Alamo Elementary vs Sutro Elementary

Sutro Elementary holds a clear edge in the overall ratings comparison: Alamo Elementary scores 8.7/10 while Sutro Elementary scores 9.6/10, a 0.9-point gap that translates into a dramatic difference in state standing. Alamo Elementary ranks #612 of 9,533 schools in California — a strong result by most measures — but Sutro Elementary sits at #21 of 9,533, placing it in the top 0.2% of all California schools. For families prioritizing raw school performance, that 591-rank difference between two schools just 0.6 miles apart is one of the starker geographic contrasts in San Francisco.

The academic and growth data tell a consistent story. On academics, Alamo Elementary scores 9.4/10 against Sutro Elementary's 9.7/10 — a 0.3-point advantage for Sutro. The growth gap is wider: Alamo Elementary earns an 8.6/10 on student growth while Sutro Elementary scores 9.7/10, a full 1.1-point delta. Growth scores measure how much students improve relative to academic peers statewide, so Sutro's advantage here signals not just strong outcomes but active, measurable learning gains year over year at that school specifically.

The demographic profiles of the two schools diverge significantly. Sutro Elementary enrolls 248 students compared to Alamo Elementary's 393, giving Sutro a notably smaller community. Student-teacher ratios are close — 22.5:1 at Sutro Elementary versus 23.1:1 at Alamo Elementary — but the free and reduced-price lunch rates tell a different story about family income mix: 64% of Sutro Elementary students qualify versus 41% at Alamo Elementary. Sutro's top-21 statewide ranking while serving a higher-FRL population makes its performance particularly notable from an equity standpoint.

Both Alamo Elementary and Sutro Elementary serve grades KG–05, so grade-level coverage is identical and neither school offers a structural advantage in span. The practical choice between them comes down to what matters more to a given family: Alamo's larger enrollment and lower FRL rate, or Sutro's measurably stronger growth trajectory and exceptional state rank in a smaller, higher-need setting.