Gilroy Prep (a Navigator School), Gilroy CA

Original Research by School Decision on Gilroy Prep (a Navigator School)

Gilroy Prep is a charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in Gilroy, California. It operates as a single-site Navigator School within its district, located downtown at a straightforward address on IOOF Avenue. The enrollment runs at a steady level, with balanced class sizes across the grade span.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller Asian and white populations. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the economic composition of the community Gilroy Prep serves. Specific data on students with disabilities or English learners was not available, so parents may want to ask the school directly about those supports.

On state testing, Gilroy Prep shows a mixed academic picture. In English language arts, the school demonstrates particular strength in the upper grades, with strong results in grade eight and solid proficiency across most grade levels. Math is less uniform. Third grade and eighth grade perform respectably, but fourth and fifth grades show notably lower proficiency, with a dip in fifth grade. Science testing, available only for grades five and eight, shows more modest proficiency rates, particularly in grade five. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency sits above the midpoint among the school-level results reported across Santa Clara County's district schools.

The pattern suggests that Gilroy Prep students tend to perform stronger on reading and writing assessments than on quantitative reasoning or science, and that the middle elementary years, particularly grades four and five, warrant attention in mathematics. A parent considering this school might want to ask how the school is addressing those specific grade-level gaps and what math interventions or support structures are in place for students who are not yet meeting proficiency.

Gilroy itself is a growing city anchored by a historic downtown along Monterey Street and a substantial housing expansion on the west side, particularly the Glen Loma Ranch master-planned community. The city functions as a regional retail center and retains its heritage in agriculture and food production. It is car-oriented overall, though downtown has concentrated foot traffic and community events. Housing values in the area have been moderately stable, and the rental market remains active. The city is served by Caltrain and local transit, offering connections to the broader Bay Area.

The school sits within a community experiencing rapid residential growth and is accessible to families across the Gilroy area. Parents should understand that while the school shows academic strengths in literacy and some math grades, there are grade-level performance gaps in mathematics and science that merit discussion with school leadership.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 375%

School 75% · district not reported

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 454%

School 54% · district not reported

▲ 17 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · district not reported

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 660%

School 60% · district not reported

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 758%

School 58% · district not reported

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 871%

School 71% · district not reported

▲ 43 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 364%

School 64% · district not reported

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 461%

School 61% · district not reported

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 560%

School 60% · district not reported

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 667%

School 67% · district not reported

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 770%

School 70% · district not reported

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 881%

School 81% · district not reported

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Science

Grade 540%

School 40% · district not reported

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 851%

School 51% · district not reported

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

This schoolDistrict average, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income60%Higher-income69%9 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income45%Higher-income77%32 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income41%Higher-income82%42 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income50%Higher-income78%28 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income50%Higher-income88%38 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income64%Higher-income92%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income67%Higher-income83%16 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income67%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income64%39 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income42%Higher-income72%31 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income78%42 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income36%Higher-income92%56 pp gap