Stella Elementary Charter Academy vs Virginia Road Elementary

Virginia Road Elementary outranks Stella Elementary Charter Academy by 0.7 points overall — 9.0 versus 8.3 out of 10 — and that gap is amplified when viewed against California's full landscape. Virginia Road Elementary sits at #288 of 9,533 California schools, placing it in the top 3% statewide. Stella Elementary Charter Academy ranks #1045 of 9,533, still a strong top-11% finish, but a meaningful 757 positions behind its neighbor just 0.8 miles away.

On academics, Virginia Road Elementary holds a 0.5-point edge — 8.4 versus Stella's 7.9 out of 10. The growth picture nearly reverses that story: Stella Elementary Charter Academy posts a near-perfect 10.0/10 growth score, edging Virginia Road Elementary's 9.9/10. That distinction matters. Stella's students are accelerating at an exceptional rate relative to similar peers, while Virginia Road Elementary's higher academic score reflects students already performing at an elevated baseline. Families weighing potential versus current achievement will read those two numbers very differently.

Both schools serve high-need populations — Stella Elementary Charter Academy at 91% free and reduced lunch, Virginia Road Elementary at 94% — so neither school's strong scores can be attributed to demographic advantage. The more tangible day-to-day difference is classroom size. Virginia Road Elementary's 19.0:1 student-teacher ratio gives it a clear structural edge over Stella's 23.5:1, a gap of four and a half students per teacher that translates directly to individual attention. Virginia Road Elementary also serves a slightly smaller total enrollment of 209 students versus Stella's 258.

One concrete program difference separates the two schools: Virginia Road Elementary serves grades KG through 5, while Stella Elementary Charter Academy tops out at grade 4. Families with a child approaching fifth grade face a mandatory transition out of Stella one year earlier, adding a school-change to their planning horizon. Virginia Road Elementary is also a traditional district school, while Stella operates as a charter — a structural distinction that affects enrollment processes, governance, and in some cases, program flexibility.