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River Montessori Elementary Charter

Q: Is River Montessori Elementary Charter a good school?

River Montessori Elementary Charter ranks 1373 rd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-6

1373^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 77% of California elementary schools

Summary

River Montessori Elementary Charter is a small, high-performing public charter school serving 144 students in grades K-6 in Petaluma, CA, that has shown remarkable academic improvement in recent years.

Academically, River Montessori consistently outperforms the California state average in all core subjects, with particularly strong results in mathematics and English. The school's statewide ranking has jumped impressively from the 35th to the 77th percentile over the past five years. While it serves a student population with a lower rate of economic disadvantage than many nearby schools, its academic results are strong. For comparison, Grant Elementary, which serves a similar demographic, also achieves high test scores. River Montessori's success demonstrates that its Montessori educational model is compatible with excellent performance on standardized tests.

The school has made significant strides in improving student attendance, dramatically reducing its chronic absenteeism rate from 39% to 11.5%, which is now well below the state average. It also uses its resources efficiently, achieving stronger academic outcomes than some higher-spending schools like Miwok Valley Elementary Charter. As its own charter district, it outperforms both the Old Adobe Union and Petaluma City Elementary districts on most metrics, making it a standout educational option in the area.

144

Students ?

24.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,507

Per pupil spending ?

24.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3880 Cypress Dr. Ste. B
Petaluma, CA 94954-5613

(707) 778-6414

District: River Montessori Elementary Charter District

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.3%

Hispanic:

20.1%

Two or more races:

16.0%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare River Montessori Elementary Charter to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 85th percentile in 2022 → 77th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (58% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of California elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 85th-percentile peak (2022) to 77th (2025)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Large classes — about 24 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school58%

California avg41%

1,373^rd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 23%▲ up 41 pts since 2019

From bottom 35% (2019) to top 23% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

273^rd of 1,543River Montessori Elementary Charter District among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	74.9	1373 of 5857	76.6%	★★★★☆
2024	74.1	1403 of 5869	76.1%	★★★★☆
2023	75.6	1343 of 5859	77.1%	★★★★☆
2022	86.4	882 of 5883	85.0%	★★★★☆
2019	32.2	3758 of 5789	35.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.3	1500 of 5628	73.3%	★★★★☆
2022	98.2	63 of 5663	98.9%	★★★★★
2019	22.4	4438 of 5510	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	55.0	1286 of 2661	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.3	1992 of 2834	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2025)73rd percentile-3 vs school

White (2023)52nd percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy61%+12 vs state

Mathematics57%+20 vs state

Science46%+14 vs state

★

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Schools Near River Montessori Elementary Charter

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
River Montessori Elementary Charter	Public, Charter	K-6	3880 Cypress Dr. Ste. B	Petaluma	94954	Sonoma County	River Montessori Elementary Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 778-6414	144	6	24.0	24.3%	81 (56.3%)	3 (2.1%)	29 (20.1%)	8 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (16.0%)	74.9	1373^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	76.6%		74.1	1403^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	76.1%	30	46.2		46.2	57.1	70.6	46.2				61.1	61.9	52.9	53.9				57.4							$18,507	$433	$18,074
Miwok Valley Elementary Charter	Public, Charter	K-6	1010 Saint Francis Dr.	Petaluma	94954	Sonoma County	Old Adobe Union	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 765-4304	288	14	20.5	64.6%	61 (21.2%)	8 (2.8%)	187 (64.9%)	16 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.6%)	15.2	5251^st of 5857 public elementary schools	10.3%		19.4	4909^th of 5869 public elementary schools	16.4%	342	4.9		4.9	12.8	24.2	21.1	31.4			22.1	24.3	21.6	9.8	22.2			19.2							$21,628	$1,939	$19,689
La Tercera Elementary	Public	K-6	1600 Albin Way	Petaluma	94954	Sonoma County	Old Adobe Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 765-4303	295	13	23.6	37.3%	157 (53.2%)	8 (2.7%)	107 (36.3%)	7 (2.4%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	12 (4.1%)	62	1962^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	66.5%		43.4	2968^th of 5869 public elementary schools	49.4%	1006	35.7		35.7	48.3	54.1	58.2	72.1			59.2	45.2	43.2	25.0	52.3			39.9							$17,696	$1,634	$16,062
McDowell Elementary	Public	K-6	421 South McDowell Blvd.	Petaluma	94954	Sonoma County	Petaluma City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 778-4745	329	14	23.5	86.0%	21 (6.4%)	8 (2.4%)	273 (83.0%)	11 (3.3%)	4 (1.2%)	6 (1.8%)	6 (1.8%)	11.1	5560^th of 5857 public elementary schools	5.1%		20.9	4781^st of 5869 public elementary schools	18.5%	779	3.0		3.0	5.1	14.3	21.2	34.2			18.7	17.1	10.4	12.1	11.6			12.7	92.9	94.6	96.4	94.6	94.6	94.6	$19,320	$2,329	$16,991
Grant Elementary	Public	K-6	200 Grant Ave.	Petaluma	94952	Sonoma County	Petaluma City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 778-4742	386	16	24.1	18.4%	284 (73.6%)	1 (0.3%)	44 (11.4%)	9 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	45 (11.7%)	90.1	653^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	88.9%		90.1	699^th of 5869 public elementary schools	88.1%	46	69.1		69.1	76.8	65.4	72.7	64.4			70.6	85.5	63.5	69.1	51.1			69.2	93.7			96.8	96.8		$16,033	$1,249	$14,784
Valley Oaks Elementary (Alternative)	Public	K-6	540 Vallejo St.	Petaluma	94952	Sonoma County	Petaluma City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 778-4794	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Live Oak Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	100 Gnoss Concourse Bldg. 1	Petaluma	94952	Sonoma County	Live Oak Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 762-9020	271	13	21.6	26.6%	197 (72.7%)	5 (1.8%)	27 (10.0%)	8 (3.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	30 (11.1%)	59.2	2106^th of 5857 public elementary schools	64.0%		61.4	2008^th of 5869 public elementary schools	65.8%	98	51.6	62.5	56.4	50.0	40.0	58.1	72.4	75.0	75.0	61.8	25.0	32.0	33.3	50.0	44.8	64.0	41.3	81.6	86.8	81.6	86.8	86.8	92.1	$13,818	$41	$13,777
Old Adobe Elementary Charter	Public, Charter	K-6	2856 Adobe Rd.	Petaluma	94954	Sonoma County	Old Adobe Union	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 765-4301	278	11	25.2	34.5%	192 (69.1%)	1 (0.4%)	68 (24.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.8%)	61.1	2010^th of 5857 public elementary schools	65.7%		66.2	1766^th of 5869 public elementary schools	69.9%	244	37.2		37.2	57.7	57.1	58.1	47.4			55.1	53.9	44.9	34.9	34.2			41.0							$17,850	$1,274	$16,576
McNear Elementary	Public	K-6	605 Sunnyslope Ave.	Petaluma	94952	Sonoma County	Petaluma City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 778-4752	343	15	22.8	27.4%	237 (69.1%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (20.4%)	11 (3.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (6.7%)	69.2	1639^th of 5857 public elementary schools	72.0%		69.3	1626^th of 5869 public elementary schools	72.3%	13	43.1		43.1	43.2	55.3	54.0	59.0			53.4	47.8	51.4	52.9	55.0			52.1	96.6	96.6					$16,187	$1,143	$15,044
McKinley Elementary	Public	K-6	110 Ellis St.	Petaluma	94952	Sonoma County	Petaluma City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 778-4750	368	15	24.5	50.8%	125 (34.0%)	6 (1.6%)	172 (46.7%)	26 (7.1%)	6 (1.6%)	2 (0.5%)	29 (7.9%)	43.7	2967^th of 5857 public elementary schools	49.3%		55.8	2245^th of 5869 public elementary schools	61.7%	722	20.0		20.0	41.5	33.3	37.3	48.4			40.7	41.5	38.3	31.7	43.8			38.8	84.4	89.1		90.6	87.5	87.5	$14,783	$799	$13,984

Frequently Asked Questions about River Montessori Elementary Charter

Is River Montessori Elementary Charter a good school?

River Montessori Elementary Charter ranks 1373^rd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is River Montessori Elementary Charter in?

River Montessori Elementary Charter District

How many students attend River Montessori Elementary Charter?

In the 2024-25 school year, 144 students attended River Montessori Elementary Charter.

What is the racial makeup of River Montessori Elementary Charter?

Students at River Montessori Elementary Charter are 56% White, 20% Hispanic, 16% Two or more races, 6% Asian, 2% African American.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.