Blue Lake Union Elementary

Located at 631 Greenwood Ave., in Blue Lake, California, Blue Lake Union Elementary is a minimally staffed primary school that enrolls 153 students (grades K through 8), part of Blue Lake Union Elementary. That puts it 67% leaner than the typical public school in California, which averages around 465 students.

Operationally, Blue Lake Union Elementary answers to Blue Lake Union Elementary, which sets policy, hires staff, and reports enrollment to the state.

On the student-mix side, Blue Lake Union Elementary shows that 60% of the student body identifies as White. Beyond that, the school lists 17% multiracial, 16% Hispanic, 5% Native American. By comparison, Humboldt County as a whole is about 72% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 12 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.0:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 22.3:1, putting Blue Lake Union Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 62% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, Blue Lake Union Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 43.2%; this one delivers 29.5%.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Humboldt County) reports that median household income runs about $61,160, about 33% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. Blue Lake Union Elementary is one of 92 public schools in Humboldt County (combined enrollment of about 17,319 students).

Nearest neighbor: Sunny Brae Middle, around 4.5 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, Blue Lake Union Elementary comes 4th of 4 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 46.2%.

Geographically, the school is in an outlying area.

Five-year trend. Blue Lake Union Elementary's enrollment has contracted 17% since 2018, when it stood at 185 (now 153). The White share of enrollment edged up from 48% to 60% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 18.5:1 in 2018 to 13.0:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.