Is Palomares Elementary a good school?

Palomares Elementary ranks 1198 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Palomares Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 144 students attended Palomares Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Palomares Elementary?

Students at Palomares Elementary are 34% Hispanic, 24% Two or more races, 21% White, 19% Asian, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Palomares Elementary attend?

Students who attend Palomares Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Canyon Middle Middle : Creekside Middle High : Castro Valley High

Palomares Elementary

Summary:

Palomares Elementary is a public elementary school in Castro Valley, California, serving 121 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Castro Valley Unified School District, which is ranked 214 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Palomares Elementary generally performs better than the state average on standardized tests, but lags behind the Castro Valley Unified School District average. For example, in 2023-2024, Palomares had 56.94% proficiency in ELA End of Course, compared to 66.08% for the district and 47.04% for the state. However, the school has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 2.8% in 2018-2019 to 18.0% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the 12.1% rate at nearby Proctor Elementary. Palomares also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 34.71% in 2022-2023, compared to 22.6% at Proctor Elementary.

Palomares Elementary has shown strong performance for its Hispanic students, ranking 41st out of 4,963 California elementary schools in this subgroup in 2018-2019. However, its female and low-socioeconomic status students have lower rankings compared to the overall school. Additionally, Palomares lags behind some of the higher-performing nearby schools, such as Proctor Elementary, Jensen Ranch Elementary, and Independent Elementary, in terms of test scores and overall state rankings. Palomares could focus on addressing the increase in chronic absenteeism and improving test scores, particularly in English Language Arts, to better align with the performance of the Castro Valley Unified School District and the top-performing nearby schools.

Detail:

Public K-5

6395 Palo Verde Rd.
Castro Valley, CA 94552-9708

(510) 582-4207

District: Castro Valley Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1198^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,460

Students who attend Palomares Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Canyon Middle
	Creekside Middle
High:	Castro Valley High

Student/teacher ratio: 24.0

Number of students: 144

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

34.0%

Two or more races:

24.3%

White:

20.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 41%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Palomares Elementary ranks better than 79.6% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 7^th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Castro Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 78.89. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Palomares Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Castro Valley Unified School District. Student population at Palomares Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (34%), two or more races (24.3%), White (20.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 41% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Palomares Elementary is 24, which is the 4^th best among 9 elementary schools in the Castro Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Palomares Elementary employs 6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Palomares Elementary is $6,460, which is the highest among 9 elementary schools in the Castro Valley Unified School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Palomares Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Palomares Elementary 1198^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Palomares Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Castro Valley Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Castro Valley Unified 214^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Palomares Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Palomares Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	96.78	139^th	4809	97.1%
2005	92.52	354^th	4822	92.7%
2006	92.56	355^th	4818	92.6%
2007	94.09	282^nd	5113	94.5%
2008	93.67	270^th	5113	94.7%
2009	94.63	183^rd	5193	96.5%
2010	93.78	210^th	5314	96.0%
2011	96.30	48^th	5377	99.1%
2012	95.17	80^th	5390	98.5%
2013	81.70	969^th	5530	82.5%
2015	85.81	836^th	5611	85.1%
2016	81.51	1070^th	5614	80.9%
2017	86.45	845^th	5692	85.2%
2018	80.79	1087^th	5662	80.8%
2019	86.10	846^th	5789	85.4%
2021	83.14	236^th	1417	83.3%
2022	80.96	1148^th	5883	80.5%
2023	70.81	1544^th	5874	73.7%
2024	78.89	1198^th	5862	79.6%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Palomares Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	80.39	810^th	5511	85.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Palomares Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	86.35	750^th	5413	86.1%
2019	93.20	343^rd	5492	93.8%
2021	60.41	440^th	1267	65.3%
2022	76.24	1273^rd	5635	77.4%
2024	72.63	1376^th	5605	75.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Palomares Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	69.65	1532^nd	5510	72.2%
2021	84.75	193^rd	1272	84.8%
2024	85.85	827^th	5636	85.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Palomares Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	98.70	41^st	4963	99.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, May 29, 2018

This school is bad news. My son came their with high self esteem and strong academics. He left with his head down. The school threatened to remove him constantly. If they are 2 minutes late, if they can't keep up with the curriculum, or if they get into any trouble, the school threatens to kick them out. The principle is extremely rude, the teachers ... lets just say they caused us to hire a private tutor. They most likely only have high test scores because they criminalize and remove the students who need guidance. Want your kid to develop confidence issues? This is the school for you. I would give negative stars if possible. My poor 5 year old!! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Palomares Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	66	5	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	80
1989	68	3	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	73
1990	62	2	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	66
1991	58	2	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	68
1992	59	1	4	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	65
1993	65	1	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	75
1994	72	0	6	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	82
1995	65	1	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	75
1996	65	1	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	75
1997	48	0	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	57
1998	55	3	9	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	77
1999	54	2	9	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	81
2000	54	2	11	16	4	n/a	n/a	0	87
2001	46	4	18	18	2	n/a	n/a	0	88
2002	69	7	8	13	3	n/a	n/a	6	106
2003	69	7	8	13	3	n/a	n/a	6	106
2004	67	7	16	15	4	n/a	n/a	0	109
2005	76	14	20	14	3	n/a	n/a	1	128
2006	78	15	17	22	3	n/a	n/a	0	135
2007	72	15	26	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	130
2008	63	11	28	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	123
2009	72	8	26	20	0	1	4	0	131
2010	59	9	12	37	3	0	17	0	137
2011	62	12	18	34	2	1	21	0	150
2012	64	9	19	31	1	1	20	0	145
2013	65	12	13	44	1	1	21	0	157
2014	62	6	12	42	0	1	28	0	151
2015	66	7	12	35	0	1	21	0	142
2016	68	5	16	33	1	1	16	0	140
2017	65	7	20	31	1	0	19	0	143
2018	57	8	20	39	1	0	20	0	145
2019	45	4	23	51	0	0	20	0	143
2020	44	6	24	48	0	0	23	0	145
2021	41	10	26	42	0	0	20	0	139
2022	36	6	24	38	0	0	20	0	124
2023	27	6	24	41	0	1	22	0	121
2024	30	2	27	49	0	1	35	0	144

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Palomares Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	80	4.0	20.0	n/a
1989	73	4.0	18.2	n/a
1990	66	5.0	13.2	n/a
1991	68	6.0	11.3	n/a
1992	65	6.1	10.6	3.1
1993	75	3.0	25.0	9.3
1994	82	3.0	27.3	3.7
1995	75	3.0	25.0	8
1996	75	3.0	25.0	8
1997	57	3.0	19.0	12.3
1998	77	4.0	19.3	5.2
1999	81	4.0	20.3	12.3
2000	87	4.0	21.8	9.2
2001	88	4.0	22.0	8
2002	106	5.0	21.2	4
2003	106	5.0	21.2	4
2004	109	5.0	21.8	7.3
2005	128	6.0	21.3	3.9
2006	135	9.0	15.0	10.4
2007	130	7.0	18.6	7.7
2008	123	8.0	15.4	8.9
2009	131	6.0	18.7	6.1
2010	137	7.0	19.5	7.3
2011	150	n/a	n/a	12
2012	145	6.4	22.4	n/a
2013	157	6.3	24.8	9.6
2014	151	6.0	25.1	11.9
2015	142	6.0	23.6	9.9
2016	140	6.0	23.3	12.9
2017	143	6.0	23.8	11.2
2018	145	6.4	22.6	15.9
2019	143	6.0	23.8	22.4
2020	145	n/a	n/a	24.1
2021	139	7.1	19.3	19.4
2022	124	5.0	24.8	18.5
2023	121	5.0	24.2	34.7
2024	144	6.0	24.0	41

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Palomares Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	80	4.0	20.0	n/a
1989	73	4.0	18.2	n/a
1990	66	5.0	13.2	n/a
1991	68	6.0	11.3	n/a
1992	65	6.1	10.6	3.1
1993	75	3.0	25.0	9.3
1994	82	3.0	27.3	3.7
1995	75	3.0	25.0	8
1996	75	3.0	25.0	8
1997	57	3.0	19.0	12.3
1998	77	4.0	19.3	5.2
1999	81	4.0	20.3	12.3
2000	87	4.0	21.8	9.2
2001	88	4.0	22.0	8
2002	106	5.0	21.2	4
2003	106	5.0	21.2	4
2004	109	5.0	21.8	7.3
2005	128	6.0	21.3	3.9
2006	135	9.0	15.0	10.4
2007	130	7.0	18.6	7.7
2008	123	8.0	15.4	8.9
2009	131	6.0	18.7	6.1
2010	137	7.0	19.5	7.3
2011	150	n/a	n/a	12
2012	145	6.4	22.4	n/a
2013	157	6.3	24.8	9.6
2014	151	6.0	25.1	11.9
2015	142	6.0	23.6	9.9
2016	140	6.0	23.3	12.9
2017	143	6.0	23.8	11.2
2018	145	6.4	22.6	15.9
2019	143	6.0	23.8	22.4
2020	145	n/a	n/a	24.1
2021	139	7.1	19.3	19.4
2022	124	5.0	24.8	18.5
2023	121	5.0	24.2	34.7
2024	144	6.0	24.0	41

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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