San Miguel Elementary, Santa Rosa CA

Original Research by School Decision on San Miguel Elementary

San Miguel Elementary is a charter school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Santa Rosa, operated by the Mark West Union Elementary School District. The school enrolls a small-to-moderate-sized cohort of students, with a student body that is majority white and nearly two-fifths qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

In early literacy and foundational skills, San Miguel shows real strength. Third-grade performance in English language arts reaches a solid proficiency level, with students in that grade showing notably higher performance than older grades. Math proficiency dips more sharply across grades, though, and fifth-grade math and science proficiency fall below where the school likely aims. The pattern suggests that younger students are gaining ground in reading and writing but that math becomes a challenge as grade level rises, particularly by fifth grade where fewer than one-third of students reach proficiency in either math or science. Sixth-grade students show some recovery in English language arts but remain below the school's third-grade level. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school's overall proficiency places it in the top quartile when compared to districts across Sonoma County, a meaningful position that reflects the strength in primary grades outweighing the later-grade softness.

The school is one of two campuses in the Mark West Union district that recently transitioned from traditional public schools to site-based charter status. Both San Miguel and John B. Riebli Elementary converted in recent years, leaving Mark West Elementary as the district's sole traditional school. For families evaluating schools in the district, this structural shift shapes what pathways are available and how schools operate, since charter and traditional schools can differ in curriculum design, governance structure, and operational approach, though the data provided does not detail those operational specifics for San Miguel.

Housing in the Santa Rosa zip code where San Miguel is located reflects a moderate cost of living compared to the state benchmark. Rental housing is more affordable relative to income than ownership, though both rent and mortgage are meaningful expenses for households in the area. The neighborhood is car-dependent; Santa Rosa's walkability is concentrated in the downtown core and drops significantly in outlying residential areas where most errands require a car.

Santa Rosa itself is the county seat of Sonoma County and a mixed-character city blending historic downtown business districts with residential neighborhoods. Employment anchors include major healthcare providers, county government, and some tech and manufacturing presence. The city's growth strategy emphasizes infill and housing additions within its urban boundaries rather than outward expansion, and downtown is undergoing gradual transformation toward mixed-use residential and commercial use.

A parent considering San Miguel would be choosing a small charter school where reading development in the early grades is a visible strength, but where mathematics proficiency declines with grade level and warrants a closer look with the school itself about curriculum, instructional approach, and support for older students. The overall proficiency ranking is respectable, but that masks real differences between grades, and a family with a student heading into fifth or sixth grade may want to inquire specifically about math supports and whether the school has identified and is addressing that pattern.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 373%

School 73% · District 51% · ▲ 23 pts above district

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

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 50% · ▲ 17 pts above district

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

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 30% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 43% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 381%

School 81% · District 61% · ▲ 20 pts above district

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

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 53% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 559%

School 59% · District 50% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 655%

School 55% · District 57% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Science

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 32% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · even with county median

This schoolMark West Union 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income76%Higher-income83%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income50%Higher-income77%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income52%Higher-income67%15 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income42%Higher-income66%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income67%Higher-income76%10 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income58%Higher-income74%16 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income38%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income38%Higher-income48%11 pp gap