Houghton-Kearney Elementary

Located at 8905 West Kearney Blvd., in Fresno, California, Houghton-Kearney Elementary is a compact primary school that educates 199 students (grades K through 8), run under Central Unified. That puts it 57% smaller than the typical public school in California, which averages around 465 students.

Across the 24 schools in Central Unified (15,956 students total), Houghton-Kearney Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Houghton-Kearney Elementary records that Hispanic students make up the majority at 69%. Other groups include 21% White, 8% Asian. That is visibly more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 55%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Houghton-Kearney Elementary has 9 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 22.1:1. The state averages about 22.3:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 82% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Houghton-Kearney Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 30.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 37.4%.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Fresno County shows the typical household earns roughly $74,201 per year, about 24% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 14% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Houghton-Kearney Elementary is one of 368 public schools in Fresno County (combined enrollment of about 206,072 students).

The closest other public school is Central High, roughly 2.8 miles away. 4 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Houghton-Kearney Elementary ranks 5th on composite proficiency, above the local average of 34.3%.

The school occupies a countryside site.

Five-year trend. Houghton-Kearney Elementary's enrollment has decreased 15% since 2018, when it stood at 233 (now 199). White enrollment moved from 30% to 21% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 25.9:1 in 2018 to 22.1:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.