Longwood Elementary, Hayward CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Longwood Elementary

Longwood Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Hayward, a mid-sized East Bay city with a historic downtown, strong industrial and logistics sectors, and two college campuses. The school sits in a residential neighborhood with a student body that is mostly Hispanic, with a substantial Asian population and smaller numbers of students from other backgrounds. A very high share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the families the school serves.

The school's academic performance on California state assessments shows proficiency rates well below the state target across both math and English language arts. In math, proficiency ranges from low single digits in fourth grade to mid-teens across other tested grades. In English language arts, results are somewhat stronger, with one grade reaching the low thirties and others in the mid-teens to low twenties. Science testing data is limited to fifth grade, where proficiency is in the mid-teens. These numbers place Longwood in the bottom quartile among elementary schools with comparable testing data across Alameda County districts, meaning the school faces genuine academic challenge. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about how it is addressing these results, what interventions are in place, and what support structures exist for students working below grade level.

The school is small to mid-sized for its grade span, with stable enrollment across the grades served. Kindergarten through sixth grade are all present, creating a contained, elementary-only environment without a middle school transition built into the building. Longwood is a regular public school, not a charter, and sits within Hayward Unified School District.

The broader district context matters for families. Hayward Unified has recently expanded arts education through state Proposition 28 funding, adding new visual and performing arts courses across the district beginning in the 2024-25 school year. At the same time, the district publicly acknowledged a budget shortfall in late 2024 and held community town halls to discuss it. Budget pressures can eventually affect staffing, program offerings, or resources schools like Longwood depend on, so this is a dynamic a parent may want to track.

Hayward itself is a place where downtown is undergoing visible growth and investment. The newly opened 21st Century Library anchors downtown alongside Heritage Plaza, and the city is pursuing higher-density residential development near BART and in the downtown core. The wider city has a mix of walkable downtown neighborhoods and auto-oriented suburban areas; housing costs in the zip code are substantial and have declined modestly in recent months. The local economy is stable, with major employers ranging from public institutions and colleges to manufacturing and logistics operations.

For a family considering Longwood, the key questions are whether the school's current academic trajectory aligns with the child's needs, what targeted academic support is available, and how the family values the school's proximity and role within the neighborhood. The low proficiency numbers are a concrete starting point for conversation with school staff about intervention programs, teaching approach, and what measurable progress looks like.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 24% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Grade 410%

School 10% · District 23% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 40 pts below county median

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 18% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 616%

School 16% · District 22% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 26% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 415%

School 15% · District 30% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 625%

School 25% · District 35% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Science

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 17% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

This schoolHayward 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 4Lower-income15%Higher-income15%0 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income15%Higher-income69%54 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income11%Higher-income8%3 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income12%Higher-income39%27 pp gap