Michael J. Castori Elementary, Sacramento CA

Original Research by School Decision on Michael J. Castori Elementary

Michael J. Castori Elementary is a public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Sacramento, located in a ZIP code where median home values are below the state benchmark and rents run moderately below the national median. The neighborhood sits within a school district that has navigated significant recent strain: Twin Rivers teachers held the district's first-ever strike in early 2026 after weeks of disruption, resulting in a contract with substantial raises and expanded health benefits that reshape district finances. The district also passed two facilities bond measures in 2022 aimed at modernizing aging school buildings, adding a long-term property tax obligation for homeowners in the area.

Castori's enrollment is a little over five hundred students, drawn primarily from lower-income families. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is majority Hispanic, with meaningful populations of Asian and Black students as well. The school serves a genuinely economically and culturally diverse community, though enrollment data on English learners and students with disabilities was not available.

Academic proficiency at Castori is low across all tested areas. In English language arts, about a quarter of third graders and fourth graders meet state proficiency standards, with rates dropping sharply to around one in eight fifth graders and one in four sixth graders. Math performance is weaker still: just under a third of third graders are proficient, but only one in five fourth graders, roughly one in thirteen fifth graders, and about one in seven sixth graders. Science proficiency, measured in fifth grade only, is also very low. These results place Castori in the bottom quartile when compared with other schools across Sacramento County districts. A parent may want to look into what supports the school is putting in place to address these gaps, particularly for upper elementary grades where proficiency drops markedly.

The school sits within a district facing real operational challenges. Beyond the recent strike and its impacts on instructional continuity, the district is managing facility improvements funded by new debt, staffing pressures, and charter school governance issues. These district-level stresses can affect school-level resource allocation, staff stability, and the pace of school improvement initiatives. For a family considering enrollment, understanding how Castori is positioned within these broader district dynamics, and what specific interventions or supports the school is prioritizing, would be important background.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 38% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 32% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 58%

School 8% · District 22% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 28% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 35% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 431%

School 31% · District 35% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 36% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 39% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Science

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 17% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

This schoolTwin Rivers Unified, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.