The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in English language arts. The lowest is 66% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Santa Rita Elementary
Santa Rita Elementary sits in Los Altos, a mature residential community in the southern Silicon Valley characterized by tree-lined neighborhoods, a compact walkable downtown, and a civic ethos that values measured growth and community character. The school serves kindergarten through sixth grade and enrolls a small, diverse student body in a town where housing values remain exceptionally high and the family base is educated, affluent, and increasingly cosmopolitan.
The student population at Santa Rita reflects Los Altos's affluence and diversity. The majority of families are Asian or white, with a meaningful share identifying as Hispanic or multiracial. About one in five students qualifies for free or reduced lunch, a rate that signals some economic diversity within an overall affluent zip code. No data were available on the English learner population or students with individualized education plans, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those cohorts and the services available to them.
State test results from the most recent year show strength in English language arts and solid performance in math, with substantial grade-to-grade variation. In grades three and six, proficiency in reading and math both exceeded three-quarters of students. Grade four dipped noticeably in both subjects, falling to roughly two-thirds in reading and below that in math. Grade five recovered in both areas. Grade six math was particularly strong. In science, the one grade tested (grade five) showed roughly two-thirds of students proficient. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed Santa Rita in the top quartile of schools in Santa Clara County, a meaningful placement that reflects real achievement, though the school's leaders and teachers may have more specific insight into what drives the fourth-grade dip and whether it reflects instructional factors, student composition shifts, or assessment timing.
Santa Rita is a neighborhood school without special magnet or charter designation. Its physical setting and academic environment are shaped by the broader Los Altos context: families here tend to be engaged, the community has stable, long-term residence, and the school district is well-resourced and attentive to facility investment. The district's school board has approved a shift to a middle school model by fall 2028, in which sixth graders will move from elementary schools like Santa Rita to the district's junior high campuses; this change will give sixth graders access to electives including foreign language, music, and robotics but will alter the composition of Santa Rita and remove one grade level from the school.
Los Altos itself is experiencing housing pressure and demographic change driven by state housing mandates. New multifamily buildings are rising downtown and along First Street, including fully affordable developments, marking a subtle but real shift from the town's historically single-family character. This is reshaping who lives here: younger families, renters, and lower-income residents are moving into the community alongside the long-established owner-occupied base. For a family considering Santa Rita, this means the neighborhood and peer group are gradually diversifying economically and in household type, even as the school enrollment remains predominantly affluent.
Property taxes in Los Altos are steep. Voters approved a parcel tax in 2024 that funds teacher salaries and core programs, and a facilities bond passed in 2024 that will fund campus upgrades across the district through property tax increases. These are long-term financial obligations tied to homeownership in the area. Renters and those considering a move here should understand that the cost of living and property tax burden are substantial.
For families already in Los Altos or drawn to its aesthetic and schools, Santa Rita offers a solid neighborhood elementary experience, accessible to downtown and the Civic Center, with good test results and meaningful diversity among peers. The school's academic profile is strongest at the extremes of the grade band and worth understanding in detail before enrollment, especially if your child falls in grade four. The forthcoming grade restructuring is worth tracking with the district, as it will reshape the school's composition and focus.
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