Castro Valley Unified, CA

Original Research by School Decision on Castro Valley Unified

Castro Valley Unified is a mid-sized district spanning kindergarten through grade twelve across Alameda County, with enrollment distributed relatively evenly across grade bands. The student body is diverse: a substantial share identify as Asian, with meaningful populations of Hispanic, white, and multiracial students, along with smaller Black and other groups. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and English learner counts were not available.

Academic performance across the district shows strength in English language arts, where a clear majority of students in tested grades meet proficiency standards. Mathematics performance is somewhat lower, with solid results in early elementary grades that decline through middle school. Science proficiency, measured at grade five and eight, sits below both ELA and math, with less than half of eighth graders meeting standards. The district's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Alameda County's districts, a meaningful position.

Chronic absenteeism sits above the midpoint in the county comparison, meaning the district is performing better than the median district on this metric. Per-pupil current spending falls in the lower range among county districts, a characteristic that may reflect budget constraints or spending priorities.

The district operates a traditional K-12 structure with multiple elementary schools, two middle schools, two comprehensive high schools, one continuation school for alternative learners, a preschool program, and a virtual academy option. In recent years, the district launched a TK-12 Spanish Dual Language Immersion program beginning with transitional kindergarten and kindergarten cohorts, using a 90/10 Spanish-English model that gradually shifts toward balance by upper elementary. This provides families an opt-in pathway to sustained bilingual education.

Governance changes have reshaped community representation. The district moved in 2024 from at-large school board elections to by-trustee-area elections, so voters now elect the board member who resides in their geographic area rather than voting for all candidates districtwide.

A facilities constraint weighs on current and future planning. Voters rejected Measure B in June 2026, a facilities bond that would have funded repairs and upgrades across the district's aging schools. That failure leaves major maintenance needs unaddressed, a factor families weighing the district may want to understand more fully by speaking directly with the district about facility condition and capital plans.

Housing in the Castro Valley Unified footprint is moderately expensive for the Bay Area, though not at the peak of regional markets. The weighted home value across the district's service areas runs above the state median. Rental costs are also elevated, and the affordability gap between rent and mortgage suggests that monthly rent payments represent a substantial share of household income for renters. The market has experienced modest declines over the past year.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

9,489

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 25%

Black 4%

White 20%

Asian 37%

Two+ 14%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

53%

—

Gr 3

51%

74%

Gr 4

54%

77%

Gr 5

60%

78%

Gr 6

54%

80%

Gr 7

51%

76%

Gr 8

51%

73%

Gr 11

54%

—

Math

Gr ALL

44%

—

Gr 3

54%

79%

Gr 4

53%

76%

Gr 5

48%

71%

Gr 6

44%

65%

Gr 7

40%

63%

Gr 8

38%

68%

Gr 11

35%

—

Science

Gr ALL

33%

—

Gr 5

39%

62%

Gr 8

31%

60%

Gr 12

33%

—

Gr HS

34%

—

Gr UG_SEC

33%

—

Schools in this District

16 schools are officially reported under this district.

Canyon Middle

Castro Valley Elementary

Castro Valley High

Redwood Continuation High

Jensen Ranch Elementary

Creekside Middle

Chabot Elementary

Independent Elementary

Stanton Elementary

Alma Preschool

Castro Valley Virtual Academy

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

70%

Grade 3

67%

Grade 4

63%

Grade 5

56%

Grade 6

54%

Grade 7

56%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

66%

Grade 3

68%

Grade 4

71%

Grade 5

69%

Grade 6

66%

Grade 7

64%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

53%

Grade 5

49%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

71%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$1.28M

Year-over-year change-3.4%

Range across 10 ZIP codes$786K to $1.5M

vs. state typical1.65x

vs. national typical3.48x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (10 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
94552	Castro Valley	$1.4M	-3.5%	66.3%
94546	Castro Valley	$1.0M	-2.4%	22.2%
94619	Oakland	$843K	-6.0%	6.3%
94542	Hayward	$1.3M	-3.8%	3.2%
94586	Sunol	$1.5M	-3.0%	1.2%
94578	San Leandro	$790K	-3.2%	0.5%
94541	Hayward	$786K	-4.9%	0.2%
94588	Pleasanton	$1.4M	-8.4%	0.1%
94536	Fremont	$1.5M	-4.2%	0.0%
94602	Oakland	$999K	-3.2%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$3,374/mo

Year-over-year change+2.0%

Range across 9 ZIP codes$2,339 to $3,749/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (9 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
94552	Castro Valley	$3,749	—	66.3%
94546	Castro Valley	$2,620	+1.5%	22.2%
94619	Oakland	$2,656	—	6.3%
94542	Hayward	$2,470	+5.8%	3.2%
94578	San Leandro	$2,417	+2.0%	0.5%
94541	Hayward	$2,461	-1.4%	0.2%
94588	Pleasanton	$3,024	+0.3%	0.1%
94536	Fremont	$3,202	+4.4%	0.0%
94602	Oakland	$2,339	+6.7%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$6,467/mo

Home price / national median income15.3x

Annual rent / national median income48.4%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$3,092/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.