Westwood Elementary

Westwood Elementary is a K-5 public school serving 224 students in Concord, CA, as part of the Mt. Diablo Unified school district, and it currently holds a 2-star rating with academic proficiency below district and state averages.

The school is in a period of significant change, with the percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch rising sharply to over 72% in the last two years, which coincides with a recent drop in its statewide ranking. Academically, Westwood sits in the middle compared to nearby schools; it performs significantly better than the lowest-rated schools like Wren Avenue Elementary and Meadow Homes Elementary, but trails higher-performing peers such as Monte Gardens Elementary and Silverwood Elementary. Notably, Westwood operates with a more favorable student-teacher ratio than most of these schools and spends considerably more per student, though this has not yet translated into stronger academic results.

Key areas for parents to consider include a notable performance gap where male students are outperforming female students, and a pattern where academic proficiency tends to decline in the upper grades. On a positive note, the school has made progress in reducing chronic absenteeism, which is now lower than several schools with similar student populations. The challenge for Westwood will be to leverage its resources and smaller class sizes to create more consistent academic growth for all students as it supports a growing number of families in need.