Russell Ranch Elementary, Folsom CA

Original Research by School Decision on Russell Ranch Elementary

Russell Ranch Elementary serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade in Folsom, a suburban community east of Sacramento with a pronounced tech focus and notably high median household income for the region. The school enrolls a mid-sized cohort, with the fifth grade the largest single class and enrollment distributed across all grades.

In the most recent testing window, Russell Ranch students show solid across-the-board performance in English language arts and mathematics, the two core subjects tested at this grade level. In English language arts, proficiency runs from the mid-70s in third grade through the low 80s by fifth grade, with fifth-graders in particular performing above the district's overall average. Mathematics proficiency similarly ranges from mid-70s to low 80s across third through fifth grades. Fifth-grade science proficiency, measured on the state's science test, sits in the mid-60s, a softer result relative to the core subjects but still reflecting a substantial share of students meeting grade-level standards. Across all subjects and tested grades, Russell Ranch's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among elementary schools in Sacramento County, positioning it above the median performance of its county peers.

The student body reflects the demographics of Folsom's suburban, mixed-income character. The school is notably diverse by race and ethnicity, with Asian students making up a large plurality, white students a substantial share, and meaningful enrollment of Hispanic and multiracial students. A small share of Russell Ranch's enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that most families fall into higher-income brackets typical of the Folsom area, though low-income students do attend. Data on English learner enrollment and students receiving special education services was not available.

Russell Ranch is part of Folsom-Cordova Unified, a district currently in expansion mode. Voters approved two general obligation bonds in Rancho Cordova in 2024 for school facility improvements; while that investment primarily affects the Rancho Cordova portion of the district, the district is also planning three new elementary schools to serve the rapidly growing Folsom Ranch master-planned area south of Highway 50, where Russell Ranch draws some of its students. This context of steady residential development and new school construction shapes enrollment and infrastructure pressures across the district.

The Folsom setting offers families a high-income suburban environment anchored by a strong tech economy and organized around master-planned neighborhoods, trail networks, and a historic downtown core. Housing values in the area are well above state and national medians. Major employers include semiconductor firms, education-technology companies, and food and beverage manufacturers, reflecting the regional job market's diversity beyond tech alone. For families choosing a school in this area, Russell Ranch represents a solid-performing elementary option aligned with the broader community's affluent, suburban character and relatively high baseline of student proficiency.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 376%

School 76% · District 57% · ▲ 19 pts above district

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

Grade 481%

School 81% · District 57% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 47 pts above county median

Grade 580%

School 80% · District 50% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 50 pts above state median · ▲ 53 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 376%

School 76% · District 56% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Grade 480%

School 80% · District 59% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Grade 583%

School 83% · District 63% · ▲ 20 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 565%

School 65% · District 48% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

This schoolFolsom-Cordova 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-income46%Higher-income80%34 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income69%Higher-income82%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income46%Higher-income80%34 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income77%Higher-income82%5 pp gap