 2 3 315 0 0 1 0 329
2023 8 1 3 335 0 0 0 0 347
2024 11 2 3 320 0 0 1 0 337

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 Carmela Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1998 703 35.0 20.1 94.9
1999 840 41.0 20.5 95
2000 987 44.0 22.4 99.7
2001 1042 47.0 22.2 86.1
2002 922 42.0 22.0 74.6
2003 922 42.0 22.0 74.6
2004 823 36.0 22.9 91.7
2005 760 33.0 23.0 93.4
2006 671 30.0 22.4 86.9
2007 619 28.0 22.1 92.1
2008 628 28.5 22.0 78.2
2009 603 28.0 19.5 85.4
2010 566 25.0 22.6 93.8
2011 566 n/a n/a 84.3
2012 577 18.0 32.0 n/a
2013 535 18.0 29.7 88.8
2014 510 18.0 28.3 86.1
2015 490 17.0 28.8 93.1
2016 454 19.0 23.8 93.8
2017 440 20.0 22.0 91.4
2018 414 17.0 24.3 93.2
2019 389 15.3 25.3 93.3
2020 373 n/a n/a 91.2
2021 347 15.0 23.1 88.8
2022 329 15.5 21.1 86.9
2023 347 16.0 21.6 89
2024 337 16.4 20.5 95.3

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 Carmela Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1998 703 35.0 20.1 94.9
1999 840 41.0 20.5 95
2000 987 44.0 22.4 99.7
2001 1042 47.0 22.2 86.1
2002 922 42.0 22.0 74.6
2003 922 42.0 22.0 74.6
2004 823 36.0 22.9 91.7
2005 760 33.0 23.0 93.4
2006 671 30.0 22.4 86.9
2007 619 28.0 22.1 92.1
2008 628 28.5 22.0 78.2
2009 603 28.0 19.5 85.4
2010 566 25.0 22.6 93.8
2011 566 n/a n/a 84.3
2012 577 18.0 32.0 n/a
2013 535 18.0 29.7 88.8
2014 510 18.0 28.3 86.1
2015 490 17.0 28.8 93.1
2016 454 19.0 23.8 93.8
2017 440 20.0 22.0 91.4
2018 414 17.0 24.3 93.2
2019 389 15.3 25.3 93.3
2020 373 n/a n/a 91.2
2021 347 15.0 23.1 88.8
2022 329 15.5 21.1 86.9
2023 347 16.0 21.6 89
2024 337 16.4 20.5 95.3

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

Carmela Elementary

Help
Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionConditionalPolioHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMMR
201285.0%0.0%0.0%15.0%91.0%99.0%99.0%88.0%92.0%
201380.0%0.0%0.0%20.0%95.0%100.0%100.0%93.0%92.0%
201497.0%2.0%0.0%2.0%98.0%98.0%98.0%97.0%98.0%
201597.0%0.0%0.0%3.0%97.0%98.0%98.0%97.0%98.0%
201684.0%0.0%0.0%16.0%86.0%95.0%88.0%86.0%86.0%
2017≥98.0%≤2.0%≤2.0%≤2.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%
2018≥98.0%≤2.0%≤2.0%≤2.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%
201975.0%0.0%0.0%75.0%75.0%75.0%75.0%75.0%

Data source: California Department of Public Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Carmela Elementary

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $5,999

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Carmela 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 5213th of 5789 Elementary schoolsRanks 5148th of 5874 Elementary schools
 2.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Carmela Elementary)31.822
 9.9%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (South Whittier Elementary)36.229.3
 7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.543
 5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Carmela Elementary)34.114.6
 19.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (South Whittier Elementary)36.929.4
 7.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (California)50.245.1
 5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Carmela Elementary)2515.2
 9.9%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (South Whittier Elementary)41.119.1
 21.9%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.543.7
 5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Carmela Elementary)17.55.7
 11.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (South Whittier Elementary)31.817.5
 14.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (California)44.940.8
 4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Carmela Elementary)38.323.5
 14.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (South Whittier Elementary)3933.2
 5.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.746.7
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Carmela Elementary)155.8
 9.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (South Whittier Elementary)21.418
 3.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (California)3833.4
 4.6%
5th Grade Science (Carmela Elementary)105.8
 4.2%
   5th Grade Science (South Whittier Elementary)14.914.7
 0.2%
   5th Grade Science (California)31.731.9
 0.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Carmela Elementary)24.133.3
 9.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (South Whittier Elementary)38.940.9
 2.1%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.544.2
 4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Carmela Elementary)3.526.7
 23.2%
   6th Grade Mathematics (South Whittier Elementary)24.823.1
 1.6%
   6th Grade Mathematics (California)38.533.2
 5.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students389347
 10.8%
African American11
American Indian00
Asian13
 200%
Hispanic383335
 12.5%
Pacific Islander00
White48
 100%
Two or More Races00
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients93.3%89%
 4.3%


Schools Near Carmela Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Carmela Elementary

Students at Carmela Elementary are 95% Hispanic, 3% White.

Carmela Elementary ranks in the bottom 14.1% of California elementary schools.

Students who attend Carmela Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Richard L. Graves Middle

In the 2023-24 school year, 337 students attended Carmela Elementary.


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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.





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