Is Independent Elementary a good school?

Yes. Independent Elementary ranks in the top 9.5% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Independent Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 634 students attended Independent Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Independent Elementary?

Students at Independent Elementary are 48% Asian, 18% Hispanic, 16% White, 14% Two or more races, 4% African American.

What schools do graduates of Independent Elementary attend?

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

Independent Elementary

Summary:

Independent Elementary is a public elementary school located in Castro Valley, California, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 634 students. It is part of the Castro Valley Unified School District, which is ranked 214 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Independent Elementary consistently ranks among the top 10-15% of elementary schools in California, with a statewide ranking between 203 and 766 over the past several years. The school's performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments is significantly higher than the Castro Valley Unified and California state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, 72.44% of Independent Elementary students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 66.08% in the district and 47.04% statewide. Independent Elementary also performs exceptionally well for female students, Hispanic students, and low socioeconomic status students, ranking in the top 10-15% of California schools for these subgroups.

Compared to other elementary schools in the Castro Valley Unified District, such as Castro Valley Elementary, Proctor Elementary, and Chabot Elementary, Independent Elementary outperforms them on academic measures. However, nearby schools like Palomares Elementary and Jensen Ranch Elementary also perform very well, with rankings in the top 10-15% of California schools.

Detail:

Public K-5

21201 Independent School Rd.
Castro Valley, CA 94552-4826

(510) 537-9558

District: Castro Valley Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,083

Students who attend Independent Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Canyon Middle
	Creekside Middle
High:	Castro Valley High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.4

Number of students: 634

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

48.1%

Hispanic:

17.7%

White:

15.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 27.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Independent Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Independent Elementary ranks better than 90.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 4^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 92.25. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Independent Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Castro Valley Unified School District. Student population at Independent Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (48.1%), Hispanic (17.7%), White (15.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 27.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independent Elementary is 23.4, which is the lowest among 9 elementary schools in the Castro Valley Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Independent Elementary employs 27 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independent Elementary is $5,083. 7 elementary schools in the Castro Valley Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Independent Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Independent Elementary 554^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Independent Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

Castro Valley Unified:

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

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Rank History for Independent Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Independent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	93.17	326^th	4809	93.2%
2005	96.37	144^th	4822	97.0%
2006	97.11	97^th	4818	98.0%
2007	96.66	122^nd	5113	97.6%
2008	97.24	65^th	5113	98.7%
2009	94.77	174^th	5193	96.6%
2010	93.04	260^th	5314	95.1%
2011	95.04	125^th	5377	97.7%
2012	94.35	129^th	5390	97.6%
2013	93.82	193^rd	5530	96.5%
2015	92.53	474^th	5611	91.6%
2016	94.54	342^nd	5614	93.9%
2017	94.16	387^th	5692	93.2%
2018	90.76	586^th	5662	89.7%
2019	92.87	451^st	5789	92.2%
2021	85.33	203^rd	1417	85.7%
2022	92.26	578^th	5883	90.2%
2023	88.97	766^th	5874	87.0%
2024	92.25	554^th	5862	90.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Independent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	58.62	163^rd	339	51.9%
2019	64.70	180^th	445	59.6%
2022	54.63	321^st	610	47.4%
2023	38.10	471^st	669	29.6%
2024	68.66	226^th	669	66.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Independent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	78.16	293^rd	3250	91.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Independent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	73.14	424^th	2420	82.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	75.30	905^th	5084	82.2%
2019	71.93	1088^th	5173	79.0%
2021	90.54	61^st	1110	94.5%
2022	90.82	315^th	5264	94.0%
2023	91.66	325^th	5374	94.0%
2024	84.43	652^nd	5511	88.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Independent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	86.82	724^th	5413	86.6%
2019	89.29	603^rd	5492	89.0%
2021	79.53	239^th	1267	81.1%
2022	91.94	519^th	5635	90.8%
2023	91.93	510^th	5617	90.9%
2024	91.89	509^th	5605	90.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Independent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	91.40	490^th	5431	91.0%
2019	94.08	306^th	5510	94.4%
2021	87.63	159^th	1272	87.5%
2022	90.19	616^th	5663	89.1%
2023	82.80	977^th	5650	82.7%
2024	89.63	630^th	5636	88.8%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Independent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	61.21	532^nd	1071	50.3%
2019	66.78	444^th	1149	61.4%
2022	65.53	486^th	1154	57.9%
2023	57.72	641^st	1190	46.1%
2024	63.50	545^th	1203	54.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Independent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	93.95	162^nd	4830	96.6%
2019	81.64	647^th	4963	87.0%
2022	92.43	277^th	5084	94.6%
2023	89.96	352^nd	5098	93.1%
2024	84.99	546^th	5102	89.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Independent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	74.66	659^th	2737	75.9%
2019	78.00	536^th	2834	81.1%
2022	78.17	518^th	2726	81.0%
2023	70.73	777^th	2662	70.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White 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

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Enrollment information for Independent Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	197	9	50	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	271
1990	221	13	73	13	3	n/a	n/a	0	323
1991	228	15	114	16	3	n/a	n/a	0	376
1992	241	9	139	17	6	n/a	n/a	0	412
1993	260	14	144	22	5	n/a	n/a	0	445
1994	268	15	172	27	5	n/a	n/a	0	487
1995	175	11	42	19	5	n/a	n/a	0	252
1996	175	11	42	19	5	n/a	n/a	0	252
1997	199	10	66	32	6	n/a	n/a	0	313
1998	227	10	90	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	360
1999	233	17	128	39	3	n/a	n/a	0	420
2000	238	13	129	43	1	n/a	n/a	0	424
2001	238	22	145	36	4	n/a	n/a	0	445
2002	215	36	179	33	6	n/a	n/a	1	470
2003	215	36	179	33	6	n/a	n/a	1	470
2004	195	29	232	35	3	n/a	n/a	1	495
2005	208	27	218	29	2	n/a	n/a	3	487
2006	175	27	228	29	3	n/a	n/a	7	469
2007	198	38	247	37	1	n/a	n/a	10	531
2008	196	38	272	42	2	n/a	n/a	0	550
2009	192	42	271	55	5	9	20	0	594
2010	173	38	227	77	0	1	90	0	606
2011	194	36	217	69	6	2	69	0	593
2012	176	42	211	83	3	2	71	0	588
2013	184	41	200	75	2	2	75	0	579
2014	185	39	228	97	2	2	73	0	626
2015	169	33	241	104	3	4	71	0	625
2016	174	40	244	104	2	3	86	0	653
2017	151	30	265	111	0	1	98	0	656
2018	159	42	264	90	0	2	103	0	660
2019	147	36	271	84	1	2	85	0	626
2020	137	34	295	93	1	2	95	0	657
2021	123	29	299	89	1	2	86	0	629
2022	97	28	260	98	0	1	87	0	571
2023	99	25	305	112	1	1	91	0	634

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 Independent Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	271	11.0	24.6	n/a
1990	323	14.0	23.0	n/a
1991	376	18.0	20.8	n/a
1992	412	18.3	22.5	4.6
1993	445	17.0	26.2	5.8
1994	487	21.0	23.2	5.1
1995	252	12.0	21.0	9.9
1996	252	12.0	21.0	9.9
1997	313	17.0	18.4	7.7
1998	360	19.0	18.9	4.2
1999	420	20.5	20.5	4.5
2000	424	20.5	20.7	3.3
2001	445	21.5	20.7	4
2002	470	20.5	22.9	2.6
2003	470	20.5	22.9	2.6
2004	495	22.5	22.0	5.7
2005	487	22.5	21.6	2.5
2006	469	22.5	20.8	3.7
2007	531	25.5	20.8	6.5
2008	550	32.4	17.0	8.5
2009	594	28.0	20.5	8.6
2010	606	28.0	21.6	6.9
2011	593	n/a	n/a	8.1
2012	588	25.6	22.9	n/a
2013	579	24.5	23.5	6.6
2014	626	24.5	25.5	9.3
2015	625	24.0	26.0	10.6
2016	653	26.0	25.1	13.6
2017	656	25.5	25.7	15.2
2018	660	25.0	26.4	16.8
2019	626	23.5	26.6	15.7
2020	657	n/a	n/a	15.7
2021	629	25.0	25.1	14.3
2022	571	22.0	25.9	12.6
2023	634	27.0	23.4	27.1

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 Independent Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	271	11.0	24.6	n/a
1990	323	14.0	23.0	n/a
1991	376	18.0	20.8	n/a
1992	412	18.3	22.5	4.6
1993	445	17.0	26.2	5.8
1994	487	21.0	23.2	5.1
1995	252	12.0	21.0	9.9
1996	252	12.0	21.0	9.9
1997	313	17.0	18.4	7.7
1998	360	19.0	18.9	4.2
1999	420	20.5	20.5	4.5
2000	424	20.5	20.7	3.3
2001	445	21.5	20.7	4
2002	470	20.5	22.9	2.6
2003	470	20.5	22.9	2.6
2004	495	22.5	22.0	5.7
2005	487	22.5	21.6	2.5
2006	469	22.5	20.8	3.7
2007	531	25.5	20.8	6.5
2008	550	32.4	17.0	8.5
2009	594	28.0	20.5	8.6
2010	606	28.0	21.6	6.9
2011	593	n/a	n/a	8.1
2012	588	25.6	22.9	n/a
2013	579	24.5	23.5	6.6
2014	626	24.5	25.5	9.3
2015	625	24.0	26.0	10.6
2016	653	26.0	25.1	13.6
2017	656	25.5	25.7	15.2
2018	660	25.0	26.4	16.8
2019	626	23.5	26.6	15.7
2020	657	n/a	n/a	15.7
2021	629	25.0	25.1	14.3
2022	571	22.0	25.9	12.6
2023	634	27.0	23.4	27.1

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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