California Area Elementary School

Q: Is California Area Elementary School a good school?

California Area Elementary School ranks 1039 th of 1526 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

California Area Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Coal Center, Pennsylvania, serving 490 students from kindergarten to 6th grade. The school is part of the California Area School District, which is ranked 462 out of 610 school districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

California Area Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom half of Pennsylvania elementary schools, with below-average performance on PSSA tests in both Math and English Language Arts. The school's proficiency rates, particularly for White students and students with disabilities, are in the bottom 10-20% of the state. This underperformance may be related to the school's high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds (60.41% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch) and lower per-student spending ($10,598 in 2021-2022) compared to nearby schools like Carmichaels Area Elementary Center, Frazier Elementary School, and Charleroi Area Elementary Center, which have higher academic performance and lower percentages of low-income students.

The nearby California Academy of Learning Charter School also performs significantly worse than California Area Elementary School, with single-digit proficiency rates in Math and English Language Arts and an even higher percentage of low-income students (73.91%). This suggests that the challenges facing California Area Elementary School are not unique to the public school system and may be indicative of broader educational challenges in the region.

Detail:

Public K-6

40 Trojan Way
Coal Center, PA 15423-9610

(724) 785-5800

District: California Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1039^th of 1,526 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,598

Students who attend California Area Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	California Area Middle School
High:	California Area Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 483

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.0%

Two or more races:

9.9%

Hispanic:

4.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.4%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare California Area Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details California Area Elementary School ranks worse than 68.1% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 37.25. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (82%), two or more races (9.9%), Hispanic (4.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at California Area Elementary School is 14. (See more...)

Compare California Area Elementary School employs 34.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at California Area Elementary School is $10,598.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

California Area Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks California Area Elementary School 1039^th of 1526 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See California Area Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

White students:

California Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks California Area School District 462^nd of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for California Area Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at California Area Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile
2006	42.27	1104^th	1545	28.5%
2007	47.96	994^th	1555	36.1%
2008	39.97	1143^rd	1551	26.3%
2009	56.71	836^th	1549	46.0%
2010	46.14	1087^th	1579	31.2%
2011	38.76	1217^th	1597	23.8%
2012	54.71	958^th	1599	40.1%
2013	52.25	929^th	1519	38.8%
2014	52.56	884^th	1467	39.7%
2015	65.70	580^th	1474	60.7%
2016	63.94	668^th	1554	57.0%
2017	62.69	682^nd	1547	55.9%
2018	50.78	901^st	1530	41.1%
2019	48.83	944^th	1544	38.9%
2021	49.76	820^th	1433	42.8%
2022	45.65	959^th	1534	37.5%
2023	46.70	926^th	1534	39.6%
2024	37.25	1039^th	1526	31.9%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at California Area Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	54.25	712^th	1414	49.6%
2024	37.44	977^th	1432	31.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at California Area Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	38.81	989^th	1488	33.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at California Area Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	28.33	772^nd	1043	26.0%
2024	23.52	864^th	1084	20.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at California Area Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	35.46	1037^th	1495	30.6%

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

Rank History for White students at California Area Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	29.84	968^th	1236	21.7%
2024	18.77	1075^th	1229	12.5%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept 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: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for California Area Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2005	400	21	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	423
2006	428	19	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	450
2007	392	21	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	415
2008	412	12	0	3	3	n/a	n/a	19	449
2009	383	6	0	2	5	n/a	n/a	25	421
2010	320	5	0	1	3	n/a	n/a	14	343
2011	319	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	319
2012	328	24	0	0	1	0	0	0	353
2013	318	21	0	0	2	0	1	0	342
2014	313	18	0	0	0	0	1	0	332
2015	311	21	0	2	2	0	0	0	336
2016	285	22	0	0	1	0	0	0	308
2017	296	19	0	1	1	0	2	0	319
2018	303	23	1	1	0	0	11	0	339
2019	284	17	2	2	0	0	14	0	319
2020	277	17	3	3	0	0	31	0	331
2021	266	12	2	6	0	0	37	0	323
2022	393	19	1	11	0	1	37	0	462
2023	410	22	0	12	1	1	44	0	490
2024	396	16	0	20	1	2	48	0	483

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 California Area Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	423	28.5	14.8	0
2006	450	29.5	15.3	0
2007	415	28.6	14.5	0
2008	449	35.9	12.5	n/a
2009	421	31.4	13.4	n/a
2010	343	35.5	9.6	37.7
2011	319	27.5	11.6	41.7
2012	353	30.0	11.7	46.7
2013	342	18.2	18.7	48.5
2014	332	22.5	14.7	44.9
2015	336	22.0	15.2	46.1
2016	308	24.0	12.8	45.5
2017	319	22.0	14.4	n/a
2018	339	23.3	14.5	43.7
2019	319	23.1	13.7	50.2
2020	331	23.3	14.2	n/a
2021	323	20.9	15.4	50.5
2022	462	30.4	15.1	39.2
2023	490	31.9	15.3	60.4
2024	483	34.4	14.0	99.4

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 California Area Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	423	28.5	14.8	0
2006	450	29.5	15.3	0
2007	415	28.6	14.5	0
2008	449	35.9	12.5	n/a
2009	421	31.4	13.4	n/a
2010	343	35.5	9.6	37.7
2011	319	27.5	11.6	41.7
2012	353	30.0	11.7	46.7
2013	342	18.2	18.7	48.5
2014	332	22.5	14.7	44.9
2015	336	22.0	15.2	46.1
2016	308	24.0	12.8	45.5
2017	319	22.0	14.4	n/a
2018	339	23.3	14.5	43.7
2019	319	23.1	13.7	50.2
2020	331	23.3	14.2	n/a
2021	323	20.9	15.4	50.5
2022	462	30.4	15.1	39.2
2023	490	31.9	15.3	60.4
2024	483	34.4	14.0	99.4

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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for California Area Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$299 (2.0%)	$14,658 (98.0%)	$14,957
2020	$263 (2.0%)	$12,871 (98.0%)	$13,134
2021	$264 (2.0%)	$12,916 (98.0%)	$13,180
2022	$378 (3.6%)	$10,219 (96.4%)	$10,598

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on California Area Elementary School

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 944^th of 1544 Elementary schools	Ranks 926^th of 1534 Elementary schools	0.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (California Area Elementary School)	53.9	40	13.9%
3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	56	51.7	4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (California Area Elementary School)	55.8	49.2	6.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	61.9	54	7.9%
4th Grade Math (California Area Elementary School)	47.7	23.2	24.5%
4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	46.2	46.5	0.3%
4th Grade Science (California Area Elementary School)	81.5	80.8	0.7%
4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	77.8	74.1	3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (California Area Elementary School)	60	41	19%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63.6	51.8	11.8%
All Grades Math (California Area Elementary School)	50.4	35	15.4%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (California Area Elementary School)	81.5	80.8	0.7%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (California Area Elementary School)	58.1	51.6	6.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.9	53.8	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	319	490	53.6%
African American	17	22	29.4%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	2	12	500%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	284	410	44.4%
Two or More Races	14	44	214.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	50.2%	60.4%	10.3%

Schools Near California Area Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSSA Math (2024)					PSSA Science (2024)		PSSA English Language Arts (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 4th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
California Area Elementary School	Public	K-6	40 Trojan Way	Coal Center	15423	Washington County	California Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 785-5800	483	34	14.0	99.4%	396 (82.0%)	16 (3.3%)	20 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	48 (9.9%)	37.2	1039^th of 1526 public elementary schools	31.9%		46.7	926^th of 1534 public elementary schools	39.6%	113	28.7	21.6	33.3	31.6	29.0	76.7	76.7	37.9	36.6	51.7	54.6	45.7	$10,598	$379	$10,219
California Academy of Learning Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	40B Trojan Way	Coal Center	15423	Washington County	California Academy of Learning Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(724) 330-4932	95	8	11.8	72.6%	77 (81.1%)	9 (9.5%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (8.4%)								(n/a)				0.0	6.8		33.3				18.2	25.0
Brownsville Area Elementary School	Public	K-5	7 Falcon Drive	Brownsville	15417	Fayette County	Brownsville Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 785-9600	649	48	13.4	100.0%	497 (76.6%)	66 (10.2%)	10 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	73 (11.2%)	15.8	1278^th of 1526 public elementary schools	16.3%		13.4	1294^th of 1534 public elementary schools	15.6%	16	24.4	14.0	21.1		19.4	54.2	54.2	44.5	21.2	31.2		31.4	$12,272	$1,405	$10,867
Bethlehem-Center Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	194 Crawford Rd	Fredericktown	15333	Washington County	Bethlehem-Center School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 267-4910	488	36	13.7	99.6%	439 (90.0%)	13 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.2%)	50.6	855^th of 1526 public elementary schools	44.0%		52.9	828^th of 1534 public elementary schools	46.0%	27	50.7	34.2	45.2	33.9	41.1	78.6	78.6	63.0	41.4	50.8	53.9	52.4	$12,500	$1,687	$10,813
Marion Elementary School	Public	K-6	500 Perry Ave	Belle Vernon	15012	Fayette County	Belle Vernon Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 808-2500	662	39	16.9	99.5%	569 (86.0%)	27 (4.1%)	18 (2.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (6.9%)	58.3	736^th of 1526 public elementary schools	51.8%		50.3	866^th of 1534 public elementary schools	43.5%	130	45.8	52.0	49.0	27.5	43.2	85.3	85.3	58.9	61.3	57.7	55.0	58.1	$12,040	$669	$11,371
Bentworth Elementary Center	Public	K-4	100 Bearcat Dr	Bentleyville	15314	Washington County	Bentworth School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 239-3606	394	30	13.1	99.2%	358 (90.9%)	9 (2.3%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.6%)	70.6	474^th of 1526 public elementary schools	68.9%		54.3	801^st of 1534 public elementary schools	47.8%	327	51.7	54.0			52.6	90.5	90.5	75.8	66.7			72.0	$17,740	$3,068	$14,672
Monessen Elementary Center	Public	PK, KG-5	1275 Rostraver St	Monessen	15062	Westmoreland County	Monessen City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 684-4456	325	26	12.4	87.4%	100 (30.8%)	133 (40.9%)	9 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (25.2%)	9.3	1370^th of 1526 public elementary schools	10.2%		7.5	1408^th of 1534 public elementary schools	8.2%	38	16.1	17.2	2.7		11.3	37.9	37.9	27.6	32.1	23.7		27.4	$65	$11	$53
Charleroi Area Elementary Center	Public	K-5	75 Fecsen Dr	Charleroi	15022	Washington County	Charleroi School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 483-5554	603	46	13.0	62.4%	385 (63.8%)	107 (17.7%)	24 (4.0%)	9 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	77 (12.8%)	56.8	767^th of 1526 public elementary schools	49.7%		61.1	671^st of 1534 public elementary schools	56.3%	96	50.7	45.6	50.6		48.9	76.6	76.6	60.9	46.9	64.5		57.2	$18,885	$1,611	$17,275
Ringgold Elementary School South	Public	K-4	120 Alexander Avenue	Monongahela	15063	Washington County	Ringgold School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 258-8454	550	41	13.3	66.4%	383 (69.6%)	69 (12.5%)	21 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	75 (13.6%)	36.4	1052^nd of 1526 public elementary schools	31.1%		21.3	1211^th of 1534 public elementary schools	21.1%	159	47.5	25.5			36.7	65.7	65.7	59.8	37.7			48.9	$13,188	$1,051	$12,137
Frazier Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	142 Constitution St	Perryopolis	15473	Fayette County	Frazier School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 736-9507	458	32	14.5	57.4%	429 (93.7%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.0%)	47.5	899^th of 1526 public elementary schools	41.1%		57.5	745^th of 1534 public elementary schools	51.4%	154	50.0	24.3	40.3		37.5	85.2	85.2	50.8	48.7	54.9		51.3	$19,434	$919	$18,515

Frequently Asked Questions about California Area Elementary School

Is California Area Elementary School a good school?

California Area Elementary School ranks 1039^th of 1526 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend California Area Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 483 students attended California Area Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of California Area Elementary School attend?

Students who attend California Area Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : California Area Middle School
High : California Area Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of California Area Elementary School?

Students at California Area Elementary School are 82% White, 10% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 3% African American.

What district is California Area Elementary School in?

California Area School District

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