August Schilling Elementary, Newark CA

Original Research by School Decision on August Schilling Elementary

August Schilling Elementary sits in Newark, a mixed industrial and residential enclave entirely surrounded by Fremont at Silicon Valley's northern edge. The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade and enrolls a small population for its grade band. A substantial share of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is demographically dominated by Hispanic students, with a significant Asian student population and smaller numbers of other backgrounds represented.

The academic picture is straightforward and needs a parent's direct engagement with the school: state testing results from the most recent year show proficiency rates that are very low across both English language arts and mathematics at all tested grades. Fourth grade performs somewhat higher than third and fifth grade in both subjects, but proficiency across the school remains well below the state midpoint. In science, the single tested grade also shows low proficiency. These results place the school in the bottom quartile when compared against other districts in Alameda County on overall proficiency. Because this is only one year of data, a parent may want to look into this further with the school, including whether recent trends show movement, what instructional changes the school is making, and what support systems exist for students who are not yet proficient.

The school operates as a traditional public elementary school within Newark Unified. The district has undergone significant structural change in recent years. Two elementary schools closed between 2021 and 2022 as part of budget-driven consolidation, reshaping the district's elementary footprint and school-choice landscape. These closures are a lasting context for families considering their options in the district.

Newark itself is becoming more residential. Historic development constraints tied to high Bay Area housing costs have given way to new mixed-use and residential projects, including the Timber community and Bayshores neighborhoods, as well as the large planned Bayside Newark transit-oriented development near a proposed commuter rail station. The median home value in the area is substantially above the state benchmark, and median rent exceeds the national benchmark as well, reflecting the regional market. Families in Newark tend to rely on cars; the city is rated somewhat walkable but driving remains the practical norm. Civic anchors include the newly opened Civic Center complex, the Don Edwards Bay National Wildlife Refuge on the waterfront, and NewPark Mall as a regional shopping center. Public transit is available via AC Transit bus routes and nearby BART stations in Fremont and Union City.

For a family considering August Schilling, the key conversation is the gap between current proficiency and grade-level standard, and what the school is doing to close it. The locale is suburban and growing, the peer population is economically and ethnically diverse, and the school is small enough for individual students to be known. But the testing results indicate academic support will need to be a central focus.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 50% · ▼ 42 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 47 pts below county median

Grade 423%

School 23% · District 53% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 35% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 43% · ▼ 35 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 42 pts below county median

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 49% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 47% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 43 pts below county median

Science

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 32% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

This schoolNewark Unified, 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-income6%Higher-income12%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income27%Higher-income12%15 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income7%Higher-income33%26 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income17%Higher-income25%8 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income6%Higher-income12%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income23%Higher-income22%1 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income5%Higher-income13%8 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income6%Higher-income31%25 pp gap