Is Spruce Elementary a good school?

Spruce Elementary ranks in the bottom 14.7% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Spruce Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 408 students attended Spruce Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Spruce Elementary?

Students at Spruce Elementary are 82% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 3% White, 2% Pacific Islander, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Spruce Elementary attend?

Students who attend Spruce Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Parkway Heights Middle High : South San Francisco High

Spruce Elementary

Summary:

Spruce Elementary is a public elementary school in South San Francisco, California, serving 408 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. However, the school consistently underperforms compared to the South San Francisco Unified School District and the state of California in academic achievement, with low proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Spruce Elementary faces significant challenges, including a high chronic absenteeism rate of 33.3%, well above the district and state averages, and a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch at 61.27%. Additionally, the school has a higher student-teacher ratio of 22.6, compared to the district's ratio of 21.7. When compared to nearby schools like Buri Buri Elementary and Monte Verde Elementary, Spruce Elementary is one of the lower-performing schools in the district, with significantly lower proficiency rates in core subjects.

The school's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students and English Language Learners, whose rankings have declined in recent years, with the school ranking in the bottom 25% of California elementary schools for these subgroups. The school's chronic absenteeism rate has also fluctuated significantly, suggesting challenges in addressing attendance issues, which could be impacting student learning and academic achievement.

Detail:

Public K-5

501 Spruce Ave.
South San Francisco, CA 94080-2749

(650) 877-8780

District: South San Francisco Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
4998^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,603

Students who attend Spruce Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Parkway Heights Middle
High:	South San Francisco High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.6

Number of students: 408

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

81.6%

Asian:

9.3%

White:

3.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 61.3%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Spruce Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Spruce Elementary ranks worse than 85.3% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks last among 9 ranked elementary schools in the South San Francisco Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.24. (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 (81.6%), Asian (9.3%), White (3.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 61.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the South San Francisco Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Spruce Elementary is 22.6. 6 elementary schools in the South San Francisco Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Spruce Elementary employs 18 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Spruce Elementary is $5,603, which is the 3^rd highest among 9 elementary schools in the South San Francisco Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Spruce Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Spruce Elementary 4998^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Spruce 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:

South San Francisco Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks South San Francisco Unified 650^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Spruce Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Spruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	45.70	2372^nd	4809	50.7%
2005	42.64	2565^th	4822	46.8%
2006	38.93	2765^th	4818	42.6%
2007	41.42	2816^th	5113	44.9%
2008	47.62	2510^th	5113	50.9%
2009	51.00	2424^th	5193	53.3%
2010	47.83	2701^st	5314	49.2%
2011	48.34	2697^th	5377	49.8%
2012	50.12	2606^th	5390	51.7%
2013	45.02	3002^nd	5530	45.7%
2015	18.72	4765^th	5611	15.1%
2016	27.95	3936^th	5614	29.9%
2017	29.37	3886^th	5692	31.7%
2018	23.06	4419^th	5662	22.0%
2019	31.37	3825^th	5789	33.9%
2021	26.33	1024^th	1417	27.7%
2022	34.32	3510^th	5883	40.3%
2023	25.22	4347^th	5874	26.0%
2024	18.24	4998^th	5862	14.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Spruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	36.66	1962^nd	3246	39.6%
2019	49.01	1304^th	3275	60.2%
2021	30.95	463^rd	602	23.1%
2022	46.07	1411^th	3311	57.4%
2023	32.65	2347^th	3250	27.8%
2024	34.51	2213^th	3160	30.0%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Spruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	32.37	1542^nd	2420	36.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Spruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	33.39	3521^st	5084	30.7%
2019	39.09	3190^th	5173	38.3%
2021	37.78	682^nd	1110	38.6%
2022	46.26	2521^st	5264	52.1%
2023	29.78	3915^th	5374	27.1%
2024	15.99	5078^th	5511	7.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Spruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	23.06	4310^th	5413	20.4%
2019	31.61	3702^nd	5492	32.6%
2021	32.56	810^th	1267	36.1%
2022	30.25	3714^th	5635	34.1%
2023	26.30	4111^th	5617	26.8%
2024	15.61	5070^th	5605	9.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Spruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	39.46	1054^th	2128	50.5%
2019	46.22	1092^nd	2585	57.8%
2021	26.58	211^th	293	28.0%
2022	21.50	1944^th	2227	12.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Spruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.15	4094^th	5431	24.6%
2019	32.25	3598^th	5510	34.7%
2021	22.68	995^th	1272	21.8%
2022	38.20	3121^st	5663	44.9%
2023	25.46	4205^th	5650	25.6%
2024	22.51	4484^th	5636	20.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Spruce Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	29.71	3570^th	4830	26.1%
2019	39.22	3007^th	4963	39.4%
2022	48.01	2328^th	5084	54.2%
2023	30.41	3670^th	5098	28.0%
2024	20.01	4453^rd	5102	12.7%

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 Spruce Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	101	20	32	248	4	n/a	n/a	0	405
1989	114	18	33	298	1	n/a	n/a	0	464
1990	101	15	39	314	0	n/a	n/a	0	469
1991	93	15	48	360	0	n/a	n/a	0	516
1992	92	13	51	419	1	n/a	n/a	0	576
1993	91	13	46	408	0	n/a	n/a	0	558
1994	92	14	41	412	3	n/a	n/a	0	562
1995	61	18	39	456	1	n/a	n/a	0	575
1996	61	18	39	456	1	n/a	n/a	0	575
1997	75	11	44	448	4	n/a	n/a	0	582
1998	56	13	45	508	1	n/a	n/a	0	623
1999	55	12	55	514	3	n/a	n/a	0	639
2000	41	16	65	501	3	n/a	n/a	1	627
2001	41	10	80	485	1	n/a	n/a	0	617
2002	33	6	69	454	1	n/a	n/a	0	563
2003	33	6	69	454	1	n/a	n/a	0	563
2004	21	3	53	398	0	n/a	n/a	0	475
2005	21	2	42	386	0	n/a	n/a	0	451
2006	33	11	61	426	0	n/a	n/a	0	531
2007	35	8	51	446	0	n/a	n/a	0	540
2008	38	10	58	450	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	556
2009	32	13	54	477	1	11	2	0	590
2010	13	7	40	513	1	3	27	0	604
2011	20	7	53	540	14	7	18	0	659
2012	12	6	60	586	1	6	12	0	683
2013	10	9	45	561	2	6	12	0	645
2014	13	5	44	576	2	6	8	0	654
2015	5	8	39	589	2	5	4	0	652
2016	9	8	48	550	1	5	5	0	626
2017	7	6	48	518	1	4	6	0	590
2018	8	3	44	481	1	4	10	0	551
2019	7	6	52	440	1	1	9	0	516
2020	8	4	53	422	1	2	10	0	500
2021	6	8	53	384	0	5	10	0	466
2022	11	8	40	356	0	6	9	0	430
2023	14	5	38	333	3	8	7	0	408

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 Spruce Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	405	19.0	21.3	n/a
1989	464	19.3	24.0	n/a
1990	469	20.4	22.9	n/a
1991	516	21.6	23.8	n/a
1992	576	21.9	26.3	55.9
1993	558	23.1	24.2	47
1994	562	23.6	23.8	52.5
1995	575	24.6	23.4	72
1996	575	24.6	23.4	72
1997	582	26.6	21.9	63.4
1998	623	35.6	17.5	71.3
1999	639	32.6	19.6	34.7
2000	627	34.6	18.1	56.9
2001	617	31.6	19.5	56.2
2002	563	32.4	17.4	69.4
2003	563	32.4	17.4	69.4
2004	475	25.0	19.0	70.5
2005	451	24.0	18.8	57.6
2006	531	28.5	18.6	69.1
2007	540	29.0	18.6	n/a
2008	556	33.0	16.8	75.4
2009	590	31.0	18.4	72.4
2010	604	32.2	18.7	65.9
2011	659	n/a	n/a	75
2012	683	30.5	22.3	n/a
2013	645	27.0	23.8	79.5
2014	654	29.0	22.5	60.2
2015	652	29.0	22.4	68.4
2016	626	26.0	24.0	67.1
2017	590	26.4	22.3	62.9
2018	551	24.4	22.5	69
2019	516	22.4	23.0	72.7
2020	500	n/a	n/a	65.2
2021	466	21.4	21.7	61.6
2022	430	20.5	20.9	63.7
2023	408	18.0	22.6	61.3

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 Spruce Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	405	19.0	21.3	n/a
1989	464	19.3	24.0	n/a
1990	469	20.4	22.9	n/a
1991	516	21.6	23.8	n/a
1992	576	21.9	26.3	55.9
1993	558	23.1	24.2	47
1994	562	23.6	23.8	52.5
1995	575	24.6	23.4	72
1996	575	24.6	23.4	72
1997	582	26.6	21.9	63.4
1998	623	35.6	17.5	71.3
1999	639	32.6	19.6	34.7
2000	627	34.6	18.1	56.9
2001	617	31.6	19.5	56.2
2002	563	32.4	17.4	69.4
2003	563	32.4	17.4	69.4
2004	475	25.0	19.0	70.5
2005	451	24.0	18.8	57.6
2006	531	28.5	18.6	69.1
2007	540	29.0	18.6	n/a
2008	556	33.0	16.8	75.4
2009	590	31.0	18.4	72.4
2010	604	32.2	18.7	65.9
2011	659	n/a	n/a	75
2012	683	30.5	22.3	n/a
2013	645	27.0	23.8	79.5
2014	654	29.0	22.5	60.2
2015	652	29.0	22.4	68.4
2016	626	26.0	24.0	67.1
2017	590	26.4	22.3	62.9
2018	551	24.4	22.5	69
2019	516	22.4	23.0	72.7
2020	500	n/a	n/a	65.2
2021	466	21.4	21.7	61.6
2022	430	20.5	20.9	63.7
2023	408	18.0	22.6	61.3

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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