Fairfield-Suisun Unified

The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District serves approximately 30 schools and over 18,000 students across Fairfield and Suisun City, and it is a district of stark contrasts where a handful of top-tier schools dramatically outperform the rest, resulting in an overall 2-star rating. The standout school is Public Safety Academy, a 5-star magnet high school ranked in the 99th percentile statewide with a 100% graduation rate and test scores nearly double the district average. In the Green Valley area, Nelda Mundy Elementary (4 stars) and Green Valley Middle (4 stars) consistently exceed state averages, while Virtual Academy of Fairfield-Suisun is a unique success story with a remarkably low 2.0% chronic absenteeism rate despite serving a high-poverty population.

At the other end of the spectrum, several schools face severe challenges. Anna Kyle Elementary is the lowest-performing school in the district, ranked in the 1st percentile with proficiency rates as low as 1.3% in Science. Sem Yeto Continuation High has the highest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at 75.2%, while E. Ruth Sheldon Academy and Weir Preparatory Academy are both K-8 schools ranked in the bottom 10% of California elementary schools, with math proficiency often falling below 15%. The district's overall graduation rate of 90.2% is above the state average, but chronic absenteeism at 25% is a critical issue, with schools like Crystal Middle (39.1%) and Tolenas Elementary (39.7%) showing rates that make effective instruction difficult.

A key takeaway is that higher spending does not guarantee better results—Sem Yeto spends $24,167 per student but has the lowest test scores, while high-performing Angelo Rodriguez High spends only $13,472. The district is geographically split, with schools in the Green Valley area forming a high-performing cluster, while those in central Fairfield and Suisun City, such as Fairview Elementary and Cleo Gordon Elementary, struggle significantly. For parents, this means that school choice within the district can lead to vastly different educational experiences, from the exceptional opportunities at Public Safety Academy to the serious challenges at schools with high poverty and absenteeism rates.