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El Carmelo Elementary

Q: Is El Carmelo Elementary a good school?

El Carmelo Elementary ranks 606 th of 5817 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

606^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,817 California Elementary Schools

Better than 90% of California elementary schools

Summary

El Carmelo Elementary serves 282 students in kindergarten through grade 5 in Palo Alto, where nearby elementary schools also have strong academic results. The school’s proficiency rates are above California’s in English language arts (ELA), math, and science, but below both the district and nearby-school averages in all three. The most important finding for families comparing local options is that El Carmelo ranks near the bottom of its nearby K–5 peers in ELA and math.

Science is El Carmelo’s strongest subject relative to the district and state, while math has the largest gaps against the district and nearby schools. In 2025–2026, proficiency was 71% in ELA, 68% in math, and 70% in science; state rates were 49%, 38%, and 36%, respectively. But the nearby-school averages were 80% in ELA, 82% in math, and 78% in science, leaving El Carmelo 9, 14, and 9 percentage points behind. Its science rate was 5 points below the district, the smallest district gap of the three subjects. Grade-level results also show specific areas to watch: grade 4 ELA was 64%, 13 points below both the nearby-school and district rates, while grade 3 math was 65%, 18 points below the nearby-school average and 17 below the district.

Scores have declined since 2022–2023: ELA fell 4 percentage points, math 10, and science 8, even as state rates rose, narrowing El Carmelo’s lead over California. SchoolDigger ranked the school at the 90th statewide percentile with 4 stars in 2025–2026; eight of its nine nearby K–5 schools had 5 stars. SchoolDigger’s rankings for student groups were notably lower: Low Socio Economic Status Students ranked at the 31st percentile and Hispanic Students at the 30th, compared with the school’s overall 90th-percentile rank. In 2024–2025, 18% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible, and the student–teacher ratio was 19.2, close to the nearby-school average of 19.4. Chronic absenteeism was 8% in 2025–2026, below the district’s 10% and California’s 18%.

282

Students ?

19.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$39,930

Per pupil spending ?

18.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

≥ 95%

Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2024-25)

3024 Bryant St.
Palo Alto, CA 94306-2335

(650) 856-0960

District: Palo Alto Unified

Students who attend El Carmelo Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

35.8%

Hispanic:

24.8%

White:

23.0%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare El Carmelo Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 99th percentile in 2016 → 90th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (69% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of California elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016

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

!Near the bottom of Palo Alto Unified's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school69%

District avg79%

California avg42%

606^th of 5,817

California public elementary schools ?

Top 10%▼ down 9 pts since 2016

From top 1% (2016) to top 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 12Elementary Schools in the Palo Alto Unified

45^th of 1,530Palo Alto 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	90.7	606 of 5817	89.6%	★★★★☆
2025	92.4	510 of 5857	91.3%	★★★★★
2024	86.0	908 of 5869	84.5%	★★★★☆
2023	94.8	373 of 5859	93.6%	★★★★★
2022	94.2	419 of 5883	92.9%	★★★★★
2021	93.8	106 of 1417	92.5%	★★★★★
2019	94.1	369 of 5789	93.6%	★★★★★
2018	94.7	304 of 5662	94.6%	★★★★★
2017	95.3	307 of 5692	94.6%	★★★★★
2016	97.7	84 of 5614	98.5%	★★★★★
2015	98.3	72 of 5611	98.7%	★★★★★
2013	93.3	234 of 5530	95.8%	★★★★★
2012	93.3	208 of 5390	96.1%	★★★★★
2011	92.0	318 of 5377	94.1%	★★★★★
2010	92.9	277 of 5314	94.8%	★★★★★
2009	91.8	363 of 5193	93.0%	★★★★★
2008	95.0	190 of 5113	96.3%	★★★★★
2007	93.4	323 of 5113	93.7%	★★★★★
2006	93.8	280 of 4818	94.2%	★★★★★
2005	93.8	282 of 4822	94.2%	★★★★★
2004	91.5	422 of 4809	91.2%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	80.5	145 of 1210	88.0%	★★★★☆
2025	78.9	188 of 1203	84.4%	★★★★☆
2024	69.5	419 of 1205	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	82.6	95 of 1190	92.0%	★★★★★
2022	77.0	225 of 1154	80.5%	★★★★☆
2019	83.0	66 of 1149	94.3%	★★★★★
2018	75.5	247 of 1071	76.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	78.6	259 of 3162	91.8%	★★★★★
2019	88.1	196 of 3275	94.0%	★★★★★
2018	92.1	147 of 3246	95.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	91.4	495 of 5581	91.1%	★★★★★
2025	90.5	563 of 5597	89.9%	★★★★☆
2024	86.1	825 of 5612	85.3%	★★★★☆
2023	92.5	466 of 5609	91.7%	★★★★★
2022	91.5	552 of 5635	90.2%	★★★★★
2021	91.2	129 of 1267	89.8%	★★★★☆
2019	93.5	320 of 5492	94.2%	★★★★★
2018	96.2	140 of 5413	97.4%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	32.1	3584 of 5094	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.5	3130 of 5107	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.3	2251 of 5107	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.0	1403 of 5087	72.4%	★★★★☆
2022	60.5	1614 of 5084	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.7	1767 of 4963	64.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	32.9	3729 of 5423	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.1	2525 of 5517	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.3	1122 of 5173	78.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	87.1	695 of 5603	87.6%	★★★★☆
2025	89.5	610 of 5628	89.2%	★★★★☆
2024	81.7	1018 of 5643	82.0%	★★★★☆
2023	94.9	317 of 5638	94.4%	★★★★★
2022	94.0	373 of 5663	93.4%	★★★★★
2021	92.6	106 of 1272	91.7%	★★★★★
2019	92.6	404 of 5510	92.7%	★★★★★
2018	90.6	535 of 5431	90.1%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	92.7	2 of 445	99.6%	★★★★★
2018	77.9	59 of 339	82.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	76.9	516 of 2536	79.7%	★★★★☆
2025	72.5	667 of 2598	74.3%	★★★★☆
2024	43.9	1593 of 2651	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	77.6	519 of 2661	80.5%	★★★★☆
2022	86.3	221 of 2726	91.9%	★★★★★
2019	75.2	624 of 2834	78.0%	★★★★☆
2018	79.7	461 of 2737	83.2%	★★★★☆

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)

Multi-racial (2019)100th percentile+6 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)92nd percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)91st percentile~ school

Asian (2026)88th percentile~ school

Male (2026)88th percentile~ school

White (2026)80th percentile-10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)31st percentile-58 vs school

Hispanic (2026)30th percentile-60 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy71%+22 vs state

Science70%+34 vs state

Mathematics68%+29 vs state

1.0

1 rating

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Schools Near El Carmelo 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 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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th 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
El Carmelo Elementary	Public	K-5	3024 Bryant St.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-0960	282	15	19.2	18.4%	65 (23.0%)	9 (3.2%)	70 (24.8%)	101 (35.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	36 (12.8%)	90.7	606^th of 5817 public elementary schools	89.6%		92.4	510^th of 5857 public elementary schools	91.3%	96	69.7	69.7	71.8	63.6	75.4	71.0	65.0	71.1	66.7	67.6	≥ 95%		$39,930	$37,346	$2,584
Fairmeadow Elementary	Public	K-5	500 East Meadow Dr.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-0845	425	21	19.9	12.2%	123 (28.9%)	2 (0.5%)	68 (16.0%)	204 (48.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	26 (6.1%)	98	66^th of 5817 public elementary schools	98.9%		98	71^st of 5857 public elementary schools	98.8%	5	78.9	78.9	81.0	82.5	91.6	85.3	82.5	90.8	84.5	85.9	≥ 99%		$36,294	$33,820	$2,474
Barron Park Elementary	Public	K-5	800 Barron Ave.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 858-0508	278	15	18.2	29.9%	75 (27.0%)	6 (2.2%)	78 (28.1%)	95 (34.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	19 (6.8%)	83	1015^th of 5817 public elementary schools	82.6%		81.8	1088^th of 5857 public elementary schools	81.4%	73	61.4	61.4	53.9	53.5	78.1	61.8	60.0	63.0	75.0	66.2	≥ 98%		$40,674	$38,092	$2,582
Palo Verde Elementary	Public	K-5	3450 Louis Rd.	Palo Alto	94303	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-1672	334	18	18.8	12.6%	89 (26.6%)	4 (1.2%)	44 (13.2%)	173 (51.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	21 (6.3%)	95.1	320^th of 5817 public elementary schools	94.5%		96.4	201^st of 5857 public elementary schools	96.6%	119	69.6	69.6	71.9	79.2	77.9	76.5	80.0	80.6	72.5	77.7	≥ 95%		$35,373	$33,000	$2,373
Herbert Hoover Elementary	Public	K-5	445 East Charleston Rd.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 320-8106	389	20	19.4	6.7%	32 (8.2%)	5 (1.3%)	20 (5.1%)	301 (77.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.7%)	99	14^th of 5817 public elementary schools	99.8%		99.1	10^th of 5857 public elementary schools	99.8%	4	85.7	85.7	96.8	87.5	90.0	91.2	96.8	88.9	90.0	91.7	≥ 98%		$30,834	$28,348	$2,486
Ohlone Elementary	Public	K-5	950 Amarillo Ave.	Palo Alto	94303	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-1726	464	21	21.8	8.4%	121 (26.1%)	5 (1.1%)	47 (10.1%)	226 (48.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (14.0%)	97.5	101^st of 5817 public elementary schools	98.3%		98.3	46^th of 5857 public elementary schools	99.2%	55	86.8	86.8	72.6	84.8	94.7	84.2	82.2	87.3	84.2	84.7	≥ 98%		$33,819	$31,446	$2,373
Juana Briones Elementary	Public	K-5	4100 Orme St.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-0877	260	13	19.4	10.8%	79 (30.4%)	3 (1.2%)	20 (7.7%)	127 (48.8%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.2%)	27 (10.4%)	97.7	84^th of 5817 public elementary schools	98.6%		98.7	23^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	99.6%	61	89.4	89.4	69.1	85.1	89.4	81.6	92.9	91.7	93.6	92.7	≥ 95%		$41,293	$38,920	$2,373
Walter Hays Elementary	Public	K-5	1525 Middlefield Rd.	Palo Alto	94301	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 322-5956	305	15	20.5	17.0%	71 (23.3%)	6 (2.0%)	60 (19.7%)	131 (43.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	32 (10.5%)	94	407^th of 5817 public elementary schools	93.0%		94.6	361^st of 5857 public elementary schools	93.8%	46	78.6	78.6	80.0	68.8	83.3	77.0	69.6	79.2	71.4	73.5	≥ 98%		$38,115	$35,742	$2,373
Escondido Elementary	Public	K-5	890 Escondido Rd.	Stanford	94305	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-1337	432	24	17.8	20.6%	144 (33.3%)	14 (3.2%)	143 (33.1%)	91 (21.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (9.0%)	94.8	341^st of 5817 public elementary schools	94.1%		94.6	367^th of 5857 public elementary schools	93.7%	26	70.3	70.3	85.7	72.5	78.1	78.6	89.6	68.6	73.4	77.1	96%	0%	$37,368	$34,730	$2,638
Greendell	Public	K	4120 Middlefield Rd.	Palo Alto	94303	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-0833	26	2	13.0	11.5%	9 (34.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (15.4%)	10 (38.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (11.5%)								(n/a)											≥ 95%

Frequently Asked Questions about El Carmelo Elementary

What schools do graduates of El Carmelo Elementary attend?

Students who attend El Carmelo Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle

How many students attend El Carmelo Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 282 students attended El Carmelo Elementary.

Is El Carmelo Elementary a good school?

El Carmelo Elementary ranks 606^th of 5817 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is El Carmelo Elementary in?

Palo Alto Unified

What is the racial makeup of El Carmelo Elementary?

Students at El Carmelo Elementary are 36% Asian, 25% Hispanic, 23% White, 13% Two or more races, 3% African American.

Rate El Carmelo Elementary!

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Latest California data All new data »

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

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

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

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 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.