Oak Avenue Elementary, Los Altos CA

Original Research by School Decision on Oak Avenue Elementary

Oak Avenue Elementary is a small public school in Los Altos, serving kindergarten through sixth grade with an enrollment of about three hundred students. The school sits in an affluent residential community known for its mature neighborhood character, tree-lined streets, and compact downtown, where the median home value is very high and rents are correspondingly steep. Families who choose this school are typically embedded in a stable, low-density residential environment with strong civic anchors like the library and community center nearby.

The academic picture is strong. Oak Avenue's students show solid proficiency across tested subjects. In mathematics, overall proficiency across grades three through six is in the upper range, with sixth graders performing especially well. In English language arts, proficiency is also consistent and strong. The school administered the California science test in fifth grade, where students again showed proficiency above the midpoint. When positioned against other schools assessed in Santa Clara County, Oak Avenue's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, a meaningful distinction that reflects genuine strength in fundamentals.

The student body is affluent and predominantly Asian, with a white student population making up a meaningful share, and smaller representation of Hispanic, multiracial, and other students. Only a very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which aligns with the economic profile of Los Altos itself. Data on special education and English learner enrollment was not available, so a parent may want to check with the school directly on those populations and the supports in place.

The Los Altos School District, of which Oak Avenue is a part, is in the middle of significant structural change. Starting in fall 2028, the district will shift to a middle school model, moving sixth graders from elementary campuses to two junior high schools shared with seventh and eighth graders. This means Oak Avenue will become a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade school, altering class composition and the experience of upper elementary students. The shift is being made to give sixth graders access to more electives like foreign language, music, and robotics. Families with younger children should understand that the grade configuration will change during their child's elementary years.

The district has also passed a parcel tax renewal and a substantial bond measure to upgrade facilities across all nine schools. These property-tax measures represent a real cost to homeowners and are worth factoring into a family's overall housing calculation if moving to the area.

The housing market around Los Altos is exceptionally expensive, with home values and rents substantially above state and national benchmarks. Renting is not meaningfully cheaper than buying, and both carry financial weight. This is not a community where families are priced in by modest means; the school's peer environment reflects the economics of the place.

Oak Avenue offers a conventional elementary program without visible special designations such as magnet or charter status. The school's strength lies in steady, consistent academic achievement in a small, well-resourced setting serving a homogeneous and highly educated community. For families who value academic solidity, neighborhood schools, and a quiet residential context, and who can afford the housing market, Oak Avenue provides a stable pathway through elementary years, with the understanding that the district itself is actively planning its next chapter.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 392%

School 92% · District 86% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 483%

School 83% · District 84% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 586%

School 86% · District 83% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 56 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Grade 694%

School 94% · District 89% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 64 pts above state median · ▲ 48 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 386%

School 86% · District 81% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 480%

School 80% · District 81%

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

Grade 590%

School 90% · District 85% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 688%

School 88% · District 89% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 588%

School 88% · District 80% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 60 pts above state median · ▲ 45 pts above county median

This schoolLos Altos 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.