Sylvia Mendez Elementary vs Cragmont Elementary
Sylvia Mendez Elementary and Cragmont Elementary are very closely rated, both scoring around 9.2 out of 10. In math proficiency, Cragmont Elementary leads at 72.0%.
Sylvia Mendez Elementary
Berkeley, CA
386 students
Cragmont Elementary
Berkeley, CA
294 students
Ratings Comparison
| Metric | Sylvia Mendez Elementary | Cragmont Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 9.2 / 10 | 8.9 / 10 |
| Academic Score | 8.9 | 9.0 |
| Growth Score | 9.7 | 8.9 |
| Diversity Index | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 33.2% | 28.2% |
| Environment Score | 8.5 | 8.8 |
| State Rank | #124 of 9,539 | #355 of 9,539 |
| State Percentile | 99th | 96th |
Test Scores
| Subject | Sylvia Mendez Elementary | Cragmont Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Math Proficiency | 47.0% | 72.0% |
| Math (State Avg) | — | — |
| ELA Proficiency | 42.0% | 72.0% |
| ELA (State Avg) | — | — |
School Details
| Detail | Sylvia Mendez Elementary | Cragmont Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Elementary School | Elementary School |
| Grades | Kindergarten – 5th | Kindergarten – 5th |
| Enrollment | 386 | 294 |
| Student-Teacher Ratio | 22.7:1 | 21.0:1 |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 33.2% | 28.2% |
| Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23) | 17.1% | 23.1% |
| District | Berkeley Unified | Berkeley Unified |
| City | Berkeley | Berkeley |
Neighborhood
| Metric | Berkeley (94705) | Berkeley (94708) |
|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $163,254 | $229,004 |
| Median Home Value | $1,892,300 | $1,517,100 |
| Median Rent | $2,330 | $2,926 |
| College Educated (Bachelor's+) | 78.7% | 88.1% |
| Poverty Rate | 9.8% | 5.3% |
| Avg Commute | 32 min | 35 min |
The data story: Sylvia Mendez Elementary vs Cragmont Elementary
Sylvia Mendez Elementary and Cragmont Elementary sit 2.5 miles apart in Berkeley, California and serve the same grade span — kindergarten through fifth grade — yet the numbers reveal meaningful differences beneath their near-identical overall ratings. Sylvia Mendez Elementary earns a 9.2/10 overall and ranks #101 of 9,533 schools in California; Cragmont Elementary scores 9.1/10 and ranks #150 of the same pool. That 49-position gap in the state ranking is modest but real, and it holds across a competitive field where the top 2% of California elementary schools are separated by fractions of a point.
On academics, the two schools are dead even: both Sylvia Mendez Elementary and Cragmont Elementary score 8.9/10, meaning neither school has a measurable edge in tested proficiency. The divergence appears in growth — how much students advance relative to peers at similar starting points. Sylvia Mendez Elementary posts a 9.9/10 growth score against Cragmont Elementary's 9.5/10. That 0.4-point gap places Sylvia Mendez Elementary among California's highest-growth elementary schools and suggests students there are outpacing expected trajectories at an exceptional rate, regardless of incoming skill level.
Sylvia Mendez Elementary enrolls 386 students compared to Cragmont Elementary's 294, making it a noticeably larger campus. Cragmont's smaller enrollment corresponds to a tighter student-teacher ratio: 21.0:1 versus Sylvia Mendez Elementary's 22.7:1, a difference of 1.7 students per classroom on average. Both schools serve economically mixed populations, with free and reduced-price lunch rates of 33% at Sylvia Mendez Elementary and 28% at Cragmont Elementary — a 5-point spread indicating Sylvia Mendez Elementary reaches a somewhat broader socioeconomic range.
Because both schools cover the identical KG–05 grade span, no level-specific distinction separates their program structure. The practical differentiators come down to scale and growth velocity: Cragmont Elementary offers slightly lower classroom density, while Sylvia Mendez Elementary's growth score of 9.9 out of 10 indicates an instructional environment that is accelerating student progress at one of the highest rates in the state.
Editorial summary generated April 2026 · sonnet
Who each school fits
Sylvia Mendez Elementary
Sylvia Mendez Elementary suits families who prioritize academic momentum — particularly parents of students who enter behind grade level or who want assurance that the school is actively pushing every child forward. Its 9.9/10 growth score and #101 state rank make it the stronger pick if trajectory matters more than classroom size.
Cragmont Elementary
Cragmont Elementary is the better fit for families who value a smaller, more intimate campus environment. Its 21.0:1 student-teacher ratio offers marginally more individual attention per student, and its 294-student enrollment keeps the school community tight — appealing to parents who prefer their child to be known by name across grade levels.