Best Public Schools in Daly City, CA

The city of Daly City, California is home to 20 schools, including 14 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 4 high schools. The schools in this area serve a diverse student population and demonstrate a wide range of academic performance, with some standout schools like Marjorie H. Tobias Elementary and Fernando Rivera Intermediate consistently ranking among the top schools in the state, while others like Thornton High struggle to meet academic standards.

The data reveals a strong correlation between socioeconomic status, as measured by free and reduced-price lunch rates, and academic performance, with schools serving more economically disadvantaged populations generally performing worse on test scores and other metrics. However, the public charter school, Summit Public School: Shasta, stands out as an exception, outperforming the traditional public high schools in the Summit Public School: Shasta District. Additionally, the strong performance of middle schools like Thomas R. Pollicita Middle and Fernando Rivera Intermediate suggests that the middle school years are crucial in setting students up for success in high school.

Across the district, chronic absenteeism emerges as a significant concern, with rates ranging from 10.2% at Thomas Edison Elementary to 54.0% at Thornton High. Addressing attendance issues could be an important area for improvement to support student success throughout the Jefferson Union High, Jefferson Elementary, South San Francisco Unified, and Bayshore Elementary districts.