Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the California Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the California Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

Elitha Donner Elementary

Q: Is Elitha Donner Elementary a good school?

Elitha Donner Elementary ranks 2845 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

2845^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 51% of California elementary schools

Summary

Elitha Donner Elementary is a K-6 public school serving about 706 students in the Elk Grove Unified district, representing a typical middle-performing school in an area with a wide range of academic results.

Academically, the school's test scores in English and math are close to the state average but trail behind the district average, with science scores being a particular area for improvement. A significant challenge is chronic student absenteeism, which at 24.3% is higher than at neighboring schools and is closely linked to lower academic performance across the area. The school has seen a notable recent increase in the number of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, now at nearly 70%, which outpaces changes at many nearby schools. Despite overall middling results, the school has shown a notable strength in effectively serving its English Language Learner students compared to others across the state.

When compared to nearby schools, there are striking differences. For instance, Zehnder Ranch Elementary and Helen Carr Castello Elementary have much higher test scores and significantly lower absenteeism. Interestingly, per-student spending at Elitha Donner is higher than at some of these top performers, suggesting other factors like school practices or community support play a major role. The school's most immediate opportunities for growth appear to be in improving daily attendance and strengthening its science program, while potentially learning from the practices of schools like John Ehrhardt Elementary which serves a similar student population.

706

Students ?

22.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$28,664

Per pupil spending ?

69.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9461 Soaring Oaks Dr.
Elk Grove, CA 95758-1075

(916) 683-3073

District: Elk Grove Unified

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

32.9%

Hispanic:

28.5%

White:

16.6%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Elitha Donner Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 58th percentile in 2015 → 51st in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the California median (51st percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2015

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

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school39%

District avg46%

California avg41%

2,845^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 49%▼ down 7 pts since 2015

From top 42% (2015) to top 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

31^st of 43Elementary Schools in the Elk Grove Unified

562^nd of 1,543Elk Grove 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
2025	45.7	2845 of 5857	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.8	2625 of 5869	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.1	2633 of 5859	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.3	2566 of 5883	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.5	639 of 1417	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.8	2884 of 5789	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.1	2386 of 5662	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	53.6	2346 of 5692	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	43.4	2875 of 5614	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	51.8	2347 of 5611	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	51.2	2611 of 5530	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	54.0	2398 of 5390	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	62.4	1882 of 5377	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	71.7	1382 of 5314	74.0%	★★★★☆
2009	75.4	1189 of 5193	77.1%	★★★★☆
2008	60.2	1841 of 5113	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	67.9	1466 of 5113	71.3%	★★★★☆
2006	69.3	1366 of 4818	71.6%	★★★★☆
2005	72.5	1222 of 4822	74.7%	★★★★☆
2004	77.0	1034 of 4809	78.5%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	42.0	338 of 663	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.0	321 of 747	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.2	208 of 700	70.3%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	15.3	1035 of 1203	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.8	1028 of 1205	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	6.7	1092 of 1190	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.3	983 of 1154	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	7.2	1065 of 1149	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	27.4	873 of 1071	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	25.0	1734 of 2227	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	55.9	92 of 293	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.1	1472 of 2585	43.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	65.6	520 of 3162	83.6%	★★★★☆
2023	62.4	701 of 3245	78.4%	★★★★☆
2022	66.6	555 of 3311	83.2%	★★★★☆
2021	78.4	59 of 602	90.2%	★★★★★
2019	36.8	1994 of 3275	39.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	43.7	2857 of 5597	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.7	2815 of 5612	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.7	2365 of 5609	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.1	2316 of 5635	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.9	549 of 1267	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.3	2594 of 5492	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.1	2369 of 5413	56.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	52.5	2122 of 5107	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.1	2268 of 5107	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.5	1971 of 5087	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.0	1952 of 5084	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.1	2476 of 4963	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.4	1940 of 4830	59.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	50.1	2429 of 5460	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.6	2355 of 5517	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.0	2763 of 5363	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.2	2148 of 5264	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.5	254 of 1110	77.1%	★★★★☆
2019	47.5	2580 of 5173	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.0	1514 of 5084	70.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	47.3	2647 of 5628	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.8	2220 of 5643	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.9	2814 of 5638	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.1	2701 of 5663	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.3	581 of 1272	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.3	2956 of 5510	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.2	2266 of 5431	58.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	60.2	278 of 610	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	17.8	385 of 445	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.0	274 of 339	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.6	1263 of 2847	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	1076 of 2635	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.8	1292 of 2420	46.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	34.8	1829 of 2598	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.4	1637 of 2651	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.6	1871 of 2661	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.5	2235 of 2726	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.9	2011 of 2834	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.2	1885 of 2737	31.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)84th percentile+28 vs school

Hispanic (2025)58th percentile+7 vs school

Special Education (2025)56th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile+4 vs school

Multi-racial (2022)54th percentile~ school

Male (2025)53rd percentile~ school

African American (2022)49th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2025)49th percentile~ school

White (2025)30th percentile-22 vs school

Disabled (2022)22nd percentile-34 vs school

Asian (2025)14th percentile-37 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy45%-4 vs state

Mathematics36%~ state avg

Science23%-10 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Elitha Donner Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Elitha Donner Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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)	% Varicella (2022)	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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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 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 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 All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Varicella KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Elitha Donner Elementary	Public	K-6	9461 Soaring Oaks Dr.	Elk Grove	95758	Sacramento County	Elk Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 683-3073	706	31	22.7	69.5%	117 (16.6%)	79 (11.2%)	201 (28.5%)	232 (32.9%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.8%)	63 (8.9%)	45.7	2845^th of 5857 public elementary schools	51.4%		48.8	2625^th of 5869 public elementary schools	55.3%	220	22.7	22.7	39.1	36.6	45.8	55.0	44.9	46.2	34.6	32.7	32.8	36.3				$28,664	$27,928	$736
Foulks Ranch Elementary	Public	K-6	6211 Laguna Park Dr.	Elk Grove	95758	Sacramento County	Elk Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 686-8177	779	33	23.9	49.9%	232 (29.8%)	73 (9.4%)	247 (31.7%)	123 (15.8%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.0%)	95 (12.2%)	69.6	1619^th of 5857 public elementary schools	72.4%		63.1	1923^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	67.2%	304	38.9	38.9	55.0	63.9	56.6	58.8	58.6	58.4	58.7	31.0	46.7	48.3				$26,327	$25,586	$741
Zehnder Ranch Elementary	Public	K-6	9880 Denali Cir.	Elk Grove	95757	Sacramento County	Elk Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 793-3300	1,019	40	25.4	35.9%	108 (10.6%)	71 (7.0%)	150 (14.7%)	592 (58.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.0%)	88 (8.6%)	92.3	525^th of 5857 public elementary schools	91.0%		93.7	454^th of 5869 public elementary schools	92.3%	71	53.4	53.4	73.5	72.3	74.7	83.6	76.4	75.2	68.6	65.8	72.3	70.6				$20,651	$20,352	$299
Arlene Hein Elementary	Public	K-6	6820 Bellaterra Dr.	Elk Grove	95757	Sacramento County	Elk Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 714-0654	817	33	24.7	45.9%	121 (14.8%)	51 (6.2%)	158 (19.3%)	382 (46.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.9%)	98 (12.0%)	81.7	1090^th of 5857 public elementary schools	81.4%		81.2	1108^th of 5869 public elementary schools	81.1%	18	38.1	38.1	65.7	59.7	58.5	73.0	64.7	75.5	55.3	55.1	68.9	63.7				$24,249	$23,968	$281
Ellen Feickert Elementary	Public	K-6	9351 Feickert Dr.	Elk Grove	95624	Sacramento County	Elk Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 686-7716	541	25	21.6	49.7%	155 (28.7%)	34 (6.3%)	183 (33.8%)	98 (18.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	66 (12.2%)	71.4	1536^th of 5857 public elementary schools	73.8%		68.3	1669^th of 5869 public elementary schools	71.6%	133	40.3	40.3	48.7	61.2	59.7	58.7	57.3	63.2	57.0	44.4	42.4	51.5				$30,484	$30,036	$448
John Ehrhardt Elementary	Public	K-6	8900 Old Creek Dr.	Elk Grove	95758	Sacramento County	Elk Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 686-7259	827	35	23.6	70.5%	133 (16.1%)	114 (13.8%)	224 (27.1%)	232 (28.1%)	5 (0.6%)	18 (2.2%)	101 (12.2%)	64.7	1853^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	68.4%		63.8	1888^th of 5869 public elementary schools	67.8%	35	49.1	49.1	50.9	52.5	55.4	52.0	52.7	52.5	45.5	42.9	38.7	45.1	96.3		97.1	$24,150	$23,524	$626
James A. McKee Elementary	Public	K-6	8701 Halverson Dr.	Elk Grove	95624	Sacramento County	Elk Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 686-3715	488	21	23.2	68.0%	105 (21.5%)	32 (6.6%)	201 (41.2%)	87 (17.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.3%)	47 (9.6%)	46.4	2800^th of 5857 public elementary schools	52.2%		39.9	3181^st of 5869 public elementary schools	45.8%	381	37.1	37.1	35.4	40.0	44.9	50.9	42.5	44.6	34.3	29.0	36.8	36.0				$32,456	$30,358	$2,098
Helen Carr Castello Elementary	Public	K-6	9850 Fire Poppy Dr.	Elk Grove	95757	Sacramento County	Elk Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 686-1725	790	33	23.9	50.4%	103 (13.0%)	59 (7.5%)	191 (24.2%)	337 (42.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	98 (12.4%)	82.9	1026^th of 5857 public elementary schools	82.5%		80.8	1125^th of 5869 public elementary schools	80.8%	99	45.2	45.2	67.3	65.5	63.2	69.2	66.3	68.6	57.1	51.3	64.1	60.1	97.0			$24,869	$24,186	$683
Irene B. West Elementary	Public	K-6	8625 Serio Way	Elk Grove	95758	Sacramento County	Elk Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 683-4362	1,063	45	23.6	73.0%	112 (10.5%)	117 (11.0%)	186 (17.5%)	543 (51.1%)	1 (0.1%)	29 (2.7%)	75 (7.1%)	44.2	2940^th of 5857 public elementary schools	49.8%		55.7	2253^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	61.6%	687	27.7	27.7	42.2	38.8	46.0	39.5	41.6	39.4	43.0	34.5	31.4	36.7	95.2	98.4		$22,248	$21,198	$1,050
Roy Herburger Elementary	Public	K-6	8670 Maranello Dr.	Elk Grove	95624	Sacramento County	Elk Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 681-1390	937	38	24.6	67.2%	45 (4.8%)	78 (8.3%)	130 (13.9%)	559 (59.7%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (3.5%)	92 (9.8%)	67.3	1722^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	70.6%		73.5	1431^st of 5869 public elementary schools	75.6%	291	32.6	32.6	56.4	51.3	49.6	62.0	54.7	72.3	53.0	38.4	47.5	52.2				$20,504	$19,648	$856

Frequently Asked Questions about Elitha Donner Elementary

Is Elitha Donner Elementary a good school?

Elitha Donner Elementary ranks 2845^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Elitha Donner Elementary in?

Elk Grove Unified

What is the racial makeup of Elitha Donner Elementary?

Students at Elitha Donner Elementary are 33% Asian, 28% Hispanic, 17% White, 11% African American, 9% Two or more races, 2% Pacific Islander.

How many students attend Elitha Donner Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 706 students attended Elitha Donner Elementary.

Rate Elitha Donner Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Elk Grove, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Elitha Donner Elementary!

Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.