Sakamoto Elementary, San Jose CA

Original Research by School Decision on Sakamoto Elementary

Sakamoto Elementary is a regular public school in south-central San Jose serving kindergarten through sixth grade. The school sits in a neighborhood characterized by mixed single-family residential housing, part of the broader suburban and diverse fabric of San Jose's outer districts.

The school enrolls a diverse student body, with Asian and Hispanic students each comprising a meaningful share, along with white students and smaller populations of other backgrounds. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating moderate economic diversity within the enrollment. Current enrollment sits at a mid-sized level for an elementary school in this configuration. The school does not report separate data for students with disabilities or English learners; a parent may want to ask the school directly about these populations and the supports available.

On California's state assessments, Sakamoto's proficiency rates tell a mixed and grade-dependent story. In grade three, math proficiency runs solidly above half, with English language arts slightly lower but still in the mid-range. Performance softens as students move up the grades. By grade five, math proficiency drops to under half, and English language arts dips to slightly above half. Grade six shows similar or slightly weaker patterns, with math proficiency moving below half. Science proficiency in grade five sits near the middle range. Across all tested grades and subjects combined, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among the tested schools in Santa Clara County, but the downward slope from grade three onward is a pattern a parent should ask about: whether it reflects curriculum transitions, instructional gaps, the cumulative effect of prior schooling, or shifts in the student population.

The Oak Grove School District, of which Sakamoto is a part, passed a facilities bond in 2022 that funds modernization of classrooms, technology upgrades, science labs, and STEAM learning spaces district-wide. That work is ongoing. The district also operates choice programs at other schools, including a dedicated TK-6th STEAM program at Stipe Elementary with project-based learning and industry partnerships, a virtual learning academy, an Indigo program, and dual language immersion options. Sakamoto itself is a neighborhood school without a specialized program designation; families interested in distinctive programming would need to apply to one of those choice schools instead.

The surrounding San Jose neighborhood is suburban and auto-oriented, part of the city's outer residential bands. Housing in the zip code is at a mid-to-high price point; mortgage and rent affordability in the area is tight relative to median household income. Walkability is low in the immediate school area, with schools and amenities spread across districts that rely on driving. The broader San Jose economy is anchored in technology and professional services, with major employers including Cisco and other tech firms, and the downtown and central neighborhoods have seen sustained residential development and urban densification in recent years, though the school's own neighborhood remains primarily suburban and single-family focused.

For families considering Sakamoto, the key questions revolve around the downward trend in test proficiency across grade spans, the available classroom and STEAM upgrades from the bond, and whether the school's neighborhood location and unspecialized program approach fit the family's school choice priorities and commute reality.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 367%

School 67% · District 52% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 460%

School 60% · District 47% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 39% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 44% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 43% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 45% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 46% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 655%

School 55% · District 52% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Science

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 36% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

This schoolOak Grove 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-income35%Higher-income67%32 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income71%37 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income65%39 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income26%Higher-income69%43 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income39%Higher-income80%42 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income66%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income19%Higher-income60%41 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income11%Higher-income55%44 pp gap