Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Palomares Elementary

Q: Is Palomares Elementary a good school?

Palomares Elementary ranks 1667 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1667^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 72% of California elementary schools

Summary

Palomares Elementary is a small, well-rated public school serving about 135 students in grades K-5 within the strong Castro Valley Unified district, offering a more intimate setting with higher per-student funding and smaller class sizes than most of its district peers.

Academically, Palomares consistently beats state averages but tends to score slightly below the district average, with a notable and unusual pattern: third-grade proficiency, especially in English Language Arts, is significantly lower than in fourth and fifth grades. While the school has successfully reduced chronic absenteeism to a very low rate, its academic results are mixed when compared to other Castro Valley Unified schools with similar student demographics, such as Vannoy Elementary and Independent Elementary. For instance, Jensen Ranch Elementary in the same district achieves higher test scores with lower per-student spending.

When compared to schools in the neighboring Hayward Unified district, like Stonebrae Elementary or Fairview Elementary, Palomares performs significantly better, highlighting the overall strength of its home district. The school shows particular historical strength in supporting economically disadvantaged students and has successfully closed a gender performance gap where female students now outperform males.

135

Students ?

22.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,785

Per pupil spending ?

36.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6395 Palo Verde Rd.
Castro Valley, CA 94552-9708

(510) 582-4207

District: Castro Valley Unified

Students who attend Palomares Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Canyon Middle
	Creekside Middle
High:	Castro Valley High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

34.8%

Two or more races:

25.2%

White:

21.5%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Palomares Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 85th percentile in 2015 → 72nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (53% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Above the California median (72nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2015

!Near the bottom of Castro Valley Unified's ranking

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school53%

District avg61%

California avg41%

1,667^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 28%▼ down 14 pts since 2015

From top 15% (2015) to top 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 9Elementary Schools in the Castro Valley Unified

237^th of 1,543Castro Valley Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	68.5	1667 of 5857	71.5%	★★★★☆
2024	78.9	1201 of 5869	79.5%	★★★★☆
2023	70.8	1541 of 5859	73.7%	★★★★☆
2022	81.0	1148 of 5883	80.5%	★★★★☆
2021	83.1	236 of 1417	83.3%	★★★★☆
2019	86.1	846 of 5789	85.4%	★★★★☆
2018	80.8	1087 of 5662	80.8%	★★★★☆
2017	86.5	845 of 5692	85.2%	★★★★☆
2016	81.5	1070 of 5614	80.9%	★★★★☆
2015	85.8	836 of 5611	85.1%	★★★★☆
2013	81.7	969 of 5530	82.5%	★★★★☆
2012	95.2	80 of 5390	98.5%	★★★★★
2011	96.3	48 of 5377	99.1%	★★★★★
2010	93.8	210 of 5314	96.0%	★★★★★
2009	94.6	183 of 5193	96.5%	★★★★★
2008	93.7	270 of 5113	94.7%	★★★★★
2007	94.1	282 of 5113	94.5%	★★★★★
2006	92.6	355 of 4818	92.6%	★★★★★
2005	92.5	354 of 4822	92.7%	★★★★★
2004	96.8	139 of 4809	97.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	87.1	741 of 5597	86.8%	★★★★☆
2024	72.6	1379 of 5612	75.4%	★★★★☆
2022	76.2	1273 of 5635	77.4%	★★★★☆
2021	60.4	440 of 1267	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	93.2	343 of 5492	93.8%	★★★★★
2018	86.4	750 of 5413	86.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	98.7	41 of 4963	99.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	80.4	812 of 5517	85.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	55.2	2226 of 5628	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	85.8	829 of 5643	85.3%	★★★★☆
2021	84.7	193 of 1272	84.8%	★★★★☆
2019	69.7	1532 of 5510	72.2%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2019)99th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2025)87th percentile+15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)85th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)60th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy57%+8 vs state

Mathematics53%+15 vs state

Science44%+11 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Palomares Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, May 29, 2018

This school is bad news. My son came their with high self esteem and strong academics. He left with his head down. The school threatened to remove him constantly. If they are 2 minutes late, if they can't keep up with the curriculum, or if they get into any trouble, the school threatens to kick them out. The principle is extremely rude, the teachers ... lets just say they caused us to hire a private tutor. They most likely only have high test scores because they criminalize and remove the students who need guidance. Want your kid to develop confidence issues? This is the school for you. I would give negative stars if possible. My poor 5 year old!! Close Quote

Schools Near Palomares Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Palomares Elementary	Public	K-5	6395 Palo Verde Rd.	Castro Valley	94552	Alameda County	Castro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 582-4207	135	6	22.5	36.3%	29 (21.5%)	3 (2.2%)	47 (34.8%)	22 (16.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (25.2%)	68.5	1667^th of 5857 public elementary schools	71.5%		78.9	1201^st of 5869 public elementary schools	79.5%	466	44.0	44.0	24.0	74.1	72.0		57.1	40.0	60.7	56.0		52.6	$14,785	$101	$14,684
Jensen Ranch Elementary	Public	K-5	20001 Carson Ln.	Castro Valley	94552	Alameda County	Castro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 537-6365	373	16	23.3	20.1%	52 (13.9%)	9 (2.4%)	38 (10.2%)	231 (61.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (11.5%)	97.6	110^th of 5857 public elementary schools	98.1%		95.4	314^th of 5869 public elementary schools	94.6%	204	66.1	66.1	85.0	88.9	85.7		86.6	88.3	82.5	82.1		84.4	$14,236	$101	$14,135
Independent Elementary	Public	K-5	21201 Independent School Rd.	Castro Valley	94552	Alameda County	Castro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 537-9558	662	27	24.9	28.2%	105 (15.9%)	18 (2.7%)	103 (15.6%)	329 (49.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	106 (16.0%)	87.7	792^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	86.5%		92.2	555^th of 5869 public elementary schools	90.5%	237	55.9	55.9	61.5	65.7	73.0		67.2	64.4	74.0	66.4		68.1	$13,480	$176	$13,304
Fairview Elementary	Public	K-6	23515 Maud Ave.	Hayward	94541	Alameda County	Hayward Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 723-3830	543	22	25.2	73.1%	30 (5.5%)	72 (13.3%)	304 (56.0%)	83 (15.3%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.7%)	48 (8.8%)	17.4	5058^th of 5857 public elementary schools	13.6%		25.2	4352^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	25.8%	706	9.4	9.4	35.1	30.7	19.1	19.2	26.5	32.1	21.1	7.1	7.6	17.7	$23,657	$3,751	$19,906
Vannoy Elementary	Public	K-5	5100 Vannoy	Castro Valley	94546	Alameda County	Castro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 537-1832	536	22	24.3	29.5%	115 (21.5%)	9 (1.7%)	162 (30.2%)	164 (30.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	85 (15.9%)	83.9	969^th of 5857 public elementary schools	83.5%		87.3	843^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	85.6%	126	35.9	35.9	64.3	75.0	67.2		68.4	69.4	70.3	60.9		67.1	$13,383	$101	$13,282
Marshall Elementary	Public	K-5	20111 Marshall St.	Castro Valley	94546	Alameda County	Castro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 537-2431	515	21	24.5	44.5%	71 (13.8%)	20 (3.9%)	142 (27.6%)	213 (41.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	64 (12.4%)	86.2	870^th of 5857 public elementary schools	85.1%		89	746^th of 5869 public elementary schools	87.3%	124	56.3	56.3	72.1	58.3	73.4		68.2	77.9	53.6	62.5		64.7	$14,527	$549	$13,978
East Avenue Elementary	Public	K-6	2424 East Ave.	Hayward	94541	Alameda County	Hayward Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 723-3815	407	20	20.8	66.8%	39 (9.6%)	58 (14.3%)	204 (50.1%)	55 (13.5%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (3.4%)	36 (8.8%)	30.2	3947^th of 5857 public elementary schools	32.6%		29	4012^th of 5869 public elementary schools	31.6%	65	26.3	26.3	11.4	50.9	33.3	31.9	33.0	13.6	48.3	16.7	15.9	24.0	$26,136	$3,078	$23,058
Stonebrae Elementary	Public	K-6	28761 Hayward Blvd.	Hayward	94542	Alameda County	Hayward Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 723-3910	605	28	21.7	54.2%	55 (9.1%)	40 (6.6%)	233 (38.5%)	173 (28.6%)	3 (0.5%)	8 (1.3%)	93 (15.4%)	56.7	2226^th of 5857 public elementary schools	62.0%		61.2	2022^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	65.5%	204	31.2	31.2	48.1	43.2	44.7	58.9	48.4	50.0	44.0	35.1	48.6	44.4	$23,807	$2,799	$21,008
Faith Ringgold School of Arts and Science	Public	K-8	1570 Ward St.	Hayward	94541	Alameda County	Hayward Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 889-7399	111	5	21.5	92.8%	4 (3.6%)	15 (13.5%)	72 (64.9%)	12 (10.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	7 (6.3%)	13.3	5398^th of 5857 public elementary schools	7.8%		6.1	5836^th of 5869 public elementary schools	0.6%	438	23.1	23.1	10.5	25.0	28.6		20.4	5.6	12.5	14.3		9.6	$30,859	$3,673	$27,186
Proctor Elementary	Public	K-5	17520 Redwood Rd.	Castro Valley	94546	Alameda County	Castro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 537-0630	613	25	24.5	30.2%	134 (21.9%)	12 (2.0%)	100 (16.3%)	243 (39.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	121 (19.7%)	94.8	349^th of 5857 public elementary schools	94.0%		95.4	309^th of 5869 public elementary schools	94.7%	40	67.4	67.4	78.8	74.5	74.7		76.0	82.8	81.6	69.2		78.0	$13,687	$351	$13,336

Frequently Asked Questions about Palomares Elementary

What schools do graduates of Palomares Elementary attend?

Students who attend Palomares Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Canyon Middle
Middle : Creekside Middle
High : Castro Valley High

Is Palomares Elementary a good school?

Palomares Elementary ranks 1667^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Palomares Elementary in?

Castro Valley Unified

How many students attend Palomares Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 135 students attended Palomares Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Palomares Elementary?

Students at Palomares Elementary are 35% Hispanic, 25% Two or more races, 21% White, 16% Asian, 2% African American.

Rate Palomares Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Castro Valley, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Palomares Elementary!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.