Ocean Shore Elementary, Pacifica CA

Original Research by School Decision on Ocean Shore Elementary

Ocean Shore Elementary serves grades kindergarten through eighth in Pacifica, a coastal residential community without a traditional downtown. The school enrolls a mid-sized student body drawn from a mixed neighborhood; the student population is somewhat more than half white, with meaningful representation from Asian and Hispanic families and a smaller presence of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. About one in seven students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate below the state average. The school's location on Oceana Boulevard places it in one of the dispersed neighborhoods that comprise Pacifica.

In math proficiency on state assessments, Ocean Shore shows uneven performance across grades. Third and fifth graders score near or below the midpoint of proficiency, while fourth graders achieve higher performance. A substantial gap appears in sixth grade, where proficiency drops sharply. Seventh and eighth graders recover somewhat but remain below the school's strongest grades. In English language arts, the pattern differs: third graders start well below the midpoint, but fourth and fifth graders perform at higher levels. Sixth and seventh graders score in the middle range, and eighth graders reach above that. Science proficiency data are available only for grades five and eight; fifth graders show solid performance while eighth graders fall below the midpoint. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places this school above the midpoint among districts in San Mateo County, though the grade-by-grade variations and the notably weak math showing in sixth grade warrant close attention if you have a child in the middle school grades, particularly around the transition from elementary to middle school mathematics.

The school is part of Pacifica School District, which voters have recently authorized to pursue major capital investment and ongoing funding. A facilities bond approved in March 2024 will modernize classrooms and science labs, improve access for students with disabilities, and construct affordable housing for teachers. Separately, voters renewed a parcel tax in November 2024 to support teacher compensation and maintain programs, with a senior exemption. These measures will affect property tax bills for years but also reflect the community's commitment to school investment. The district has also announced school consolidation, a significant structural change that will reshape which campuses children attend.

Pacifica itself is undergoing planned development concentrated in the Sharp Park neighborhood, with the city aiming to create a true downtown there. The community has approved housing that will add to the neighborhood over coming years. For families considering whether to settle here, the coastal setting and extensive open space are defining features, as are two public libraries and numerous parks. Car dependency is high; most residents drive to work rather than walk or use transit. Housing values in the Pacifica 94044 zip code are substantially above state and national medians, and rents have risen recently. The affordability context is tight, with monthly housing costs consuming a substantial share of household income.

A parent may want to look further into the school's transition point at sixth grade, where math performance drops notably, and into how the district's consolidation plan affects which school your child would attend.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 360%

School 60% · District 55% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 58% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 50% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 627%

School 27% · District 48% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 48% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 856%

School 56% · District 51% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 46% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 54% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 576%

School 76% · District 58% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 55% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 56% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 861%

School 61% · District 58% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Science

Grade 562%

School 62% · District 42% · ▲ 20 pts above district

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

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 44% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 66% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

This schoolPacifica, 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.