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What's something Heron does better than most schools?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
977
Elementary
DISTRICT 613 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NATOMAS UNIFIED·NCES 060003611734
Heron
5151 Banfield Dr., Sacramento, CA 95835 · (916) 567-5680 · Sacramento County
GRADES KG–08ELEMENTARY11-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL977 STUDENTS
C+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 43% of California public elementary schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- C-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- CThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
22.6:1
43 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 22.9:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
35%
343 students
DISTRICT 61% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 126 | 13% |
| Grade 1 | 95 | 10% |
| Grade 2 | 106 | 11% |
| Grade 3 | 107 | 11% |
| Grade 4 | 94 | 10% |
| Grade 5 | 115 | 12% |
| Grade 6 | 106 | 11% |
| Grade 7 | 124 | 13% |
| Grade 8 | 104 | 11% |
This year's kindergarten class (126) is 21% larger than its 8th grade class (104).
Student demographics
79%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 77% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
56.4%
CA avg 49.1% . +10.4pp since 2014
Math
48.0%
CA avg 37.7% . +4.0pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 56 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 48 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 10 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 4 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 26.5% | 29.9% | 20.1% | 23.5% |
| Math | 24.7% | 23.3% | 23.8% | 28.2% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 56.4% | 48.0% |
| 2023-24 | 57.2% | 44.2% |
| 2022-23 | 54.0% | 40.3% |
| 2021-22 | 59.4% | 45.5% |
| 2018-19 | 62.3% | 54.3% |
| 2017-18 | 61.8% | 53.9% |
| 2016-17 | 45.7% | 44.5% |
| 2015-16 | 49.0% | 47.0% |
| 2014-15 | 46.0% | 44.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
51.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
59.0%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-7.7pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 51% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 59% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Heron
Heron's state test result (51.3% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heron this school | 977 | 35.1% | 51.3% |
| Longfellow Elementary Long Beach | 904 | 40.8% | 59.6% |
| Robert J. McGarvey Elementary Rancho Cordova | 840 | 38.3% | 63.4% |
| Terra Vista Elementary Rancho Cucamonga | 855 | 36.8% | 66.3% |
| Wolf Canyon Elementary Chula Vista | 954 | 30.7% | 67.4% |
| Muraoka (Saburo) Elementary Chula Vista | 832 | 32.5% | 57.8% |
Matched among California elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Heron ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Sacramento County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 51.3% | #1,632 of 5,151 | #55 of 217 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 48.0% | #1,716 of 5,172 ▲ 156 | #59 of 217 ▲ 4 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 56.4% | #1,587 of 5,172 ▼ 173 | #58 of 217 ▼ 8 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -0.3pp | #1,683 of 5,116 | #79 of 213 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 977 | #91 of 5,915 | #9 of 238 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 22.6:1 | #2,691 of 5,352 | #85 of 227 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 79.2% | #6 of 5,354 | #3 of 227 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 35.1% | #4,555 of 5,625 | #201 of 235 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -3.0% | #3,526 of 3,837 | #134 of 145 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
977
-9 (-1%) vs 2020
+19% since 2010-11, when it was 819
Student : Teacher
22.6:1
was 22.9:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 977 | 43.2 | 22.6:1 | 35% (343) |
| 2023-24 | 1,045 | 44 | 23.8:1 | 29% (302) |
| 2022-23 | 1,013 | 42 | 24.1:1 | 33% (330) |
| 2020-21 | 986 | 43 | 22.9:1 | 34% (331) |
| 2017-18 | 1,007 | 43 | 23.4:1 | 31% (315) |
| 2015-16 | 1,032 | 43 | 24.0:1 | 31% (316) |
| 2010-11 | 819 | N/A | N/A | 31% (255) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Heron.
Since 2017-18: students down 3% (1,007 to 977); teachers unchanged (43 to 43.2).
About Heron
Heron is an elementary school in Sacramento, California, and it is part of Natomas Unified. The school teaches kindergarten through 8 and enrolls 977 students. It has 110% more students than the average for elementary schools in California (about 465).
Natomas Unified is responsible for 20 schools, Heron included, with 14,902 students in all.
The largest racial or ethnic group at Heron is Hispanic, with 28% of students. Enrollment also includes 22% White, 20% Asian, 15% multiracial, and 14% Black. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 79%.
Heron has 43.2 full-time-equivalent teachers on staff and a student-to-teacher ratio of 22.6:1. It is about the same as the 22.3:1 average for elementary schools in California. The school has 35% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Compared with the 63% average for public schools in Sacramento County, the school's rate is lower.
Heron earns a C+ on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 43% of California public elementary schools.
The school's average proficiency rate across its state test results is 51.3%. For its free or reduced-price lunch share, the predicted value is 59.0%.
In the wider Sacramento County area, the median household earns about $92,175 a year, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 34% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 9%. Across Sacramento County, 387 public schools serve about 259,342 students.
Natomas Park Elementary sits about 0.7 miles from Heron. Heron has at least 8 other public schools within five miles. Heron comes in 1st of 7 nearby schools on average proficiency.
For locale, NCES codes Heron as City: Large.
In 2020-21, Heron enrolled 986; in 2024-25, 977.
You can use this page to share news and ask questions about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
Sacramento County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
1,594,006
Census ACS
Median income
$92,175
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
34%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
387
259,342 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Natomas Unified
- Inderkum HighHigh · 2,194 students
- Westlake CharterCombined · 1,493 students
- Natomas HighHigh · 1,157 students
- Paso VerdeElementary · 897 students
- H. Allen Hight ElementaryElementary · 760 students
- Leroy Greene AcademyHigh · 755 students
Other schools in Sacramento
- Highlands Community CharterCombined · 11,713 students
- C. K. McClatchy HighHigh · 2,569 students
- Sheldon HighHigh · 2,368 students
- Inderkum HighHigh · 2,194 students
- Grant Union HighHigh · 1,987 students
- Rio Americano HighHigh · 1,891 students
Nearby schools
- Natomas Park Elementary0.7 mi · 745
- Heredia-Arriaga0.7 mi · 223
- Inderkum High0.7 mi · 2,194
- Westlake Charter1.0 mi · 1,493
- Regency Park Elementary1.1 mi · 619
- Natomas Middle1.1 mi · 672
Frequently asked questions
About HeronWhat is the total enrollment at Heron?
Heron enrolls approximately 977 students in grades KG-08.
What grades does Heron serve?
Heron serves grades KG-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Heron?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Heron is approximately 22.6:1 (43 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Heron?
Heron reports a student body of 22% White, 28% Hispanic, 14% Black, 20% Asian, 15% Two or more.
What district is Heron in?
Heron is part of Natomas Unified.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.