Stella I. Hills Elementary

As a medium-sized elementary campus in Bakersfield, California, Stella I. Hills Elementary enrolls 670 students from grades K through 6, part of Bakersfield City. Enrollment runs roughly 44% bigger than the state mean of about 465.

Bakersfield City runs 44 schools in total, collectively educating 28,365 students. Stella I. Hills Elementary is one of those campuses.

Looking at the student body, Stella I. Hills Elementary records that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 63% of enrollment. The remainder consists of 24% Black, 8% White, 2% multiracial.

On the income-and-resources front, The school lists 35 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 19.3:1. The state averages around 22.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 98% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Kern County runs at roughly 76%, so the school's eligibility rate is higher than the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, Stella I. Hills Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 21.1%; this one delivers 9.8%.

Across the wider county, census data for Kern County shows the typical household earns roughly $70,210 per year, roughly 19% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Stella I. Hills Elementary is one of 279 public schools in Kern County (combined enrollment of about 197,431 students).

Valley Oaks Charter is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 5 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Stella I. Hills Elementary ranks 5th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 29.3%.

Stella I. Hills Elementary operates from a metropolitan location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count expanded 4%: 643 students in 2018 compared to 670 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share grew from 52% to 63%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 22.2:1 in 2018 to 19.3:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.