Elementary Schools in Pasadena Unified

The 14 elementary schools in Pasadena Unified serve grades K–5, except McKinley, which serves K–8. In 2025–2026, the schools’ unweighted averages were 49% in ELA, 44% in math and 39% in science—about 1 point below the state in ELA, 6 points above in math and 3 above in science. But those averages conceal a wide spread: the gap between the highest- and lowest-scoring schools was 53 points in ELA, 63 in math and 56 in science. The most important finding is that results vary considerably from one school to another.

Field (Eugene) Elementary leads ELA and math, with 75% and 78% proficiency; it is 26 points above the state in ELA and 40 points above in math. Sierra Madre Elementary leads science at 66%, 30 points above the state, and is also near the top in ELA and math. Hamilton Elementary is another strong all-around school, with all three subjects above the state and improving year over year. At the lower end, Washington Elementary STEM Magnet scored 22% in ELA, 22% in math and 19% in science; McKinley scored 16% in math and 10% in science. Those math and science results are 23 and 26 points below state results, respectively.

Changes over time are mixed: the group’s average ELA result was essentially flat, while math rose 3 points and science rose 3 points from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026. Some schools had larger swings: San Rafael Elementary gained 29 points in science and 12 in math, while Washington fell 11 points in ELA and 10 in science. SchoolDigger’s statewide rankings also distinguish the schools: Field is in the 91st percentile and Sierra Madre in the 89th, compared with the 14th for Washington and 10th for McKinley. As context, 2024–2025 free/reduced lunch eligibility ranged from 29% at Field to 86% at Washington; Hamilton was at 52% despite strong scores. Ratios also do not provide a simple guide: Field’s student-teacher ratio was 25.5, while McKinley’s was 18.1. McKinley’s K–8 grade span means its all-grades results are not directly comparable with the K–5 schools.