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Orion Alternative

Q: Is Orion Alternative a good school?

Orion Alternative ranks 962 nd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

962^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 84% of California elementary schools

Summary

Orion Alternative is a K-5 elementary school serving 512 students in the Redwood City Elementary district, standing out as a high-performing and improving school within its area.

Academically, Orion Alternative excels, with recent test scores in English, Math, and Science significantly higher than both the district and state averages. The school has shown remarkable growth, jumping to a state ranking in the 84th percentile this year. It effectively supports diverse student groups and maintains a strong attendance record with a low chronic absenteeism rate of 11.7%, which is better than most neighboring schools like Roosevelt Elementary and Henry Ford Elementary.

When compared to nearby schools, Orion Alternative's performance is notable. It outperforms other district schools such as Adelante Selby Spanish Immersion and Clifford Elementary, and shows comparable strength to Roy Cloud Elementary. It also achieves these results with a moderate per-student budget, performing better than some local charter schools like Rocketship Redwood City and KIPP Excelencia Community Preparatory.

512

Students ?

21.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,206

Per pupil spending ?

27.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

555 Avenue Del Ora
Redwood City, CA 94062-1360

(650) 482-2412

District: Redwood City Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

28.7%

Two or more races:

24.2%

White:

22.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Orion Alternative to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 63rd percentile in 2013 → 84th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (62% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 16% of California elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 21 percentile points since 2013

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school62%

District avg43%

California avg41%

962^nd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 16%▲ up 18 pts since 2015

From top 34% (2015) to top 16% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 9Elementary Schools in the Redwood City Elementary

725^th of 1,543Redwood City Elementary 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	84.0	962 of 5857	83.6%	★★★★☆
2024	69.3	1623 of 5869	72.3%	★★★★☆
2023	70.5	1552 of 5859	73.5%	★★★★☆
2022	68.7	1658 of 5883	71.8%	★★★★☆
2019	57.1	2204 of 5789	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.4	2063 of 5662	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	81.2	1077 of 5692	81.1%	★★★★☆
2016	73.2	1390 of 5614	75.2%	★★★★☆
2015	60.5	1916 of 5611	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	61.5	2032 of 5530	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.9	2164 of 5390	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	61.9	1906 of 5377	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	69.9	1459 of 5314	72.5%	★★★★☆
2009	75.1	1203 of 5193	76.8%	★★★★☆
2008	86.9	662 of 5113	87.1%	★★★★☆
2007	72.0	1277 of 5113	75.0%	★★★★☆
2006	69.2	1379 of 4818	71.4%	★★★★☆
2005	74.3	1154 of 4822	76.1%	★★★★☆
2004	74.7	1125 of 4809	76.6%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	98.1	46 of 2227	97.9%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	41.0	1749 of 3162	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.7	1822 of 3311	45.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	85.8	817 of 5597	85.4%	★★★★☆
2024	66.5	1625 of 5612	71.0%	★★★★☆
2023	70.6	1471 of 5609	73.8%	★★★★☆
2022	66.7	1656 of 5635	70.6%	★★★★☆
2019	52.4	2371 of 5492	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.7	1724 of 5413	68.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.1	1490 of 5107	70.8%	★★★★☆
2024	36.1	3260 of 5107	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.2	2220 of 5087	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.3	1925 of 5084	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.1	2608 of 4830	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.1	1674 of 5460	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	26.9	4243 of 5517	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.9	2500 of 5363	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.4	2250 of 5264	57.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	77.5	1178 of 5628	79.1%	★★★★☆
2024	68.5	1583 of 5643	71.9%	★★★★☆
2023	67.5	1608 of 5638	71.5%	★★★★☆
2022	66.4	1669 of 5663	70.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	53.3	880 of 2635	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.8	408 of 2420	83.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	71.0	745 of 2598	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	79.4	442 of 2651	83.3%	★★★★☆
2023	58.4	1177 of 2661	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.9	1082 of 2726	60.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

Disabled (2022)98th percentile+26 vs school

Female (2025)85th percentile~ school

Male (2025)79th percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)71st percentile-12 vs school

Hispanic (2025)71st percentile-13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)69th percentile-14 vs school

Special Education (2024)67th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)45th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy67%+18 vs state

Mathematics62%+24 vs state

Science52%+20 vs state

★

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Schools Near Orion Alternative

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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)	% Polio (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	% Polio KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Orion Alternative	Public	K-5	555 Avenue Del Ora	Redwood City	94062	San Mateo County	Redwood City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 482-2412	512	24	21.7	27.7%	117 (22.9%)	8 (1.6%)	147 (28.7%)	112 (21.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	124 (24.2%)	84	962^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	83.6%		69.3	1623^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	72.3%	661	52.4		52.4	69.4	58.8	69.8				67.1	79.6	55.9	50.8				61.6						$21,206	$19,158	$2,048
Rocketship Redwood City	Public, Charter	K-5	909 Roosevelt Ave	Redwood City	94061	San Mateo County	Rocketship Redwood City District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(877) 806-0920	275	9	32.3	87.6%	6 (2.2%)	2 (0.7%)	260 (94.5%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	32.6	3757^th of 5857 public elementary schools	35.9%		17.5	5075^th of 5869 public elementary schools	13.5%	1318	17.5		17.5	18.9	37.5	35.0				31.2	30.8	40.8	35.0				35.9	96.9	96.9
Roosevelt Elementary	Public	K-5	2223 Vera Ave.	Redwood City	94061	San Mateo County	Redwood City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 482-2413	382	20	19.1	69.1%	63 (16.5%)	1 (0.3%)	277 (72.5%)	12 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	24 (6.3%)	20	4828^th of 5857 public elementary schools	17.6%		17.1	5108^th of 5869 public elementary schools	13.0%	280	11.1		11.1	24.6	38.1	21.7				28.0	25.0	30.2	12.5				22.1	97.4		97.4			$22,934	$19,840	$3,094
Henry Ford Elementary	Public	K-5	2498 Massachusetts Ave.	Redwood City	94061	San Mateo County	Redwood City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 482-2404	445	23	19.6	66.1%	95 (21.3%)	2 (0.4%)	292 (65.6%)	19 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.5%)	26 (5.8%)	52	2497^th of 5857 public elementary schools	57.4%		50.7	2522^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	57.0%	25	33.3		33.3	55.4	45.8	38.5				46.1	67.2	34.7	29.0				42.2	97.3		97.3			$22,497	$19,744	$2,753
Roy Cloud Elementary	Public	K-8	3790 Red Oak Way	Redwood City	94061	San Mateo County	Redwood City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 482-2414	636	34	18.8	14.5%	359 (56.4%)	2 (0.3%)	141 (22.2%)	58 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (11.9%)	76.6	1305^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.7%		75.7	1345^th of 5869 public elementary schools	77.1%	40	42.1	62.0	53.7	57.1	41.1	64.9	67.8	69.8	83.3	65.0	68.3	51.8	61.4	59.3	59.6	74.4	63.3						$20,998	$18,538	$2,460
Clifford Elementary	Public	K-8	225 Clifford Ave.	Redwood City	94062	San Mateo County	Redwood City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 482-2402	698	34	20.7	50.3%	257 (36.8%)	3 (0.4%)	318 (45.6%)	54 (7.7%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.6%)	61 (8.7%)	69.3	1632^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	72.1%		67.4	1707^th of 5869 public elementary schools	70.9%	75	47.7	24.7	35.2	54.3	58.7	53.1	48.6	58.5	52.0	54.1	58.0	60.3	49.2	37.5	42.9	40.3	48.0	96.6	98.3	96.6	98.3	97.4	$18,643	$15,976	$2,667
White Oaks Elementary	Public	K-3	1901 White Oak Way	San Carlos	94070	San Mateo County	San Carlos Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 508-7317	250	11	22.7	6.4%	124 (49.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (13.6%)	41 (16.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	50 (20.0%)								(n/a)				74.2						74.2	83.9						83.9						$29,797	$29,190	$607
Hoover Elementary	Public	K-8	701 Charter St.	Redwood City	94063	San Mateo County	Redwood City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 482-2408	675	33	20.4	96.7%	11 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	646 (95.7%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.5%)	3 (0.4%)	12.1	5498^th of 5857 public elementary schools	6.1%		12.9	5487^th of 5869 public elementary schools	6.5%	11	7.3	6.2	6.8	10.8	15.9	16.5	30.1	26.0	43.6	23.8	22.4	23.9	8.6	7.9	7.5	6.2	12.3	96.6					$20,893	$18,218	$2,675
Adelante Selby Spanish Immersion	Public	K-5	170 Selby Ln.	Atherton	94027	San Mateo County	Redwood City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 482-2415	582	23	25.3	60.1%	80 (13.7%)	3 (0.5%)	474 (81.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.4%)	53.4	2400^th of 5857 public elementary schools	59.0%		46.2	2782^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	52.6%	382	35.5		35.5	50.6	42.0	54.8				48.7	57.5	27.7	32.3				40.1	96.0		96.8	98.4		$21,373	$18,960	$2,413
Connect Community Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	635 Oakside Ave.	Redwood City	94063	San Mateo County	Connect Community Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 482-2426	143	8	17.8	88.1%	4 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	137 (95.8%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5.8	5816^th of 5857 public elementary schools	0.7%		7.6	5789^th of 5869 public elementary schools	1.4%	27	7.7	10.0	8.7	7.1	8.3	12.0	13.0	14.3	35.0	15.7	0.0	0.0	3.9	4.4	9.5	30.0	8.6

Frequently Asked Questions about Orion Alternative

Is Orion Alternative a good school?

Orion Alternative ranks 962^nd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Orion Alternative?

In the 2024-25 school year, 512 students attended Orion Alternative.

What district is Orion Alternative in?

Redwood City Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Orion Alternative?

Students at Orion Alternative are 29% Hispanic, 24% Two or more races, 23% White, 22% Asian, 2% African American.

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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.