Is Donaldson Way Elementary a good school?

Donaldson Way Elementary ranks 2415 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Donaldson Way Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 517 students attended Donaldson Way Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Donaldson Way Elementary?

Students at Donaldson Way Elementary are 47% Hispanic, 19% Asian, 19% White, 12% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Donaldson Way Elementary attend?

Students who attend Donaldson Way Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : American Canyon Middle High : American Canyon High

Donaldson Way Elementary

Summary:

Donaldson Way Elementary is a public elementary school located in American Canyon, California, serving around 490 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Napa Valley Unified School District, which is ranked 882 out of 1,568 districts in the state.

Donaldson Way Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 46.27% of Donaldson Way students were proficient or better in ELA/Literacy End of Course, compared to 40.68% for the district and 47.04% for the state. In Mathematics, Donaldson Way had 41.04% proficiency or better, compared to 27.8% for the district and 35.54% for the state. However, the school's multi-racial student group has struggled, ranking in the bottom 20% of the state. Donaldson Way also faces a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 7.9% in 2017-2018 to 33.5% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the district's average of 43.9%.

Compared to nearby schools, Napa Junction Elementary underperforms Donaldson Way in most academic metrics, while Canyon Oaks Elementary consistently outperforms Donaldson Way across all grade levels and subject areas. Donaldson Way's high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 62.04% in 2022-2023, suggests that the school serves a predominantly low-income population, which may contribute to the challenges it faces, such as the high chronic absenteeism rate.

Detail:

Public K-5

430 Donaldson Way
American Canyon, CA 94503-1130

(707) 644-4486

District: Napa Valley Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2415^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,083

Students who attend Donaldson Way Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	American Canyon Middle
High:	American Canyon High

Student/teacher ratio: 25.8

Number of students: 517

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

46.6%

Asian:

18.8%

White:

18.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 65.4%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Donaldson Way Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Donaldson Way Elementary ranks better than 58.8% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 6^th among 16 ranked elementary schools in the Napa Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.68. (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 Student population at Donaldson Way Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (46.6%), Asian (18.8%), White (18.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 65.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Donaldson Way Elementary is 25.8. 13 elementary schools in the Napa Valley Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Donaldson Way Elementary employs 20 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Donaldson Way Elementary is $5,083, which is the lowest among 16 elementary schools in the Napa Valley Unified School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Donaldson Way Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Donaldson Way Elementary 2415^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Donaldson Way Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Napa Valley Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Napa Valley Unified 882^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Donaldson Way Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Donaldson Way Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	52.49	2035^th	4809	57.7%
2005	64.08	1573^rd	4822	67.4%
2006	70.49	1311^th	4818	72.8%
2007	74.07	1204^th	5113	76.5%
2008	70.94	1362^nd	5113	73.4%
2009	71.17	1388^th	5193	73.3%
2010	72.68	1337^th	5314	74.8%
2011	64.79	1761^st	5377	67.2%
2012	60.96	1986^th	5390	63.2%
2013	66.94	1724^th	5530	68.8%
2015	65.19	1705^th	5611	69.6%
2016	66.82	1676^th	5614	70.1%
2017	67.33	1684^th	5692	70.4%
2018	56.10	2234^th	5662	60.5%
2019	58.77	2135^th	5789	63.1%
2022	59.73	2039^th	5883	65.3%
2023	46.55	2727^th	5874	53.6%
2024	52.68	2415^th	5862	58.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Donaldson Way Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	23.88	280^th	339	17.4%
2019	28.05	356^th	445	20.0%
2022	35.81	430^th	610	29.5%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Donaldson Way Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	38.12	1863^rd	3246	42.6%
2019	63.35	724^th	3275	77.9%
2022	57.18	880^th	3311	73.4%
2023	39.58	1855^th	3250	42.9%
2024	50.18	1166^th	3160	63.1%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Donaldson Way Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	48.20	960^th	2420	60.3%
2024	62.39	667^th	2634	74.7%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Donaldson Way Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	43.58	2779^th	5084	45.3%
2019	47.32	2593^rd	5173	49.9%
2022	54.36	2014^th	5264	61.7%
2023	46.99	2572^nd	5374	52.1%
2024	49.84	2402^nd	5511	56.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Donaldson Way Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	58.85	2032^nd	5413	62.5%
2019	56.03	2175^th	5492	60.4%
2022	57.18	2055^th	5635	63.5%
2023	42.51	2849^th	5617	49.3%
2024	50.15	2403^rd	5605	57.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Donaldson Way Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	45.72	1112^th	2585	57.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Donaldson Way Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	50.55	2414^th	5431	55.6%
2019	59.63	1972^nd	5510	64.2%
2022	61.14	1909^th	5663	66.3%
2023	49.69	2469^th	5650	56.3%
2024	53.87	2270^th	5636	59.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Donaldson Way Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	32.92	3352^nd	4830	30.6%
2019	35.02	3312^th	4963	33.3%
2022	47.94	2333^rd	5084	54.1%
2023	29.73	3736^th	5098	26.7%
2024	45.01	2611^th	5102	48.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Donaldson Way Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.80	1533^rd	2737	44.0%
2019	40.72	1831^st	2834	35.4%
2022	29.17	2030^th	2726	25.5%
2023	39.17	1739^th	2662	34.7%
2024	49.80	1413^th	2647	46.6%

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 Donaldson Way Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	198	6	14	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	234
1989	200	6	17	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	236
1990	224	7	29	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	288
1991	277	14	31	46	1	n/a	n/a	0	369
1992	302	11	36	42	2	n/a	n/a	0	393
1993	330	11	39	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	413
1994	332	12	40	43	0	n/a	n/a	0	427
1995	328	32	55	42	2	n/a	n/a	0	459
1996	328	32	55	42	2	n/a	n/a	0	459
1997	321	34	53	51	3	n/a	n/a	0	462
1998	334	37	57	63	2	n/a	n/a	0	493
1999	285	28	59	74	4	n/a	n/a	0	450
2000	263	26	54	74	3	n/a	n/a	0	420
2001	262	28	53	84	1	n/a	n/a	1	429
2002	236	44	116	101	8	n/a	n/a	1	506
2003	236	44	116	101	8	n/a	n/a	1	506
2004	220	35	120	105	4	n/a	n/a	67	551
2005	182	47	171	138	2	n/a	n/a	66	606
2006	155	47	146	139	1	n/a	n/a	76	564
2007	130	35	149	135	2	n/a	n/a	53	504
2008	136	36	147	140	3	n/a	n/a	0	462
2009	139	35	151	139	1	7	63	0	535
2010	128	40	170	161	0	7	51	0	557
2011	128	32	148	164	0	7	48	0	527
2012	122	28	168	176	1	8	55	0	558
2013	126	29	167	178	1	7	60	0	568
2014	141	38	170	194	0	4	59	0	606
2015	145	36	184	210	0	3	57	0	635
2016	132	36	194	221	1	4	55	0	643
2017	117	30	176	209	1	6	63	0	602
2018	126	28	168	215	0	6	59	0	602
2019	118	21	154	227	0	6	65	0	591
2020	106	19	139	248	0	6	56	0	574
2021	106	13	122	217	0	5	61	0	524
2022	92	17	107	205	0	3	63	0	487
2023	89	14	109	219	0	3	56	0	490
2024	96	17	97	241	0	3	63	0	517

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 Donaldson Way Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	234	10.4	22.5	n/a
1989	236	10.0	23.6	n/a
1990	288	11.6	24.8	n/a
1991	369	15.1	24.4	n/a
1992	393	15.3	25.6	23.7
1993	413	17.0	24.3	21.3
1994	427	17.0	25.1	19.2
1995	459	18.0	25.5	29.6
1996	459	18.0	25.5	29.6
1997	462	20.0	23.1	31
1998	493	22.5	21.9	27.6
1999	450	22.5	20.0	28.4
2000	420	20.5	20.5	25.5
2001	429	21.2	20.2	24.5
2002	506	25.2	20.1	29.9
2003	506	25.2	20.1	29.9
2004	551	26.2	21.0	34.3
2005	606	29.2	20.8	35.6
2006	564	24.2	23.3	36.7
2007	504	24.4	20.7	29.7
2008	462	27.3	16.9	29.7
2009	535	26.2	19.7	23
2010	557	22.0	25.3	32.3
2011	527	n/a	n/a	33.2
2012	558	19.0	29.3	n/a
2013	568	20.0	28.4	34.3
2014	606	21.0	28.8	35.1
2015	635	23.0	27.6	34.2
2016	643	25.0	25.7	38.4
2017	602	24.0	25.0	36.9
2018	602	23.0	26.1	39
2019	591	23.0	25.6	39.8
2020	574	n/a	n/a	41.8
2021	524	22.8	22.9	45.6
2022	487	19.0	25.6	44.8
2023	490	19.0	25.7	62
2024	517	20.0	25.8	65.4

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 Donaldson Way Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	234	10.4	22.5	n/a
1989	236	10.0	23.6	n/a
1990	288	11.6	24.8	n/a
1991	369	15.1	24.4	n/a
1992	393	15.3	25.6	23.7
1993	413	17.0	24.3	21.3
1994	427	17.0	25.1	19.2
1995	459	18.0	25.5	29.6
1996	459	18.0	25.5	29.6
1997	462	20.0	23.1	31
1998	493	22.5	21.9	27.6
1999	450	22.5	20.0	28.4
2000	420	20.5	20.5	25.5
2001	429	21.2	20.2	24.5
2002	506	25.2	20.1	29.9
2003	506	25.2	20.1	29.9
2004	551	26.2	21.0	34.3
2005	606	29.2	20.8	35.6
2006	564	24.2	23.3	36.7
2007	504	24.4	20.7	29.7
2008	462	27.3	16.9	29.7
2009	535	26.2	19.7	23
2010	557	22.0	25.3	32.3
2011	527	n/a	n/a	33.2
2012	558	19.0	29.3	n/a
2013	568	20.0	28.4	34.3
2014	606	21.0	28.8	35.1
2015	635	23.0	27.6	34.2
2016	643	25.0	25.7	38.4
2017	602	24.0	25.0	36.9
2018	602	23.0	26.1	39
2019	591	23.0	25.6	39.8
2020	574	n/a	n/a	41.8
2021	524	22.8	22.9	45.6
2022	487	19.0	25.6	44.8
2023	490	19.0	25.7	62
2024	517	20.0	25.8	65.4

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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