Robert P. Ulrich Elementary

California City sits in the high desert of Kern County, a sprawling, windswept community that feels far removed from the bustle of Southern California — and Ulrich Elementary serves its youngest learners in that same no-frills spirit. As a K-2 school, it focuses on the foundational years, though its academic scores currently place it at the lower end of state rankings, making it a school that would benefit most from families who are actively engaged in supplementing learning at home. Families drawn here tend to be tied to the area's military presence at Edwards Air Force Base or its affordable desert living, and those willing to invest extra time in their child's early education will find the smaller, close-knit setting a place where that involvement can make a real difference.