Is Lu Sutton Elementary a good school?

Lu Sutton Elementary ranks 3234 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Lu Sutton Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 347 students attended Lu Sutton Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Lu Sutton Elementary?

Students at Lu Sutton Elementary are 65% Hispanic, 26% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Lu Sutton Elementary attend?

Students who attend Lu Sutton Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Sinaloa Middle High : San Marin High

Lu Sutton Elementary

Summary:

Lu Sutton Elementary is a public elementary school in Novato, California, serving 347 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Novato Unified School District, which is ranked 530 out of 1,568 districts in the state.

Lu Sutton Elementary faces several challenges compared to nearby schools. The school has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 9.4% in 2018-2019 to 24.1% in 2022-2023, notably higher than the 21.2% rate at Hamilton Tk-8. Lu Sutton's test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are also lower than the district and state averages, with only 41.03% of students proficient or better in ELA in 2023-2024, compared to 53.52% for the district and 47.04% for California. Additionally, 53.6% of Lu Sutton students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a much higher percentage than nearby schools like Pleasant Valley Elementary (32.56%) and San Ramon Elementary (16.55%).

When compared to other schools in the Novato Unified School District, Lu Sutton Elementary consistently underperforms. Nearby schools like Pleasant Valley Elementary, Rancho Elementary, and San Ramon Elementary outperform Lu Sutton in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. Interestingly, the nearby Novato Charter School also outperforms Lu Sutton and the district as a whole, suggesting that the educational model used at the charter school may be more effective in supporting student learning and achievement.

Detail:

Public K-5

1800 Center Rd.
Novato, CA 94947-2975

(415) 897-3196

District: Novato Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3234^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Students who attend Lu Sutton Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sinaloa Middle
High:	San Marin High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.1

Number of students: 347

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

64.8%

White:

26.2%

Two or more races:

3.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 53.6%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Lu Sutton Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Lu Sutton Elementary ranks worse than 55.2% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 6^th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Novato Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.91. (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 Lu Sutton Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Novato Unified School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Lu Sutton Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Lu Sutton Elementary 3234^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Lu Sutton Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Novato Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Novato Unified 530^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Lu Sutton Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Lu Sutton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	58.71	1772^nd	4809	63.2%
2005	61.22	1692^nd	4822	64.9%
2006	56.39	1900^th	4818	60.6%
2007	60.17	1819^th	5113	64.4%
2008	56.93	2004^th	5113	60.8%
2009	55.72	2144^th	5193	58.7%
2010	48.85	2628^th	5314	50.5%
2011	54.36	2330^th	5377	56.7%
2012	60.49	2016^th	5390	62.6%
2013	56.09	2344^th	5530	57.6%
2015	69.94	1503^rd	5611	73.2%
2016	44.98	2776^th	5614	50.6%
2017	56.32	2210^th	5692	61.2%
2018	58.13	2129^th	5662	62.4%
2019	38.99	3245^th	5789	43.9%
2021	31.91	917^th	1417	35.3%
2022	36.97	3309^th	5883	43.8%
2023	24.67	4395^th	5874	25.2%
2024	38.91	3234^th	5862	44.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Lu Sutton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.39	2103^rd	3246	35.2%
2019	26.56	2739^th	3275	16.4%
2021	36.00	381^st	602	36.7%
2022	40.24	1792^nd	3311	45.9%
2023	26.14	2807^th	3250	13.6%
2024	40.28	1797^th	3160	43.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lu Sutton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	53.84	2117^th	5084	58.4%
2019	30.61	3824^th	5173	26.1%
2021	29.45	827^th	1110	25.5%
2022	34.99	3433^rd	5264	34.8%
2023	18.57	4808^th	5374	10.5%
2024	34.18	3600^th	5511	34.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Lu Sutton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	59.79	1986^th	5413	63.3%
2019	46.22	2717^th	5492	50.5%
2021	32.43	812^th	1267	35.9%
2022	43.75	2765^th	5635	50.9%
2023	33.01	3500^th	5617	37.7%
2024	49.27	2447^th	5605	56.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Lu Sutton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	53.28	2264^th	5431	58.3%
2019	34.35	3438^th	5510	37.6%
2021	32.08	802^nd	1272	36.9%
2022	31.04	3707^th	5663	34.5%
2023	17.61	4949^th	5650	12.4%
2024	27.43	4051^st	5636	28.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Lu Sutton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.53	2257^th	4830	53.3%
2019	26.36	3946^th	4963	20.5%
2022	27.20	3936^th	5084	22.6%
2023	15.38	4769^th	5098	6.5%
2024	29.61	3768^th	5102	26.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Lu Sutton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	62.48	1100^th	2737	59.8%
2019	49.34	1568^th	2834	44.7%
2022	50.99	1434^th	2726	47.4%
2023	31.74	1936^th	2662	27.3%
2024	64.09	993^rd	2647	62.5%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, April 25, 2011

Great school! They have challenged my daughter and she has made excellent friends there. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Lu Sutton Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	469	24	34	41	0	n/a	n/a	0	568
1989	484	12	27	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	544
1990	442	6	27	34	0	n/a	n/a	0	509
1991	429	8	20	33	3	n/a	n/a	0	493
1992	452	13	17	50	3	n/a	n/a	0	535
1993	425	11	20	44	2	n/a	n/a	0	502
1994	441	12	22	44	4	n/a	n/a	0	523
1995	373	19	25	41	5	n/a	n/a	0	463
1996	373	19	25	41	5	n/a	n/a	0	463
1997	342	23	23	44	3	n/a	n/a	0	435
1998	339	20	28	61	2	n/a	n/a	0	450
1999	337	18	29	67	3	n/a	n/a	6	460
2000	313	21	29	61	2	n/a	n/a	4	430
2001	276	15	35	81	2	n/a	n/a	1	410
2002	241	22	27	109	2	n/a	n/a	16	417
2003	241	22	27	109	2	n/a	n/a	16	417
2004	225	19	25	105	1	n/a	n/a	19	394
2005	231	24	24	107	1	n/a	n/a	30	417
2006	234	22	25	128	1	n/a	n/a	23	433
2007	229	21	19	137	1	n/a	n/a	23	430
2008	223	21	25	150	1	n/a	n/a	0	420
2009	220	24	20	162	0	2	23	0	451
2010	182	17	13	198	0	1	41	0	452
2011	156	20	13	196	2	1	50	0	438
2012	142	22	19	174	1	1	47	0	406
2013	134	14	15	190	1	2	44	0	400
2014	114	15	24	192	3	2	36	0	386
2015	97	9	16	192	3	2	28	0	347
2016	109	7	19	192	1	2	32	0	362
2017	114	8	16	196	2	0	29	0	365
2018	114	5	16	198	3	0	29	0	365
2019	114	10	24	200	2	0	25	0	375
2020	105	9	20	221	2	0	30	0	387
2021	88	6	15	208	1	0	15	0	333
2022	80	7	16	217	0	0	15	0	335
2023	91	7	11	225	0	0	13	0	347

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 Lu Sutton Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	568	21.5	26.4	n/a
1989	544	22.4	24.2	n/a
1990	509	21.5	23.6	n/a
1991	493	20.5	24.0	n/a
1992	535	20.8	25.7	19.3
1993	502	20.0	25.1	17.1
1994	523	21.0	24.9	18.9
1995	463	18.0	25.7	20.1
1996	463	18.0	25.7	20.1
1997	435	21.0	20.7	19.8
1998	450	22.0	20.5	23.3
1999	460	22.0	20.9	16.3
2000	430	23.0	18.7	21.8
2001	410	21.0	19.5	21.8
2002	417	21.0	19.9	25.2
2003	417	21.0	19.9	25.2
2004	394	20.0	19.7	29.3
2005	417	21.0	19.9	29.7
2006	433	21.0	20.6	31
2007	430	22.0	19.5	34.9
2008	420	22.7	18.5	36.7
2009	451	22.0	19.0	42.4
2010	452	22.7	19.9	44.5
2011	438	n/a	n/a	42.9
2012	406	19.7	20.6	n/a
2013	400	20.3	19.7	55.3
2014	386	16.6	23.2	56
2015	347	17.0	20.4	59.9
2016	362	17.0	21.2	56.1
2017	365	17.0	21.4	56.2
2018	365	17.0	21.4	57
2019	375	16.0	23.4	57.1
2020	387	n/a	n/a	60.5
2021	333	14.0	23.7	56.2
2022	335	16.0	20.9	54.6
2023	347	15.0	23.1	53.6

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 Lu Sutton Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	568	21.5	26.4	n/a
1989	544	22.4	24.2	n/a
1990	509	21.5	23.6	n/a
1991	493	20.5	24.0	n/a
1992	535	20.8	25.7	19.3
1993	502	20.0	25.1	17.1
1994	523	21.0	24.9	18.9
1995	463	18.0	25.7	20.1
1996	463	18.0	25.7	20.1
1997	435	21.0	20.7	19.8
1998	450	22.0	20.5	23.3
1999	460	22.0	20.9	16.3
2000	430	23.0	18.7	21.8
2001	410	21.0	19.5	21.8
2002	417	21.0	19.9	25.2
2003	417	21.0	19.9	25.2
2004	394	20.0	19.7	29.3
2005	417	21.0	19.9	29.7
2006	433	21.0	20.6	31
2007	430	22.0	19.5	34.9
2008	420	22.7	18.5	36.7
2009	451	22.0	19.0	42.4
2010	452	22.7	19.9	44.5
2011	438	n/a	n/a	42.9
2012	406	19.7	20.6	n/a
2013	400	20.3	19.7	55.3
2014	386	16.6	23.2	56
2015	347	17.0	20.4	59.9
2016	362	17.0	21.2	56.1
2017	365	17.0	21.4	56.2
2018	365	17.0	21.4	57
2019	375	16.0	23.4	57.1
2020	387	n/a	n/a	60.5
2021	333	14.0	23.7	56.2
2022	335	16.0	20.9	54.6
2023	347	15.0	23.1	53.6

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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