Summary:
The Old Adobe Union school district in Petaluma serves about 1,700 students across five K-6 elementary schools, with the district ranking in the 60th percentile statewide, but this average masks significant differences between individual schools.
Performance varies widely, with Sonoma Mountain Elementary standing out as a top-tier school, ranking in the 92nd percentile for California with exceptionally high test scores and very low chronic absenteeism. In contrast, Miwok Valley Elementary Charter faces considerable challenges, ranking in the bottom 10% of schools with low test scores and the district's highest chronic absenteeism rate, despite having the highest per-student spending. The other three schools—Loma Vista Immersion Academy, La Tercera Elementary, and Old Adobe Elementary Charter—cluster near or slightly above the state average.
Key takeaways for parents include a strong correlation between a school's economic need profile and its academic outcomes, a notable performance gap between the district's highest and lowest achievers, and concerns about science scores being low across the district. The data suggests that while the district has one exemplary school, families should look closely at the specific performance and environment of each school, as the experience can differ dramatically within the same small district.
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