Theuerkauf Elementary, Mountain View CA

Original Research by School Decision on Theuerkauf Elementary

Theuerkauf Elementary is a kindergarten through fifth-grade school in Mountain View serving a diverse student population. About a third of students come from families that qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The student body is mixed in terms of race and ethnicity: roughly half the school identifies as Hispanic, with Asian and white students each representing a sizable share, and smaller numbers of students from other backgrounds.

The school sits in Mountain View, a Silicon Valley city anchored by a walkable downtown on Castro Street but also home to major tech campuses like Google and Intuit. The city is in the midst of substantial growth, with thousands of new housing units planned across two large developments to accommodate state-mandated expansion. This growth is reshaping the community and putting pressure on schools. The Mountain View Whisman School District, which operates Theuerkauf, recently approved significant budget cuts starting in the 2026-27 school year, including elimination of positions and reduction of custodial services. The district's main funding source is local property taxes, which have stagnated recently. Families should be aware that this financial pressure may continue to affect school services and staffing.

On the positive side, the district has recently adopted new instructional programs. In 2024 the school district adopted a literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading, and it is in the process of selecting a new elementary math curriculum, with implementation planned for the 2027-28 school year. These shifts aim to improve how reading and math are taught across the district's elementary schools, including Theuerkauf.

The school's state test results show room for growth. In math, across tested grades, fewer than four in ten students scored at the proficient level on the 2024-25 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress. In English language arts overall, about four in ten students reached proficiency, though fifth graders performed notably better at above five in ten. In fifth-grade science, just over four in ten students met proficiency on the California Science Test. When compared to other elementary schools in Santa Clara County that serve similar grade bands, Theuerkauf's overall proficiency sits below the midpoint. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what instructional priorities and support systems are in place to build student skills in these areas.

The housing market around the school reflects Silicon Valley's high costs. Home values in the 94043 zip code are very high, and monthly rent is substantial. The affordability metrics show that buying a home in this area requires a significant income, and renters spend a large share of household income on housing. For families considering the area, this is a critical factor: the school's neighborhood is expensive, and many area jobs connect to the dominant tech sector.

Data on English learner enrollment and special education enrollment rates were not available, so a parent seeking to understand how well the school serves students learning English or those with disabilities would want to ask the school directly about these populations and their support systems.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 63% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 57% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 61% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 339%

School 39% · District 61% · ▼ 22 pts below district

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

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 61% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 66% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 59% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

This schoolMountain View Whisman, 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-income22%Higher-income57%35 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income7%Higher-income59%52 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income17%Higher-income67%49 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income10%Higher-income58%48 pp gap