Summary:
Gravenstein Union Elementary includes three schools serving kindergarten through grade 8: Gravenstein Elementary (K–5), Hillcrest Middle (6–8), and Gravenstein First (grade 1). Most importantly, every reported 2025–2026 grade-and-subject result at the two schools with test scores was above the state result, by 11 to 28 percentage points.
The schools lead in different subjects: in 2025–2026 all-grades results, Hillcrest had a slight ELA edge, with 67% proficient versus 66% at Gravenstein Elementary; Gravenstein Elementary led in math, 60% to 58%, and science, 63% to 44%. Both schools exceeded state results in all three subjects; their margins ranged from 8 points for Hillcrest science to 27 points for Gravenstein Elementary science. The biggest difference between the schools was in science, a 19-point spread. Because the schools serve different grades, their all-grades results are not direct grade-matched comparisons; Gravenstein First has no reported test scores.
Recent results show a mixed direction: the two-school average fell 3 points in ELA and 5 in math from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, while science edged up from 53% to 54%; science’s average advantage over the state nevertheless narrowed by 3 points. Science trends diverged sharply by school: Gravenstein Elementary rose 10 points, while Hillcrest fell 9. SchoolDigger gives the district four stars and ranks it 101st of 968 California districts, at the 90th percentile; its 2025–2026 school rankings place Hillcrest at the 86th percentile and Gravenstein Elementary at the 84th. Student-teacher ratios are 19.9 at Gravenstein Elementary and 16.8 at Hillcrest. Their 2024–2025 free/reduced lunch eligible shares were 24% and 30%, respectively; these figures are context, not an explanation of test results.
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