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Mariano Castro Elementary

Public Grades K-5

5590^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of California elementary schools

Summary

Mariano Castro Elementary is a K-5 public school serving 248 students in the Mountain View Whisman School District, located in the high-cost Silicon Valley area but serving a student population where over 80% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Academic performance at the school is critically low, with proficiency rates around 15% in English and Math, placing it in the bottom 5% of all California elementary schools; this represents a steep decline from a decade ago when it was a mid-performing school. A major challenge is chronic absenteeism, affecting nearly one in four students, which is more than double the district average and a significant barrier to learning. Despite these outcomes, the school receives substantial funding per student, approximately $29,400, which is among the highest in the district, and maintains a low student-teacher ratio of about 18 to 1.

The situation at Mariano Castro Elementary stands in stark contrast to nearby schools, highlighting extreme educational inequality within a small geographic area. For example, Springer Elementary in the Los Altos Elementary district and Bullis Charter are among the state's top performers, while even the closest school, Gabriela Mistral Elementary (just 0.12 miles away), has significantly higher proficiency and lower absenteeism. This suggests that factors beyond demographics, such as school climate, leadership, and instructional approaches, may contribute to the wide performance gaps seen between schools in this affluent community.

248

Students ?

17.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$72,665

Per pupil spending ?

82.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

500 Toft St.
Mountain View, CA 94041-2006

(650) 526-3590

District: Mountain View Whisman

Students who attend Mariano Castro Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Isaac Newton Graham Middle
High:	Los Altos High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

91.1%

Asian:

4.0%

White:

3.6%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 65th percentile in 2013 → 5th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (14% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 60 percentile points since 2013

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school14%

District avg60%

California avg41%

5,590^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 59 pts since 2015

From top 36% (2015) to bottom 5% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 9Elementary Schools in the Mountain View Whisman

329^th of 1,543Mountain View Whisman 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	10.7	5590 of 5857	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.9	5483 of 5869	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.2	5128 of 5859	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.7	5085 of 5883	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.1	3182 of 5789	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.7	2743 of 5662	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	52.5	2404 of 5692	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	43.5	2871 of 5614	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	57.6	2047 of 5611	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	63.6	1911 of 5530	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	54.1	2394 of 5390	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	50.7	2558 of 5377	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	59.5	2009 of 5314	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	63.0	1767 of 5193	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	50.9	2321 of 5113	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	57.0	1969 of 5113	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	22.2	3836 of 4818	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	17.3	4146 of 4822	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	18.2	4098 of 4809	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	22.6	2972 of 3162	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	34.3	2217 of 3245	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.0	2819 of 3311	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.7	1562 of 3275	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.6	1023 of 3246	68.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	11.3	5351 of 5597	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.0	5039 of 5612	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.1	4210 of 5609	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.1	4986 of 5635	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.0	3177 of 5492	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.6	2516 of 5413	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	8.1	5044 of 5107	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.9	4976 of 5107	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.3	4585 of 5087	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.2	4567 of 5084	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.2	2600 of 4963	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.0	1780 of 4830	63.1%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	25.3	307 of 364	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.4	354 of 356	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	9.1	5353 of 5460	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.5	5297 of 5517	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.3	4685 of 5363	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.8	4592 of 5264	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.0	2471 of 5173	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.1	1570 of 5084	69.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	11.7	5333 of 5628	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.7	5333 of 5643	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.2	5359 of 5638	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.5	4658 of 5663	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.3	3025 of 5510	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.2	2907 of 5431	46.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Homeless (2024)16th percentile+9 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)6th percentile~ school

Male (2025)5th percentile~ school

Female (2025)4th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)2nd percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)1st percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy15%-34 vs state

Mathematics15%-23 vs state

Science8%-24 vs state

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Schools Near Mariano Castro 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 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)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (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	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	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mariano Castro Elementary	Public	K-5	500 Toft St.	Mountain View	94041	Santa Clara County	Mountain View Whisman	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 526-3590	248	14	17.7	82.7%	9 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	226 (91.1%)	10 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	10.7	5590^th of 5857 public elementary schools	4.6%		12.9	5483^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	6.6%	107	8.3		8.3	23.7	10.6	11.8				15.1	28.2	6.3	11.1				14.6	94.1	94.1				$72,665	$70,642	$2,023
Gabriela Mistral Elementary	Public	K-5	505 Escuela Ave.	Mountain View	94040	Santa Clara County	Mountain View Whisman	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 526-3575	366	18	20.3	48.4%	50 (13.7%)	0 (0.0%)	280 (76.5%)	14 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.0%)	53.7	2380^th of 5857 public elementary schools	59.4%		71.5	1525^th of 5869 public elementary schools	74.0%	855	50.0		50.0	34.4	43.2	63.0				45.7	37.7	31.8	50.0				39.9	96.9		96.9		96.9	$48,590	$48,080	$510
Stevenson Elementary	Public	K-5	750 San Pierre Way	Mountain View	94043	Santa Clara County	Mountain View Whisman	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 903-6950	461	19	24.2	13.4%	115 (24.9%)	3 (0.7%)	67 (14.5%)	186 (40.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	90 (19.5%)	97.6	104^th of 5857 public elementary schools	98.2%		98.8	27^th of 5869 public elementary schools	99.5%	77	77.7		77.7	80.6	89.7	81.2				84.0	88.9	85.1	80.0				84.4						$41,456	$41,172	$284
Almond Elementary	Public	K-6	550 Almond Ave.	Los Altos	94022	Santa Clara County	Los Altos Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 917-5400	354	19	18.5	11.6%	98 (27.7%)	1 (0.3%)	60 (16.9%)	137 (38.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (16.4%)	96.2	217^th of 5857 public elementary schools	96.3%		96.5	213^th of 5869 public elementary schools	96.4%	4	68.8		68.8	76.6	76.2	75.5	89.3			79.9	83.0	83.3	73.5	86.0			81.5	93.6					$31,757	$31,234	$523
Theuerkauf Elementary	Public	K-5	1625 San Luis Ave.	Mountain View	94043	Santa Clara County	Mountain View Whisman	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 903-6925	308	15	20.5	38.6%	54 (17.5%)	3 (1.0%)	145 (47.1%)	63 (20.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (14.0%)	44.7	2903^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	50.4%		46.8	2747^th of 5869 public elementary schools	53.2%	156	45.2		45.2	38.6	30.0	53.3				38.7	40.9	31.5	41.9				37.2	97.2		98.2	98.2	97.2	$51,618	$51,226	$392
Monta Loma Elementary	Public	K-5	460 Thompson Ave.	Mountain View	94043	Santa Clara County	Mountain View Whisman	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 903-6915	298	17	17.5	29.5%	77 (25.8%)	10 (3.4%)	132 (44.3%)	39 (13.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	34 (11.4%)	63.8	1889^th of 5857 public elementary schools	67.7%		64.6	1843^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	68.6%	46	41.0		41.0	60.5	37.1	52.6				50.5	73.7	40.0	41.0				51.8						$53,768	$53,338	$430
Benjamin Bubb Elementary	Public	K-5	525 Hans Ave.	Mountain View	94040	Santa Clara County	Mountain View Whisman	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 526-3480	312	18	17.2	17.3%	89 (28.5%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (21.5%)	104 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (16.7%)	92.7	490^th of 5857 public elementary schools	91.6%		93.6	466^th of 5869 public elementary schools	92.1%	24	71.4		71.4	72.2	74.2	76.6				74.2	70.2	69.2	77.6				71.9						$48,578	$48,226	$352
Edith Landels Elementary	Public	K-5	115 West Dana St.	Mountain View	94041	Santa Clara County	Mountain View Whisman	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 526-3520	399	19	21.0	21.1%	112 (28.1%)	5 (1.3%)	131 (32.8%)	106 (26.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	43 (10.8%)	89	712^th of 5857 public elementary schools	87.8%		92	575^th of 5869 public elementary schools	90.2%	137	58.9		58.9	74.3	70.6	75.0				73.2	67.1	63.2	60.7				63.9						$51,006	$50,432	$574
Bullis Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	102 West Portola Ave.	Los Altos	94022	Santa Clara County	Bullis Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 947-4100	997	69	14.4	5.1%	154 (15.4%)	5 (0.5%)	49 (4.9%)	646 (64.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	142 (14.2%)	99.5	2^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	100.0%		99.2	7^th of 5869 public elementary schools	99.9%	5	93.6	84.5	90.3	95.5	94.5	98.4	92.9	95.7	95.8	95.5	97.7	92.9	97.6	93.8	91.4	88.7	94.4
Springer Elementary	Public	K-6	1120 Rose Ave.	Mountain View	94040	Santa Clara County	Los Altos Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 943-4200	365	18	20.4	4.9%	126 (34.5%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.8%)	161 (44.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	52 (14.2%)	98.9	15^th of 5857 public elementary schools	99.7%		98.9	25^th of 5869 public elementary schools	99.6%	10	83.3		83.3	87.8	91.8	88.7	89.3			89.5	95.7	92.0	87.0	89.3			90.8						$26,820	$26,718	$102

Frequently Asked Questions about Mariano Castro Elementary

Is Mariano Castro Elementary a good school?

Mariano Castro Elementary ranks in the bottom 4.6% of California elementary schools.

What district is Mariano Castro Elementary in?

Mountain View Whisman

What is the racial makeup of Mariano Castro Elementary?

Students at Mariano Castro Elementary are 91% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 4% White.

What schools do graduates of Mariano Castro Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mariano Castro Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Isaac Newton Graham Middle
High : Los Altos High

How many students attend Mariano Castro Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 248 students attended Mariano Castro Elementary.

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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.