Is Buena Vista Elementary a good school?

Buena Vista Elementary ranks 641 st of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Buena Vista Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 494 students attended Buena Vista Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Buena Vista Elementary?

Students at Buena Vista Elementary are 40% White, 24% Asian, 17% Two or more races, 16% Hispanic, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Buena Vista Elementary attend?

Students who attend Buena Vista Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Walnut Creek Intermediate High : Las Lomas High

Buena Vista Elementary

Summary:

Buena Vista Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school in Walnut Creek, California, serving 466 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Walnut Creek Elementary District, which is ranked 117 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Buena Vista Elementary consistently ranks among the top California elementary schools, with a statewide ranking between 319 and 641 over the past several years. The school's performance on standardized assessments is significantly higher than the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, 71.74% of Buena Vista Elementary students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to the state average of 47.04%. In Mathematics, the school had 68.94% proficiency, compared to the state average of 35.54%. The school's performance for Hispanic students and English Language Learners is particularly noteworthy, with rankings in the top 5% and top 1% of California elementary schools, respectively.

Buena Vista Elementary consistently outperforms the other schools in the Walnut Creek Elementary District, as well as nearby schools in the Mt. Diablo Unified and Lafayette Elementary districts. The school's ability to sustain this level of excellence across different student subgroups and subject areas is a testament to the quality of education and the dedication of the school community. While Buena Vista Elementary's overall performance is exceptional, the school could potentially focus on improving chronic absenteeism rates and supporting the performance of Asian and multi-racial student subgroups.

Detail:

Public K-5

2355 San Juan Ave.
Walnut Creek, CA 94597-3099

(925) 944-6822

District: Walnut Creek Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
641^st of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,734

Students who attend Buena Vista Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Walnut Creek Intermediate
High:	Las Lomas High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.5

Number of students: 494

Racial breakdown:

White:

40.5%

Asian:

24.1%

Two or more races:

16.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 18.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Buena Vista Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Buena Vista Elementary ranks better than 89.1% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 3^rd among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Walnut Creek Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 90.87. (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 Buena Vista Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Walnut Creek Elementary School District. Student population at Buena Vista Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (40.5%), Asian (24.1%), two or more races (16.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 18.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Buena Vista Elementary is 23.5. 4 elementary schools in the Walnut Creek Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Buena Vista Elementary employs 21 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Buena Vista Elementary is $6,734. 3 elementary schools in the Walnut Creek Elementary School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Buena Vista Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Buena Vista Elementary 641^st of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Buena Vista Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Walnut Creek Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Walnut Creek Elementary 117^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Buena Vista Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	90.55	484^th	4809	89.9%
2005	88.27	578^th	4822	88.0%
2006	91.49	408^th	4818	91.5%
2007	91.09	460^th	5113	91.0%
2008	89.61	506^th	5113	90.1%
2009	79.42	1030^th	5193	80.2%
2010	88.23	562^nd	5314	89.4%
2011	83.77	803^rd	5377	85.1%
2012	86.99	620^th	5390	88.5%
2013	75.94	1263^rd	5530	77.2%
2015	87.60	750^th	5611	86.6%
2016	91.81	510^th	5614	90.9%
2017	88.83	708^th	5692	87.6%
2018	90.28	623^rd	5662	89.0%
2019	89.05	700^th	5789	87.9%
2022	93.10	507^th	5883	91.4%
2023	95.47	319^th	5874	94.6%
2024	90.87	641^st	5862	89.1%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	61.71	154^th	339	54.6%
2019	46.39	278^th	445	37.5%
2022	72.21	172^nd	610	71.8%
2023	74.46	167^th	669	75.0%
2024	67.73	236^th	669	64.7%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	99.69	16^th	3250	99.5%
2024	99.74	13^th	3160	99.6%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	88.34	216^th	2634	91.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	71.03	1133^rd	5173	78.1%
2023	93.90	236^th	5374	95.6%
2024	84.59	644^th	5511	88.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	87.91	674^th	5413	87.5%
2019	89.51	590^th	5492	89.3%
2022	91.13	574^th	5635	89.8%
2023	94.40	335^th	5617	94.0%
2024	88.06	715^th	5605	87.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	89.70	584^th	5431	89.2%
2019	85.23	814^th	5510	85.2%
2022	93.22	432^nd	5663	92.4%
2023	94.84	321^st	5650	94.3%
2024	91.04	538^th	5636	90.5%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	60.77	540^th	1071	49.6%
2019	81.69	96^th	1149	91.6%
2022	57.98	629^th	1154	45.5%
2023	67.27	470^th	1190	60.5%
2024	65.31	510^th	1203	57.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	84.20	526^th	4830	89.1%
2019	79.58	725^th	4963	85.4%
2022	98.50	53^rd	5084	99.0%
2023	93.05	234^th	5098	95.4%
2024	94.02	206^th	5102	96.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	77.39	539^th	2737	80.3%
2019	70.36	812^th	2834	71.3%
2022	78.15	520^th	2726	80.9%
2023	85.98	220^th	2662	91.7%
2024	71.48	766^th	2647	71.1%

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 Buena Vista Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	362	5	59	44	0	n/a	n/a	0	470
1989	376	12	47	56	0	n/a	n/a	0	491
1990	334	11	49	70	0	n/a	n/a	0	464
1991	348	8	47	76	0	n/a	n/a	0	479
1992	368	5	54	70	3	n/a	n/a	0	500
1993	327	6	64	84	1	n/a	n/a	0	482
1994	316	4	55	69	3	n/a	n/a	0	447
1995	331	10	47	70	5	n/a	n/a	0	463
1996	331	10	47	70	5	n/a	n/a	0	463
1997	319	8	55	63	9	n/a	n/a	0	454
1998	327	7	67	65	7	n/a	n/a	0	473
1999	338	9	51	63	5	n/a	n/a	0	466
2000	332	6	69	66	4	n/a	n/a	0	477
2001	319	9	63	75	2	n/a	n/a	0	468
2002	288	14	74	86	2	n/a	n/a	7	471
2003	288	14	74	86	2	n/a	n/a	7	471
2004	286	16	86	83	5	n/a	n/a	15	491
2005	261	22	87	78	1	n/a	n/a	25	474
2006	272	24	80	53	1	n/a	n/a	51	481
2007	255	21	82	48	1	n/a	n/a	47	454
2008	238	18	88	52	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	396
2009	256	18	75	59	0	5	60	0	473
2010	260	24	83	78	0	4	19	0	468
2011	264	21	88	92	0	4	23	0	492
2012	266	22	102	103	0	3	24	0	520
2013	271	24	98	100	2	5	38	0	538
2014	267	21	82	96	3	4	58	0	531
2015	258	24	94	96	1	4	69	0	546
2016	223	19	102	81	1	2	63	0	491
2017	211	11	100	71	1	1	59	0	454
2018	208	6	103	72	1	1	64	0	455
2019	210	10	102	76	0	1	63	0	462
2020	216	11	104	70	0	0	59	0	460
2021	216	9	106	72	0	0	61	0	464
2022	204	13	98	66	0	0	71	0	452
2023	198	13	101	73	1	0	80	0	466
2024	200	15	119	77	1	0	82	0	494

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 Buena Vista Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	470	20.5	22.9	n/a
1989	491	22.5	21.8	n/a
1990	464	23.5	19.7	n/a
1991	479	23.5	20.3	n/a
1992	500	23.9	20.9	16.6
1993	482	19.5	24.7	20.3
1994	447	21.0	21.3	20.1
1995	463	18.5	25.0	20.5
1996	463	18.5	25.0	20.5
1997	454	22.0	20.6	21.1
1998	473	24.0	19.7	20.1
1999	466	23.5	19.8	16.5
2000	477	24.7	19.3	16.1
2001	468	24.8	18.9	14.1
2002	471	26.0	18.1	11.6
2003	471	26.0	18.1	11.6
2004	491	26.0	18.9	13.9
2005	474	25.0	19.0	17.6
2006	481	25.4	18.9	16.5
2007	454	26.6	17.1	12
2008	396	28.4	13.9	11.9
2009	473	26.9	16.6	14.4
2010	468	23.1	20.2	17.1
2011	492	n/a	n/a	18.1
2012	520	23.7	21.9	n/a
2013	538	26.8	20.0	14.1
2014	531	25.0	21.2	11.3
2015	546	25.0	21.8	13.2
2016	491	25.0	19.6	12
2017	454	21.6	21.0	7.9
2018	455	21.6	21.0	11.6
2019	462	20.1	22.9	14.7
2020	460	n/a	n/a	15
2021	464	20.0	23.2	14.2
2022	452	20.0	22.6	15.9
2023	466	20.0	23.3	16.1
2024	494	21.0	23.5	18.8

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 Buena Vista Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	470	20.5	22.9	n/a
1989	491	22.5	21.8	n/a
1990	464	23.5	19.7	n/a
1991	479	23.5	20.3	n/a
1992	500	23.9	20.9	16.6
1993	482	19.5	24.7	20.3
1994	447	21.0	21.3	20.1
1995	463	18.5	25.0	20.5
1996	463	18.5	25.0	20.5
1997	454	22.0	20.6	21.1
1998	473	24.0	19.7	20.1
1999	466	23.5	19.8	16.5
2000	477	24.7	19.3	16.1
2001	468	24.8	18.9	14.1
2002	471	26.0	18.1	11.6
2003	471	26.0	18.1	11.6
2004	491	26.0	18.9	13.9
2005	474	25.0	19.0	17.6
2006	481	25.4	18.9	16.5
2007	454	26.6	17.1	12
2008	396	28.4	13.9	11.9
2009	473	26.9	16.6	14.4
2010	468	23.1	20.2	17.1
2011	492	n/a	n/a	18.1
2012	520	23.7	21.9	n/a
2013	538	26.8	20.0	14.1
2014	531	25.0	21.2	11.3
2015	546	25.0	21.8	13.2
2016	491	25.0	19.6	12
2017	454	21.6	21.0	7.9
2018	455	21.6	21.0	11.6
2019	462	20.1	22.9	14.7
2020	460	n/a	n/a	15
2021	464	20.0	23.2	14.2
2022	452	20.0	22.6	15.9
2023	466	20.0	23.3	16.1
2024	494	21.0	23.5	18.8

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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