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Needs Improvement

#9197 of 9,539 schools in CA

Costano Elementary

Elementary School · Ravenswood City Elementary · East Palo Alto, CA

A Ravenswood City Elementary elementary school where students score 19 points below what's typical for similar communities.

2695 Fordham St., East Palo Alto, CA 94303

  • Math 8% vs CA 39% (2024)
  • Reading 7% vs CA 45% (2024)
  • 17.7:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress1.9Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data13
Annual Change-3.08 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendDeclining
Academics2.1Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency8.3% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency6.5% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg-37.4 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-36.3 pts
Overall Proficiency7% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)27% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected-19.1 pts
Adjusted Percentile5th
Resources & Environment8.3Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio17.7:1
District spending per student$34,067
Chronic Absenteeism66.7%

Students at Costano Elementary score 7% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 27%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency8%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
39%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency7%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
45%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

↓ Declining

Proficiency has fallen 12 points since 2018, to 7% in 2024, across a 16-year record (2009–2024).

Show all 13 years
2009
Math
35%
ELA
31%
2010
Math
50%
ELA
41%
2011
Math
56%
ELA
45%
2012
Math
54%
ELA
44%
2013
Math
75%
ELA
75%
2014
Math
12%
ELA
18%
2015
Math
8%
ELA
18%
2016
Math
7%
ELA
18%
2017
Math
12%
ELA
26%
2018
Math
17%
ELA
22%
2019
Math
17%
ELA
22%
2022
Math
3%
ELA
15%
2024
Math
8%
ELA
7%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 24% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 25% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

Based on 32 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

84.9%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Costano Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the San Francisco Bay Area map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 60Somewhat Walkable
  • Bike 65Bikeable
  • City Safety: High2,570/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (East Palo Alto), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$148,031

Median home value

$1,825,000

Median rent

$2,710/mo

College educated

48.4%

Homeownership

57%

Poverty rate

6.6%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 94303; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Open Mind SchoolPrivate · tuitionNot ratedPK–120.5 mi21Compare →
Aspire East Palo Alto CharterCharter · enrollment unverified2.2K–80.9 mi564Compare →
La Scuola International School Silicon ValleyPrivate · tuitionNot ratedK–11.2 mi10Compare →
Los Robles-ronald Mcnair AcademyEnrollment path unverified4.4K–51.2 mi266Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Ravenswood City Elementary

Schools in district
4
Rank in district
#4 of 4
District spending per student
$34,067NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
14.3%Census SAIPE · 2024

Costano Elementary is listed in Ravenswood City Elementary; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Costano Elementary

Costano Elementary is a public elementary school in East Palo Alto, CA, part of Ravenswood City Elementary, serving approximately 318 students in grades Kindergarten-5th with a 17.7:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 3.2 out of 10 and ranks #9,197 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 24% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 25% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Costano Elementary

What grades does Costano Elementary serve?

Costano Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Costano Elementary?

Costano Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 318 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Costano Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Costano Elementary is 17.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Costano Elementary rank in CA?

Costano Elementary ranks #9,197 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is Costano Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Costano Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.2 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Costano Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Costano Elementary has 24% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 25% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Costano Elementary a charter school?

No, Costano Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Costano Elementary a Title I school?

No, Costano Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Costano Elementary?

84.9% of students at Costano Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Kindergarten – 5th
Enrollment
318
Student-Teacher Ratio
17.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
18
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
San Mateo County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
66.7%
Area population (ZIP 94303)
47,123
Area average commute
24.7 min
Area median age
38.1
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 94303; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2024; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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