Best Public Schools in Richmond, CA

The city of Richmond, California is home to 33 schools, including 21 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 9 high schools, operated by various districts such as the West Contra Costa Unified, Making Waves Academy, and others. The data reveals significant disparities in academic performance and other key metrics across these schools, with some standout institutions like Making Waves Academy and Aspire Richmond Ca. College Preparatory Academy outperforming their peers on measures such as graduation rates, test scores, and student-teacher ratios.

Among the top-performing schools, Making Waves Academy, a public charter high school, stands out with a 90.5% 4-year graduation rate, the lowest dropout rate at 5.3%, and the highest percentage of 11th-grade students proficient in English Language Arts/Literacy (51.76%) and the second-highest in Mathematics (14.12%). Similarly, Aspire Richmond Ca. College Preparatory Academy, another public charter high school, boasts a 95.2% 4-year graduation rate, a low 3.6% dropout rate, and the highest 11th-grade English Language Arts/Literacy proficiency rate (63.64%) among all high schools in the area.

On the elementary school front, Valley View Elementary stands out with the lowest student-teacher ratio (17.1) and the highest percentage of 5th-grade students proficient in English Language Arts/Literacy (50%) and Mathematics (43.33%) compared to other elementary schools. The data also suggests a correlation between socioeconomic status and academic performance, with schools serving higher percentages of low-income students generally underperforming their more affluent counterparts. Overall, the Richmond, California school landscape is marked by significant disparities, with charter schools often outpacing traditional public schools in key metrics.