Dan O. Root Elementary, Suisun City CA

Original Research by School Decision on Dan O. Root Elementary

Dan O. Root Elementary serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Suisun City, a small waterfront community on Solano County's northern margin. The school enrolls students across all grade bands, with a balanced distribution across classrooms and a notably diverse peer group: roughly half the enrollment is Hispanic, with substantial populations of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. About two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting significant family economic pressure in the surrounding area.

Academic performance across the school sits below where most families would hope. The state's most recent assessment data show the school's overall proficiency at a level above the midpoint among Solano County's other districts, though the numbers themselves are modest. In English language arts, fifth graders scored highest, with somewhat under half meeting proficiency; third and fourth grade ELA results sat in the low-to-mid-thirties. Math showed steeper challenges: third graders achieved proficiency at a very low rate, while fourth graders were in the mid-range and fifth graders again struggled. Fifth grade science proficiency was below the other subject areas. Only the most recent year of testing is available, so the direction of trend—whether the school is moving forward, holding steady, or declining—remains unclear. A parent may want to discuss with the school what instructional changes or supports are underway to address the math outcomes, particularly in the earlier tested grades.

Suisun City itself sits in an active growth phase. New housing developments and apartment complexes are opening, including both market-rate and affordable units, and the city is in talks about a large annexation project that could reshape the community's size and character over the next several years. The housing market in the area remains somewhat affordable relative to much of the Bay Area, though home values have moved modestly. The downtown waterfront is pedestrian-friendly, with the Amtrak/Capitol Corridor station as a regional transit node, and the marina, shops, and dining cluster anchor a sense of place. The civic center and library are embedded in this downtown rather than isolated on a campus.

The school is part of the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, which encompasses both Fairfield and Suisun City. The district has undertaken a sustained facilities modernization program backed by voter-approved bond measures and is maintaining a Spanish Dual Immersion Program at a separate school for families seeking bilingual education. The district levied new property taxes beginning in 2024 to fund bond-anticipation borrowing, a direct cost families in the attendance area would bear.

Dan O. Root Elementary is the kind of school where academic needs are apparent and investment in turnaround or support would matter; it is a neighborhood school in a community marked by economic diversity and growth rather than an established high-performing institution. The fit depends on whether the family's circumstances call for a small, neighborhood-embedded environment and whether they are prepared to advocate for or supplement the academic work the school provides.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 31% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 437%

School 37% · District 34% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 30% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 35%

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

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 38% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 43% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 28% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

This schoolFairfield-Suisun 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income35%Higher-income36%2 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income38%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income48%8 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income14%Higher-income31%17 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income26%Higher-income39%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income31%Higher-income58%27 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income16%Higher-income18%2 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income37%Higher-income38%1 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income15%Higher-income48%33 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income8%Higher-income8%0 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income9%Higher-income19%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income10%Higher-income23%13 pp gap