East Side Union High, CA

Original Research by School Decision on East Side Union High

East Side Union High School District serves a large swath of San Jose and surrounding areas in Santa Clara County, operating schools spanning grades 9 through 12 across roughly a dozen high school campuses. The district's enrollment is substantial, drawing students from neighborhoods across the east and south San Jose region, a geography marked by significant economic diversity. The student body is majority Asian and Hispanic, with no single group dominating the enrollment. The district's neighborhoods stretch from inner city areas where housing values are comparatively modest to outer suburban zones where they are considerably higher.

Academic performance across the district is mixed. In English language arts, proficiency sits at a moderate level. Mathematics and science proficiency lag notably behind; less than two in five students meet state standards in either subject. These results reflect broader struggles the district is navigating. The district sits above the midpoint among Santa Clara County's districts in terms of chronic absenteeism, meaning attendance is a weakness that may be worth examining with individual school counselors or administrators. Per-pupil spending falls in the middle range but on the lower end, suggesting the district operates with constrained resources relative to some neighbors.

The housing market across the district's service area is expensive by national standards, though prices vary sharply by neighborhood. Home values reflect the high cost of the Bay Area overall, with median prices well above national benchmarks. Rents are similarly elevated, and affordability pressures are acute. The rent-to-income burden is substantial, while the price-to-income ratio for home purchase is among the highest in the nation. These are neighborhoods where the housing market is out of reach for many families without significant income.

The district itself is under fiscal strain. Enrollment has declined sharply in recent years and is projected to continue falling, creating structural budget pressure. The loss of one-time federal COVID relief funds has compounded the problem. In response, the district laid off more than eighty workers effective in the 2026-27 school year. This is a material challenge: fewer students and fewer staff mean program reductions and staffing changes that will affect the student experience and the breadth of offerings families might expect.

That said, the district has secured recent voter support for long-term investment. Voters approved a general obligation bond in 2022 to fund classroom upgrades, address the digital divide, and support career and technical programs. In 2024, voters again backed a parcel tax to fund instruction and academic programs directly. These votes signal community commitment, and the funding provides some runway for maintaining educational quality despite enrollment and budget headwinds.

The district operates multiple schools across its service area, giving families some choice within the public system depending on where they live and which school serves their neighborhood. Individual school performance and program focus may vary, and a parent might look into the specific high school their student would attend or consider which of these campuses aligns with their child's interests and learning style.

Free or reduced lunch data and English learner rates were not available in the reported data, so the economic need profile and language support programs cannot be characterized from this summary. A parent seeking clarity on those populations and the programs serving them would want to reach out to the district directly.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

20,471

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 47%

Black 2%

White 5%

Asian 43%

Two+ 3%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 1%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

51%

—

Gr 11

51%

—

Math

Gr ALL

25%

—

Gr 11

25%

—

Science

Gr ALL

30%

—

Gr 11

29%

—

Gr 12

12%

—

Gr HS

29%

—

Gr UG_SEC

29%

—

Schools in this District

16 schools are officially reported under this district.

William C. Overfelt High

Evergreen Valley High

Calero High

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$1.54M

Year-over-year change-2.5%

Range across 21 ZIP codes$845K to $2.3M

vs. state typical1.98x

vs. national typical4.17x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (21 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
95140		$1.9M	-2.1%	21.9%
95127	San Jose	$1.1M	-4.5%	13.7%
95135	San Jose	$1.8M	-0.2%	10.6%
95138		$1.8M	-1.3%	10.5%
95132	San Jose	$1.7M	-2.8%	6.9%
95148	San Jose	$1.6M	-1.6%	5.7%
95111	San Jose	$1.1M	-1.7%	4.2%
95123	San Jose	$1.4M	-3.5%	4.1%
95131	San Jose	$1.4M	-4.5%	4.0%
95122	San Jose	$1.0M	-4.0%	3.4%

Showing top 10 of 21 ZIP codes by land area weight

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$3,641/mo

Year-over-year change+4.4%

Range across 19 ZIP codes$2,900 to $5,209/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (19 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
95127	San Jose	$3,172	-0.5%	13.7%
95135	San Jose	$4,325	—	10.6%
95138		$4,093	—	10.5%
95132	San Jose	$4,020	+5.4%	6.9%
95148	San Jose	$3,609	+10.8%	5.7%
95111	San Jose	$3,500	+1.0%	4.2%
95123	San Jose	$3,221	+3.4%	4.1%
95131	San Jose	$3,647	+4.9%	4.0%
95122	San Jose	$3,210	+5.0%	3.4%
95121	San Jose	$3,396	+15.5%	3.2%

Showing top 10 of 19 ZIP codes by land area weight

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$7,751/mo

Home price / national median income18.3x

Annual rent / national median income52.2%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$4,109/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

Academic Performance
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.