Is San Rafael Elementary a good school?

San Rafael Elementary ranks 2043 rd of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend San Rafael Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 393 students attended San Rafael Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of San Rafael Elementary?

Students at San Rafael Elementary are 74% Hispanic, 14% White, 8% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Asian.

San Rafael Elementary

Summary:

San Rafael Elementary is a public elementary school in Pasadena, California, serving 385 students in grades K-5 and part of the Pasadena Unified School District.

San Rafael Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state averages in academic assessments, with 47.54% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 50.82% in Mathematics, compared to 45.87% and 35.15% for the district, respectively. The school's 3rd grade ELA performance is particularly strong, with 70.49% of students proficient or better, compared to 48.66% for the district and 42.8% for the state. San Rafael also has a strong performance among Hispanic and White student subgroups, ranking 1,247 and 387 out of California elementary schools, respectively. However, the school's performance for low socioeconomic status students is relatively weaker, ranking 2,991 out of 5,511 California elementary schools.

Compared to nearby schools, McKinley in the Pasadena Unified School District has significantly lower academic performance, while Arroyo Vista Elementary in the South Pasadena Unified School District and Dahlia Heights Elementary in the Los Angeles Unified School District consistently outperform San Rafael. However, San Rafael has a relatively lower percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, suggesting a more economically diverse student population, which may contribute to its stronger academic performance.

Detail:

Public K-5

1090 Nithsdale Rd.
Pasadena, CA 91105-1499

(626) 396-5790

District: Pasadena Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2043^rd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,273

Student/teacher ratio: 24.5

Number of students: 393

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

73.5%

White:

14.2%

Two or more races:

8.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 38.4%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare San Rafael Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details San Rafael Elementary ranks better than 65.1% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 6^th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Pasadena Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 60.48. (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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (73.5%), White (14.2%), two or more races (8.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 38.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at San Rafael Elementary is 24.5. 7 elementary schools in the Pasadena Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare San Rafael Elementary employs 16 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at San Rafael Elementary is $6,273. 12 elementary schools in the Pasadena Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

San Rafael Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks San Rafael Elementary 2043^rd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See San Rafael Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Pasadena Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Pasadena Unified 730^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for San Rafael Elementary.

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Rank History for San Rafael Elementary

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Rank History for all students at San Rafael Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	18.84	4031^st	4809	16.2%
2005	31.59	3186^th	4822	33.9%
2006	20.44	3969^th	4818	17.6%
2007	20.63	4242^nd	5113	17.0%
2008	22.22	4179^th	5113	18.3%
2009	30.84	3644^th	5193	29.8%
2010	24.67	4246^th	5314	20.1%
2011	19.36	4725^th	5377	12.1%
2012	28.10	4077^th	5390	24.4%
2013	47.19	2852^nd	5530	48.4%
2015	66.23	1643^rd	5611	70.7%
2016	73.82	1356^th	5614	75.8%
2017	72.89	1430^th	5692	74.9%
2018	76.88	1268^th	5662	77.6%
2019	71.67	1532^nd	5789	73.5%
2022	67.13	1733^rd	5883	70.5%
2023	54.16	2326^th	5874	60.4%
2024	60.48	2043^rd	5862	65.1%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at San Rafael Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	58.62	1817^th	5084	64.3%
2019	48.29	2516^th	5173	51.4%
2022	54.15	2028^th	5264	61.5%
2023	29.70	3923^rd	5374	27.0%
2024	41.88	2991^st	5511	45.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at San Rafael Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	80.82	994^th	5413	81.6%
2019	74.64	1311^th	5492	76.1%
2022	71.00	1483^rd	5635	73.7%
2023	54.44	2190^th	5617	61.0%
2024	53.77	2233^rd	5605	60.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at San Rafael Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	70.07	505^th	2585	80.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at San Rafael Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	70.26	1475^th	5431	72.8%
2019	67.24	1631^st	5510	70.4%
2022	61.73	1882^nd	5663	66.8%
2023	51.67	2354^th	5650	58.3%
2024	65.82	1709^th	5636	69.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at San Rafael Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	81.90	604^th	4830	87.5%
2019	74.56	936^th	4963	81.1%
2022	77.97	820^th	5084	83.9%
2023	60.49	1635^th	5098	67.9%
2024	68.61	1247^th	5102	75.6%

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

Rank History for White students at San Rafael Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	74.30	668^th	2737	75.6%
2019	82.11	387^th	2834	86.3%
2023	51.98	1375^th	2662	48.3%

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
Thursday, February 5, 2015

San Rafael has had a major turnaround in recent years - the Dual Language Immersion program is a success, the school has received a California Distinguished School Award, and test scores have gone up considerably. None of this reflects the wonderful community of students, parents, teachers and administrators that make up this school. Although the district has its issues, the San Rafael Community works tirelessly to make up any shortfalls - through both fundraising and volunteering - including creating an on-campus art studio, computer lab, annual school musical, and hiring classroom aides and a P.E. teacher. Close Quote

Enrollment information for San Rafael Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	60	158	9	170	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
1989	46	166	7	169	0	n/a	n/a	0	388
1990	47	165	8	185	0	n/a	n/a	0	405
1991	45	155	8	219	0	n/a	n/a	0	427
1992	49	146	12	202	0	n/a	n/a	0	409
1993	51	148	16	227	1	n/a	n/a	0	443
1994	45	124	13	242	2	n/a	n/a	0	426
1995	52	129	12	253	1	n/a	n/a	0	447
1996	52	129	12	253	1	n/a	n/a	0	447
1997	61	136	12	254	1	n/a	n/a	0	464
1998	55	142	10	219	1	n/a	n/a	0	427
1999	51	116	10	257	0	n/a	n/a	0	434
2000	39	121	10	283	0	n/a	n/a	0	453
2001	25	122	7	303	0	n/a	n/a	0	457
2002	24	103	8	289	1	n/a	n/a	0	425
2003	24	103	8	289	1	n/a	n/a	0	425
2004	26	80	2	280	1	n/a	n/a	1	390
2005	53	149	5	155	0	n/a	n/a	17	379
2006	38	63	3	222	0	n/a	n/a	0	326
2007	41	85	6	256	1	n/a	n/a	13	402
2008	37	77	10	229	1	n/a	n/a	0	354
2009	33	78	8	217	1	1	4	0	342
2010	34	58	13	227	6	3	7	0	348
2011	51	41	12	201	5	2	1	0	313
2012	76	43	17	243	2	3	7	0	391
2013	81	33	17	243	1	3	3	0	381
2014	106	30	20	247	1	1	4	0	409
2015	119	33	21	254	2	0	6	0	435
2016	115	29	22	282	0	0	6	0	454
2017	110	29	21	303	1	0	4	0	468
2018	104	27	18	290	1	0	9	0	449
2019	99	24	16	293	1	0	7	0	440
2020	70	21	15	291	1	0	9	0	407
2021	60	17	17	293	1	0	12	0	400
2022	54	17	11	286	1	0	16	1	386
2023	58	14	8	280	1	0	24	0	385
2024	56	9	6	289	1	0	32	0	393

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 San Rafael Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	397	16.3	24.3	n/a
1989	388	15.5	25.0	n/a
1990	405	15.6	25.9	n/a
1991	427	16.6	25.7	n/a
1992	409	16.9	24.2	80.9
1993	443	15.6	28.4	67.9
1994	426	15.6	27.3	82.2
1995	447	15.0	29.8	74.9
1996	447	15.0	29.8	74.9
1997	464	19.0	24.4	77.4
1998	427	13.0	32.8	72.6
1999	434	20.4	21.3	77.6
2000	453	23.6	19.2	74.4
2001	457	24.5	18.7	81.8
2002	425	25.4	16.7	81.4
2003	425	25.4	16.7	81.4
2004	390	22.4	17.4	81.2
2005	379	19.8	19.1	92
2006	326	21.0	15.5	82.8
2007	402	23.0	17.5	44.7
2008	354	23.8	14.9	59
2009	342	19.0	16.4	67.8
2010	348	20.7	16.7	70.7
2011	313	n/a	n/a	63.3
2012	391	17.0	23.0	n/a
2013	381	15.9	23.9	45.4
2014	409	16.0	25.5	39.6
2015	435	18.0	24.1	37
2016	454	19.0	23.8	35.9
2017	468	17.0	27.5	34.4
2018	449	15.0	29.9	33
2019	440	16.0	27.5	34.8
2020	407	n/a	n/a	35.1
2021	400	17.0	23.5	39.3
2022	386	17.0	22.7	40.2
2023	385	16.0	24.0	37.9
2024	393	16.0	24.5	38.4

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 San Rafael Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	397	16.3	24.3	n/a
1989	388	15.5	25.0	n/a
1990	405	15.6	25.9	n/a
1991	427	16.6	25.7	n/a
1992	409	16.9	24.2	80.9
1993	443	15.6	28.4	67.9
1994	426	15.6	27.3	82.2
1995	447	15.0	29.8	74.9
1996	447	15.0	29.8	74.9
1997	464	19.0	24.4	77.4
1998	427	13.0	32.8	72.6
1999	434	20.4	21.3	77.6
2000	453	23.6	19.2	74.4
2001	457	24.5	18.7	81.8
2002	425	25.4	16.7	81.4
2003	425	25.4	16.7	81.4
2004	390	22.4	17.4	81.2
2005	379	19.8	19.1	92
2006	326	21.0	15.5	82.8
2007	402	23.0	17.5	44.7
2008	354	23.8	14.9	59
2009	342	19.0	16.4	67.8
2010	348	20.7	16.7	70.7
2011	313	n/a	n/a	63.3
2012	391	17.0	23.0	n/a
2013	381	15.9	23.9	45.4
2014	409	16.0	25.5	39.6
2015	435	18.0	24.1	37
2016	454	19.0	23.8	35.9
2017	468	17.0	27.5	34.4
2018	449	15.0	29.9	33
2019	440	16.0	27.5	34.8
2020	407	n/a	n/a	35.1
2021	400	17.0	23.5	39.3
2022	386	17.0	22.7	40.2
2023	385	16.0	24.0	37.9
2024	393	16.0	24.5	38.4

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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