Voorhies Elementary

Voorhies Elementary is a big elementary campus in Bakersfield, California, overseen by Bakersfield City. The school educates 915 students in grades K through 6. That puts it 97% above the typical public school in California, which averages around 465 students.

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

In terms of who attends, Voorhies Elementary logs that nearly all students (94%) are Hispanic; the rest is composed of 3% White. That is visibly more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 57%.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 45 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 20.1:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 22.3:1, putting Voorhies Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 87% of students at Voorhies Elementary qualify 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 somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, Voorhies Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 27.5%; this one delivers 23.3%.

Across the wider county, Kern County reports that median household earnings sit near $70,210, roughly 19% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Voorhies Elementary is one of 279 public schools in Kern County (combined enrollment of about 197,431 students).

Foothill High is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Voorhies Elementary ranks 5th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 24.0%.

Voorhies Elementary operates from a commuter-belt location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 4%: 953 students in 2018 compared to 915 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment climbed from 90% to 94% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 21.4:1 in 2018 to 20.1:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.