Strawberry Elementary, Santa Rosa CA

Original Research by School Decision on Strawberry Elementary

Strawberry Elementary serves grades four through six in Santa Rosa as part of Bennett Valley Union Elementary, a small district that recently converted its schools to charter status. The school enrolls a student body reflective of Santa Rosa's demographic mix: a majority white enrollment with substantial Hispanic representation and smaller groups of students from other backgrounds. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting moderate economic diversity within the school's catchment.

The school's recent test results show a mixed academic profile. In English language arts, Strawberry performs reasonably well, with the strongest proficiency rate in fifth grade and solid results in the fourth and sixth grades. Math proficiency is lower across all three grades, with fifth grade showing particular softness. Science proficiency in fifth grade, the only tested year, sits below half. Overall, the school's combined proficiency index places it above the midpoint when compared to other districts in Sonoma County, but the pattern suggests that math and science are areas where many students have not yet reached grade-level mastery.

The strength in ELA relative to math is worth noting. Parents may want to look into further detail about the math curriculum and support systems with the school to understand whether this gap reflects instructional choices, resource allocation, or other factors. Given the state testing data from the most recent year, a parent should ask the school about any interventions or changes being made to boost math performance.

Strawberry sits in the Horseshoe Drive neighborhood of Santa Rosa, in a part of the city that is more car-oriented and residential than the downtown core. Santa Rosa itself is a mixed-character county seat with a revitalized downtown that has become more residential while maintaining its commercial and cultural identity. The city balances urban amenities such as an interconnected park system and downtown restaurants and galleries with more suburban, single-family neighborhoods. Homes in the area are relatively expensive, reflecting broader coastal California housing costs, though they remain below the California state median. Rents, too, are substantial but manageable within middle-income household budgets.

The district context is in transition. Bennett Valley Union Elementary converted from a traditional public district structure to a charter system, a move designed to secure more equitable funding and resolve budget pressures caused by declining enrollment. This conversion enables the district to explore adding grades seven and eight, potentially allowing families to keep their children in-district through middle school rather than moving them to Santa Rosa City Schools. No final decision on middle school expansion has been made, and budget constraints in the current transition year are a real factor. For a parent considering Strawberry, the charter conversion means the school operates with greater programmatic flexibility but also exists within a district navigating significant structural and financial change.

Strawberry Elementary is not a school with standout state test results, but it is positioned above the county median overall. It serves a neighborhood-based, moderately diverse student body in a growing city with real civic investments in parks and downtown life. The school's particular challenge is math proficiency, which merits a direct conversation with school leadership about instruction and support before enrolling.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 40%

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 50%

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

English language arts

Grade 460%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Science

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 46%

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

This schoolBennett Valley Union Elementary, 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 4Lower-income40%Higher-income70%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income61%Higher-income75%14 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income46%Higher-income68%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income65%35 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income24%Higher-income55%31 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income26%Higher-income62%36 pp gap