Independence Elementary

As a substantial elementary school in Bakersfield, California, Independence Elementary hosts 709 students from grades K through 6, operated by Rosedale Union Elementary. That puts it 52% above the typical public school in California, which averages around 465 students.

Within Rosedale Union Elementary, which oversees 9 schools and 6,202 students, Independence Elementary is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Independence Elementary shows that the most-represented group is White (45%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 40% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 6% Asian, 3% Black. That composition is broadly in line with Kern County as a whole.

Looking at school resources, The school employs 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 22.9:1. That tracks the state average closely. An estimated 30% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Kern County runs at roughly 76%, so the school's eligibility rate is below the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Independence Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 61.9%; this one delivers 49.7%.

In the surrounding community, census data for Kern County shows median household income runs about $70,210, 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 15%. Across Kern County's 279 public schools (combined enrollment of about 197,431 students), Independence Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Rosedale Middle is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Independence Elementary at 4th of 9; the average score across the group is 47.6%.

Independence Elementary operates from a residential location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 8%: 771 students in 2018 compared to 709 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share edged down from 51% to 45%.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Independence Elementary community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.