Cesar E. Chavez Elementary, Salinas CA

Original Research by School Decision on Cesar E. Chavez Elementary

Cesar E. Chavez Elementary is a school of about mid-size enrollment serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Salinas, a historic agricultural city and the county seat of Monterey County. The school is located in the heart of Salinas's existing urban footprint, which is largely built out with growth concentrated in newer areas. Nearly all students at Cesar E. Chavez come from Hispanic backgrounds, and the vast majority qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the communities the school serves.

State testing results show a school working with significant academic challenges. Reading and language arts proficiency across all tested grades sits in the low-to-mid range, with sixth grade performing better than the school's third grade cohort. Mathematics proficiency is lower overall, particularly acute in fifth grade where it drops substantially. Science proficiency data, available only for fifth grade, is low. When measured against other districts in Monterey County, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint, though that comparison speaks more to the challenge facing many elementary schools in the region than to strong performance in absolute terms. For families considering this school, these test results suggest that students will be encountering significant gaps in foundational math and reading skills, and parents may want to look into what supplemental support, intervention, or acceleration the school offers alongside core instruction.

The school sits within Alisal Union school district. Salinas itself is anchored by agriculture and food production, with recent downtown revitalization around Main Street drawing civic and cultural life together near the historic Old Town. The city is planning substantial residential growth in designated future growth areas, including new schools, while infill development and office-to-residential conversions are underway downtown amid ongoing housing demand. The local housing market has seen modest recent price movement and is characterized by more affordable options than the state median, though rental costs remain elevated relative to income. The city's transit infrastructure, Monterey-Salinas Transit, serves routes connecting downtown civic anchors, Hartnell College, and residential neighborhoods, and the Amtrak Coast Starlight stops in the downtown area.

Enrollment data from other years was not available, so trends in the school's enrollment or demographics over time could not be assessed. Information on special education services, English learner supports, and chronic absenteeism rates was not provided. The district brief contained no detail on recent strategic shifts or parent-relevant policy changes. A parent considering this school may want to ask directly about these gaps, especially around how the school identifies and supports students who are lagging in reading or math, and what role English learner instruction plays given the student population.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 30% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 20% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 20% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 19% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 23% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 25% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 33% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 33% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Science

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 16% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

This schoolAlisal Union, 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.