Is Lowell Elementary a good school?

Lowell Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.5% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Lowell Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 285 students attended Lowell Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Lowell Elementary?

Students at Lowell Elementary are 90% Hispanic, 4% White, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Lowell Elementary attend?

Students who attend Lowell Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Herbert Hoover Middle High : Abraham Lincoln High

Lowell Elementary

Summary:

Lowell Elementary is a public elementary school located in San Jose, California, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 285 students. The school is part of the San Jose Unified School District, which is ranked 796 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 2-star rating out of 5 from SchoolDigger.

Lowell Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 5% of California elementary schools, with a statewide ranking between 5,604 and 5,777 out of 5,862 schools in the past 5 years. The school's performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments is significantly lower than the San Jose Unified School District and the state of California averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 7.87% of Lowell Elementary students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 49.53% for the district and 47.04% for California. Additionally, Lowell Elementary has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 8.7% in the 2017-2018 school year to 40.1% in the 2022-2023 school year, which is much higher than the district and state averages.

In contrast, the nearby schools, such as Washington Elementary, Horace Mann Elementary, and Selma Olinder Elementary, perform significantly better than Lowell Elementary on academic measures, despite being part of the same school district. These schools have higher proficiency rates on Smarter Balanced Assessments, lower chronic absenteeism, and lower percentages of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, which may contribute to Lowell Elementary's consistently low rankings and performance.

Detail:

Public K-5

625 South Seventh St.
San Jose, CA 95112-3829

(408) 535-6243

District: San Jose Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
5777^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,330

Students who attend Lowell Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Herbert Hoover Middle
High:	Abraham Lincoln High

Student/teacher ratio: 25.2

Number of students: 285

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

89.8%

White:

3.9%

Asian:

3.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 75.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Lowell Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Lowell Elementary ranks worse than 98.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 26^th among 27 ranked elementary schools in the San Jose Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.74. (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 (89.8%), White (3.9%), Asian (3.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 75.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lowell Elementary is 25.2. 22 elementary schools in the San Jose Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Lowell Elementary employs 11.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lowell Elementary is $14,330, which is the 3^rd highest among 27 elementary schools in the San Jose Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Lowell Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Lowell Elementary 5777^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Lowell 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:

San Jose Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks San Jose Unified 796^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Lowell Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Lowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	27.18	3408^th	4809	29.1%
2005	19.11	4029^th	4822	16.4%
2006	16.18	4277^th	4818	11.2%
2007	23.10	4060^th	5113	20.6%
2008	35.09	3261^st	5113	36.2%
2009	40.39	3033^rd	5193	41.6%
2010	52.60	2412^th	5314	54.6%
2011	47.96	2726^th	5377	49.3%
2012	43.80	3020^th	5390	44.0%
2013	43.57	3100^th	5530	43.9%
2015	20.79	4542^nd	5611	19.1%
2016	25.99	4101^st	5614	27.0%
2017	20.56	4644^th	5692	18.4%
2018	20.46	4639^th	5662	18.1%
2019	17.87	5001^st	5789	13.6%
2021	16.27	1258^th	1417	11.2%
2022	11.98	5604^th	5883	4.7%
2023	8.63	5772^nd	5874	1.7%
2024	7.74	5777^th	5862	1.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Lowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.76	2271^st	3246	30.0%
2019	34.39	2173^rd	3275	33.6%
2021	26.95	534^th	602	11.3%
2022	20.62	3175^th	3311	4.1%
2023	20.80	3107^th	3250	4.4%
2024	27.95	2687^th	3160	15.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.09	4048^th	5084	20.4%
2019	18.30	4674^th	5173	9.6%
2021	23.48	942^nd	1110	15.1%
2022	11.70	5126^th	5264	2.6%
2023	9.47	5291^st	5374	1.5%
2024	8.07	5458^th	5511	1.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Lowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	24.84	4183^rd	5413	22.7%
2019	16.59	4903^rd	5492	10.7%
2021	25.03	934^th	1267	26.3%
2022	14.03	5267^th	5635	6.5%
2023	11.00	5453^rd	5617	2.9%
2024	6.67	5577^th	5605	0.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Lowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	64.85	606^th	2585	76.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Lowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	20.27	4549^th	5431	16.2%
2019	20.71	4599^th	5510	16.5%
2021	12.16	1218^th	1272	4.2%
2022	11.25	5484^th	5663	3.2%
2023	8.01	5590^th	5650	1.1%
2024	10.25	5464^th	5636	3.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Lowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	21.57	4141^st	4830	14.3%
2019	16.95	4566^th	4963	8.0%
2022	15.15	4789^th	5084	5.8%
2023	8.12	5060^th	5098	0.7%
2024	8.76	5029^th	5102	1.4%

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

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Enrollment information for Lowell Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	79	8	153	245	1	n/a	n/a	0	486
1989	131	6	106	215	0	n/a	n/a	0	458
1990	137	1	93	238	0	n/a	n/a	0	469
1991	142	2	88	257	3	n/a	n/a	0	492
1992	120	3	101	284	2	n/a	n/a	0	510
1993	109	5	94	294	5	n/a	n/a	0	507
1994	126	1	105	303	4	n/a	n/a	0	539
1995	84	5	102	331	2	n/a	n/a	0	524
1996	84	5	102	331	2	n/a	n/a	0	524
1997	89	8	103	344	6	n/a	n/a	0	550
1998	68	6	101	391	4	n/a	n/a	0	570
1999	52	8	91	413	6	n/a	n/a	0	570
2000	37	10	79	423	4	n/a	n/a	0	553
2001	35	9	69	429	5	n/a	n/a	0	547
2002	14	10	60	388	6	n/a	n/a	4	482
2003	14	10	60	388	6	n/a	n/a	4	482
2004	12	13	47	412	6	n/a	n/a	0	490
2005	5	10	52	381	9	n/a	n/a	6	463
2006	10	14	43	400	8	n/a	n/a	5	480
2007	10	11	43	373	1	n/a	n/a	7	445
2008	7	9	43	335	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	394
2009	5	13	39	339	1	2	5	0	404
2010	7	17	43	303	1	3	5	0	379
2011	6	12	41	333	2	3	6	0	403
2012	12	13	39	337	2	2	4	0	409
2013	14	10	30	336	2	0	7	0	399
2014	10	8	28	374	1	0	8	0	429
2015	8	8	28	356	0	1	8	0	409
2016	9	11	22	320	0	0	6	0	368
2017	12	9	17	279	0	0	3	0	320
2018	11	8	16	261	0	1	5	0	302
2019	10	10	17	244	0	0	5	0	286
2020	4	12	13	254	1	0	2	0	286
2021	5	10	11	229	1	0	1	0	257
2022	8	5	5	209	0	0	1	0	228
2023	11	6	10	256	0	0	2	0	285

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 Lowell Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	486	24.0	20.2	n/a
1989	458	24.0	19.0	n/a
1990	469	23.0	20.3	n/a
1991	492	23.0	21.3	n/a
1992	510	23.4	21.7	74.7
1993	507	25.0	20.3	79.9
1994	539	25.0	21.6	72.9
1995	524	24.0	21.8	77.1
1996	524	24.0	21.8	77.1
1997	550	18.0	30.6	78.5
1998	570	29.0	19.7	74.4
1999	570	26.0	21.9	73.2
2000	553	27.0	20.5	69.4
2001	547	25.0	21.9	76.2
2002	482	28.2	17.1	92.7
2003	482	28.2	17.1	92.7
2004	490	27.0	18.1	93.5
2005	463	26.0	17.8	84.9
2006	480	26.0	18.5	85.5
2007	445	23.6	18.9	92.7
2008	394	24.1	16.3	92.1
2009	404	24.0	15.5	93.1
2010	379	20.0	18.9	88.9
2011	403	n/a	n/a	86.1
2012	409	18.4	22.1	n/a
2013	399	16.9	23.6	79.9
2014	429	16.9	25.3	82.8
2015	409	17.0	24.0	80.7
2016	368	16.0	23.0	84.2
2017	320	13.2	24.2	81.6
2018	302	12.4	24.3	84.1
2019	286	13.6	21.0	77.6
2020	286	n/a	n/a	79.7
2021	257	12.0	21.3	69.3
2022	228	12.3	18.5	86.4
2023	285	11.3	25.2	75.1

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 Lowell Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	486	24.0	20.2	n/a
1989	458	24.0	19.0	n/a
1990	469	23.0	20.3	n/a
1991	492	23.0	21.3	n/a
1992	510	23.4	21.7	74.7
1993	507	25.0	20.3	79.9
1994	539	25.0	21.6	72.9
1995	524	24.0	21.8	77.1
1996	524	24.0	21.8	77.1
1997	550	18.0	30.6	78.5
1998	570	29.0	19.7	74.4
1999	570	26.0	21.9	73.2
2000	553	27.0	20.5	69.4
2001	547	25.0	21.9	76.2
2002	482	28.2	17.1	92.7
2003	482	28.2	17.1	92.7
2004	490	27.0	18.1	93.5
2005	463	26.0	17.8	84.9
2006	480	26.0	18.5	85.5
2007	445	23.6	18.9	92.7
2008	394	24.1	16.3	92.1
2009	404	24.0	15.5	93.1
2010	379	20.0	18.9	88.9
2011	403	n/a	n/a	86.1
2012	409	18.4	22.1	n/a
2013	399	16.9	23.6	79.9
2014	429	16.9	25.3	82.8
2015	409	17.0	24.0	80.7
2016	368	16.0	23.0	84.2
2017	320	13.2	24.2	81.6
2018	302	12.4	24.3	84.1
2019	286	13.6	21.0	77.6
2020	286	n/a	n/a	79.7
2021	257	12.0	21.3	69.3
2022	228	12.3	18.5	86.4
2023	285	11.3	25.2	75.1

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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