The top reported proficiency rate is 84% in English language arts. The lowest is 81% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Daves Avenue Elementary
Daves Avenue Elementary is a public elementary school in Los Gatos, California, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. The school has a student body of about mid-size for its grade band, with roughly equal enrollments across grades and a notably affluent surrounding community. The majority of students are white, with substantial representation of Asian students, students of multiple races, and smaller numbers of Hispanic and other groups. Very few students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the area. Data on special education enrollment and English learners was not available.
Academic performance on California's state assessments shows consistent strength across tested subjects. In English language arts, proficiency runs from the mid-seventy-percent range in third grade to over ninety percent in fifth grade, with an overall proficiency rate well above the midpoint among Santa Clara County's districts. Math proficiency is similarly solid, ranging from the low eighties across the tested grades and sitting at an overall level in the top quartile of county schools. In fifth-grade science, proficiency is in the low eighties. The pattern across grades suggests that reading and writing proficiency accelerates into the upper elementary grades, while math proficiency remains consistently strong throughout. These results place the school meaningfully above the median performance level across the county's elementary schools.
Los Gatos itself is a small, historically preserved town with a distinctive character. The downtown is walkable and anchored by independent shops and restaurants, and the surrounding residential neighborhoods include Almond Grove, known for early twentieth-century homes. The town is notably affluent, with median household income among the highest in California, and has historically taken a conservative approach to growth. Netflix is headquartered in Los Gatos and is the town's defining major employer. Two significant developments are underway: a mixed-use housing and retail project with market-rate and affordable units, and a smaller multi-family project near downtown, both approved or in final planning as of 2026. The housing market reflects the area's wealth; median home values are very high, and rents are correspondingly expensive. A mortgage on a median-priced home would consume a substantial portion of typical household income, and rental costs relative to income are similarly steep.
The Los Gatos Union Elementary School District, which operates Daves Avenue, passed a substantial facilities bond in November 2024 funding major upgrades to classrooms, safety systems, and electrical and heating infrastructure. This bond creates a multi-decade property-tax obligation. The district also renewed and expanded its parcel tax in 2021 to fund teacher retention and core academic programs. Both of these voter-approved measures signal sustained community investment in schools but represent recurring or long-term costs to property owners.
The school's immediate context is an affluent, stable residential community with strong academic outcomes and visible investment in school infrastructure. A parent considering this school would be choosing a neighborhood with low economic diversity and very high housing costs, paired with elementary instruction delivering proficiency well above the county median in both language arts and math.
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