Sonoma Valley Unified, CA

Original Research by School Decision on Sonoma Valley Unified

Sonoma Valley Unified serves kindergarten through grade twelve across several towns in Sonoma County, including Sonoma, Glen Ellen, and surrounding communities. The district is in the midst of substantial structural change driven by fiscal pressure and a prolonged enrollment decline. Families considering schools here should understand that the district landscape is actively reorganizing.

The district has experienced a significant and sustained drop in student enrollment over the past several years, with housing costs cited publicly as a barrier keeping young families from settling in the area. In response, the district has launched a multi-year closure and consolidation program. Dunbar Elementary closed at the end of the 2022-23 school year. Adele Harrison Middle School closed at the end of 2024-25 and was consolidated into Altimira Middle School for 2025-26. A third elementary school closure is scheduled for the end of 2025-26. The board initially voted to close Flowery Elementary but reversed course in October 2025, instead selecting Prestwood Elementary for closure. This decision also involves relocating a well-regarded dual immersion program and redrawing elementary attendance boundaries. Families with children in the district should expect to navigate potential reassignment to new campuses and may submit intra-district transfer requests.

The district faces fiscal insolvency, with consecutive years of unbalanced budgets and insufficient reserves. Per-pupil spending in the district sits in the upper range compared to other Sonoma County districts, though this reflects the cost structure of the region and its schools rather than exceptional investment. The district spends more per student than the county median, placing it among the higher-spending districts locally.

Academic performance across Sonoma Valley Unified is weak. In English language arts, districtwide proficiency sits at roughly one-third of students, with some grades performing slightly better (eighth grade near two-fifths proficient) and others lower (third grade near one-third). Math proficiency is considerably lower, at one-fifth districtwide, with steep declines in the middle grades; by eighth grade, proficiency drops to roughly one-seventh of students. Science proficiency sits at roughly one-third districtwide. These results place the district in the bottom quartile among Sonoma County districts on overall proficiency. State testing data comparing performance across years was not available, so trend direction cannot be assessed.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, representing about two-thirds of enrollment. White students make up roughly one-quarter. Asian students, American Indian or Alaska Native students, Black students, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students, and students identifying as two or more races each comprise smaller shares. Free-and-reduced-price lunch data was not available, and counts of students with individualized education programs and English learners were not reported.

The local housing market is expensive. Median home values in the Sonoma area are well above the state benchmark, and rental costs are correspondingly high. Monthly mortgage payments on a median-priced home substantially exceed typical monthly rent, and rental costs consume a large share of median household income in the area. Families relocating here or living here while children are school-aged should plan around considerable housing costs.

Chronic absenteeism in the district sits above the county median, meaning the district's rate is better than half of Sonoma County districts but worse than the other half. Graduation rate data was not available, likely because it is reported at the school level rather than districtwide.

The district operates five elementary schools (El Verano, Flowery, Prestwood, and Sassarini, with Dunbar closed), two middle schools (Altimira, with Adele Harrison consolidated), and two high schools (Creekside and Sonoma Valley). The consolidation program will further reduce this footprint. Parents should confirm current enrollment status and boundaries directly with the district, as the situation continues to evolve.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

3,129

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 68%

Black 0%

White 29%

Asian 2%

Two+ 1%

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

25%

—

Gr 3

21%

39%

Gr 4

27%

43%

Gr 5

23%

48%

Gr 6

24%

46%

Gr 7

19%

46%

Gr 8

18%

53%

Gr 11

40%

—

Math

Gr ALL

13%

—

Gr 3

23%

42%

Gr 4

20%

32%

Gr 5

25%

Gr 6

10%

19%

Gr 7

14%

29%

Gr 8

19%

Gr 11

11%

—

Science

Gr ALL

18%

—

Gr 5

14%

33%

Gr 8

23%

Gr 11

12%

—

Gr HS

11%

—

Gr UG_SEC

12%

—

Schools in this District

9 schools are officially reported under this district.

Adele Harrison Middle

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

32%

Grade 3

27%

Grade 4

17%

Grade 5

15%

Grade 6

23%

Grade 7

13%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

29%

Grade 3

35%

Grade 4

36%

Grade 5

36%

Grade 6

34%

Grade 7

38%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

24%

Grade 5

16%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

42%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$1.02M

Year-over-year change-4.3%

Range across 6 ZIP codes$822K to $1.3M

vs. state typical1.31x

vs. national typical2.76x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (6 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
95476	Sonoma	$966K	-4.6%	74.3%
95442	Glen Ellen	$1.2M	-3.7%	21.7%
95404	Santa Rosa	$822K	-1.7%	2.9%
94954	Petaluma	$838K	-2.8%	0.9%
95452	Kenwood	$1.3M	-4.8%	0.0%
94558	Napa	$914K	-3.1%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,894/mo

Year-over-year change+3.0%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$2,494 to $2,933/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
95476	Sonoma	$2,911	+3.2%	74.3%
95404	Santa Rosa	$2,494	+0.1%	2.9%
94954	Petaluma	$2,744	+1.0%	0.9%
94558	Napa	$2,933	+1.5%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$5,129/mo

Home price / national median income12.1x

Annual rent / national median income41.5%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$2,236/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.