Cobb (William L.) Elementary

William L. Cobb Elementary is a K-5 public school serving 134 students in the San Francisco Unified district, representing a notable turnaround story from a decade ago, though it currently faces significant challenges with student attendance.

The school's most pressing issue is chronic absenteeism, with over half of students missing significant school time—a rate more than double the district average and far higher than nearby schools like Sherman Elementary (22.3%) or Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary (10.5%). This likely impacts learning, as academic performance is mixed: while science scores are a relative strength, English and math proficiency are below district averages. Interestingly, the school spends more per student than most neighbors, but there is a pronounced performance gap between female students (who score well) and male students (who score significantly lower).

Despite these challenges, Cobb has shown it can improve, having risen from the bottom 10% of state schools to near the median over the past decade, and it appears relatively effective with its high population of economically disadvantaged students. The school exists in an area of extreme variation, with other local schools like New Traditions Elementary performing very highly and Redding Elementary facing greater struggles, highlighting the diverse educational landscape in this part of San Francisco.