Best Public Schools in Novato, CA

Novato, California is served by 15 public schools across the Novato Unified and Novato Charter District, educating roughly 7,300 students from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade, with performance varying significantly across the city.

The district features standout schools like Pleasant Valley Elementary, which has the highest test scores, and San Marin High, the top-ranked high school with a 98% graduation rate. In contrast, Marin Oaks High and Hamilton Tk-8 face considerable academic challenges. The independently run Novato Charter is a high performer with notably lower per-student spending.

Key factors for parents to consider include chronic absenteeism, which is very low at top schools but high at struggling ones, and the wide range in per-student funding, which does not directly correlate with higher test scores. The two main high schools, Novato High and San Marin High, show a notable performance gap despite similar resources, highlighting the disparities within the same district.