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Carmel River Elementary

Public Grades K-5

463^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,817 California Elementary Schools

Better than 92% of California elementary schools

Summary

Carmel River Elementary serves 400 students in grades K–5 in Carmel, California. Its 2025–26 results were well above state averages in English language arts (ELA), math and science. The clearest takeaway is that the school delivers strong results across subjects, while its recent math and science declines deserve attention.

Math is the school’s biggest advantage, while science is a closer comparison. In 2025–26, proficiency was 75% in math, 80% in ELA and 56% in science—36, 30 and 20 percentage points above state results, respectively. The school also outperformed Carmel Unified by 11 points in math and 7 in ELA, but was 2 points below it in science. Against the two nearby K–5 schools, Forest Grove Elementary and Robert Down Elementary, Carmel River led by 15 points in math and 12 in ELA, but by just 1 point in science. Its 9% chronic absenteeism was also below district (13%) and state (18%) levels.

Four-year results show gains in ELA and science—6 and 8 percentage points, respectively—while math was nearly unchanged overall. However, math fell 5 points and science fell 9 points in 2025–26 from the previous year. SchoolDigger ranked the school in the 92nd percentile and gave it five stars, down from the 95th percentile the year before. Its statewide group rankings point to differences in how well it serves students: SchoolDigger placed the multi-racial student group at the 51st percentile, compared with 92 overall; the low-socioeconomic-status group ranked at the 73rd percentile, down from 99 the year before. The 2024–25 student-teacher ratio was 21:1. That year, 15% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible; California provides free meals to all students statewide, which is relevant context for interpreting this measure.

400

Students ?

21.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$39,255

Per pupil spending ?

14.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

≥ 98%

Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2024-25)

Monte Verde St. and 15th Ave.
Carmel, CA 93922

(831) 624-4609

District: Carmel Unified

Students who attend Carmel River Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Carmel Middle
High:	Carmel High

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.3%

Hispanic:

18.8%

Two or more races:

16.0%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Carmel River Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 96th percentile in 2016 → 92nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (74% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of California elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school74%

District avg66%

California avg42%

463^rd of 5,817

California public elementary schools ?

Top 8%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From top 4% (2016) to top 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the Carmel Unified

92^nd of 1,530Carmel Unified 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
2026	93.3	463 of 5817	92.0%	★★★★★
2025	95.6	281 of 5857	95.2%	★★★★★
2024	93.5	472 of 5869	92.0%	★★★★★
2023	90.1	702 of 5859	88.0%	★★★★☆
2022	95.9	298 of 5883	94.9%	★★★★★
2021	90.1	154 of 1417	89.1%	★★★★☆
2019	96.6	179 of 5789	96.9%	★★★★★
2018	92.9	451 of 5662	92.0%	★★★★★
2017	95.4	302 of 5692	94.7%	★★★★★
2016	95.9	249 of 5614	95.6%	★★★★★
2015	97.1	173 of 5611	96.9%	★★★★★
2013	93.6	211 of 5530	96.2%	★★★★★
2012	93.7	172 of 5390	96.8%	★★★★★
2011	93.8	194 of 5377	96.4%	★★★★★
2010	94.6	153 of 5314	97.1%	★★★★★
2009	95.3	141 of 5193	97.3%	★★★★★
2008	94.7	205 of 5113	96.0%	★★★★★
2007	97.7	70 of 5113	98.6%	★★★★★
2006	98.0	53 of 4818	98.9%	★★★★★
2005	98.3	34 of 4822	99.3%	★★★★★
2004	96.4	157 of 4809	96.7%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	76.3	224 of 1149	80.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	93.4	365 of 5581	93.5%	★★★★★
2025	95.6	201 of 5597	96.4%	★★★★★
2024	93.6	395 of 5612	93.0%	★★★★★
2023	87.3	773 of 5609	86.2%	★★★★☆
2022	95.8	237 of 5635	95.8%	★★★★★
2021	89.8	143 of 1267	88.7%	★★★★☆
2019	95.8	179 of 5492	96.7%	★★★★★
2018	89.8	579 of 5413	89.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	99.8	5 of 4963	99.9%	★★★★★
2018	87.9	379 of 4830	92.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	66.8	1491 of 5423	72.5%	★★★★☆
2025	98.4	59 of 5460	98.9%	★★★★★
2024	96.9	154 of 5517	97.2%	★★★★★
2018	78.3	756 of 5084	85.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	91.4	495 of 5603	91.2%	★★★★★
2025	93.6	354 of 5628	93.7%	★★★★★
2024	91.3	528 of 5643	90.6%	★★★★★
2023	90.6	575 of 5638	89.8%	★★★★☆
2022	94.4	346 of 5663	93.9%	★★★★★
2021	87.5	161 of 1272	87.3%	★★★★☆
2019	95.8	190 of 5510	96.6%	★★★★★
2018	93.7	339 of 5431	93.8%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	57.9	368 of 753	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	75.6	157 of 718	78.1%	★★★★☆
2024	60.9	322 of 670	51.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	75.6	559 of 2536	78.0%	★★★★☆
2025	83.2	299 of 2598	88.5%	★★★★☆
2024	80.2	417 of 2651	84.3%	★★★★☆
2023	74.0	657 of 2661	75.3%	★★★★☆
2022	85.2	260 of 2726	90.5%	★★★★★
2019	87.3	177 of 2834	93.8%	★★★★★
2018	82.4	362 of 2737	86.8%	★★★★☆

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)

Hispanic (2019)100th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)91st percentile~ school

Asian (2019)81st percentile-16 vs school

White (2026)78th percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)73rd percentile-20 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)51st percentile-41 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy80%+30 vs state

Mathematics75%+36 vs state

Science56%+20 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Mr. Marden, the principal lacks leadership and the school is plagued by the common problems of public schools, such as staff covering up for each other. This school is living off the innate talent and intelligence of the children whose parents can afford to live in one of the most expensive neighborhoods. If you are committed to hours of teaching your child outside of school and ok with your child sitting in the class getting almost nothing out of the curriculum, or if your child is behind, this is the place for you. If your do not want to have any homework, this is your dream. If your conscious is ok with teachers giving children higher rankings because of their parents, then, welcome to the exclusive Carmel River School Country Club. Close Quote

Schools Near Carmel River Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)							Vaccination (2024-25)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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	Vaccination: Kindergartners with all required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Carmel River Elementary	Public	K-5	Monte Verde St. and 15th Ave.	Carmel	93922	Monterey County	Carmel Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 624-4609	400	19	21.0	14.8%	229 (57.3%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (18.8%)	32 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (16.0%)	93.3	463^rd of 5817 public elementary schools	92.0%		95.6	281^st of 5857 public elementary schools	95.2%	182	56.3		56.3	85.7	80.6	73.2				79.6	79.4	81.9	63.4				74.8	≥ 98%		$39,255	$624	$38,631
Monte Vista	Public	K-8	100 Toda Vista Dr.	Monterey	93942	Monterey County	Monterey Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 392-3890	688	29	23.6	45.9%	305 (44.3%)	24 (3.5%)	261 (37.9%)	33 (4.8%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.3%)	55 (8.0%)	65.6	1795^th of 5817 public elementary schools	69.1%		69.2	1637^th of 5857 public elementary schools	72.1%	158	47.2	40.8	44.2	37.8	70.1	56.3	54.6	64.1	40.8	53.9	41.9	64.9	42.1	39.8	48.4	31.6	44.5	95%	0%	$20,968	$1,495	$19,473
La Mesa	Public	K-8	1 La Mesa Way	Monterey	93940	Monterey County	Monterey Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 649-1872	689	29	23.4	45.3%	306 (44.4%)	26 (3.8%)	200 (29.0%)	74 (10.7%)	2 (0.3%)	7 (1.0%)	72 (10.4%)	77.1	1264^th of 5817 public elementary schools	78.3%		76.4	1319^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.5%	55	62.5	29.8	48.7	58.8	56.7	71.9	54.0	75.4	40.4	60.5	58.8	46.3	62.5	46.0	57.4	23.4	50.4	98%	0%	$19,597	$1,446	$18,151
Monterey Bay Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	1004 David Ave.	Pacific Grove	93950	Monterey County	Monterey Bay Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 655-4638	475	17	27.9	31.2%	260 (54.7%)	3 (0.6%)	128 (26.9%)	16 (3.4%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	62 (13.1%)	59.7	2086^th of 5817 public elementary schools	64.1%		74.6	1388^th of 5857 public elementary schools	76.3%	698	36.8	39.6	38.4	53.6	48.1	47.4	75.5	78.2	54.2	60.1	38.6	46.2	18.4	57.1	65.5	42.9	46.0	≥ 98%		$13,372	$412	$12,960
Forest Grove Elementary	Public	K-5	1065 Congress Ave.	Pacific Grove	93950	Monterey County	Pacific Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 646-6560	324	19	16.7	22.2%	159 (49.1%)	6 (1.9%)	87 (26.9%)	17 (5.2%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	52 (16.0%)	73.4	1430^th of 5817 public elementary schools	75.4%		75.8	1343^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	77.1%	87	49.1		49.1	52.8	58.1	69.8				60.9	57.9	48.4	47.2				50.3	96%	1%	$30,346	$1,261	$29,085
Bay View Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	222 Casa Verde Way	Monterey	93940	Monterey County	Bay View Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 717-4630	477	21	22.7	43.4%	109 (22.9%)	11 (2.3%)	263 (55.1%)	31 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	60 (12.6%)	42.6	3072^nd of 5817 public elementary schools	47.2%		51.3	2536^th of 5857 public elementary schools	56.7%	536	38.5	18.9	28.6	23.3	36.4	46.2	56.1	61.2	24.5	41.1	37.2	35.6	25.0	36.6	34.7	17.3	30.5	97%	0%	$15,545	$824	$14,721
Robert Down Elementary	Public	K-5	485 Pine Ave.	Pacific Grove	93950	Monterey County	Pacific Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 646-6540	422	24	17.9	19.0%	238 (56.4%)	4 (0.9%)	67 (15.9%)	44 (10.4%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	66 (15.6%)	88.9	708^th of 5817 public elementary schools	87.8%		91.7	564^th of 5857 public elementary schools	90.4%	144	60.8		60.8	88.7	69.9	62.8				73.5	87.5	64.0	54.9				68.7	98%	0%	$26,859	$1,185	$25,674
Carmel Child Development Center	Public	K	8460 Carmel Valley Rd.	Carmel	93922	Monterey County	Carmel Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 624-8047	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Del Rey Woods Elementary	Public	K-6	1281 Plumas Ave.	Seaside	93955	Monterey County	Monterey Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 392-3907	390	20	19.1	87.9%	25 (6.4%)	9 (2.3%)	320 (82.1%)	14 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	18 (4.6%)	20.5	4763^rd of 5817 public elementary schools	18.1%		29.4	4005^th of 5857 public elementary schools	31.6%	758	20.9		20.9	34.2	29.3	25.4	25.4			28.0	26.8	29.3	9.0	20.6			20.5	95%	0%	$22,073	$2,000	$20,073
Dual Language Academy of the Monterey Peninsula	Public	K-8	1650 Sonoma Ave.	Seaside	93955	Monterey County	Monterey Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 899-1100	410	18	22.7	77.8%	30 (7.3%)	3 (0.7%)	365 (89.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	7 (1.7%)	14.6	5260^th of 5817 public elementary schools	9.6%		21	4742^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	19.0%	518	5.7	34.2	20.6	17.5	14.3	25.7	34.4	51.1	40.5	32.0	30.0	21.4	5.7	15.6	44.9	39.5	27.9	94%	0%	$22,232	$1,829	$20,403

Frequently Asked Questions about Carmel River Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Carmel River Elementary?

Students at Carmel River Elementary are 57% White, 19% Hispanic, 16% Two or more races, 8% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Carmel River Elementary attend?

Students who attend Carmel River Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Carmel Middle
High : Carmel High

What district is Carmel River Elementary in?

Carmel Unified

How many students attend Carmel River Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 400 students attended Carmel River Elementary.

Is Carmel River Elementary a good school?

Yes. Carmel River Elementary ranks in the top 8.0% of California elementary schools.

Rate Carmel River Elementary!

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresOct 15, 2026

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.