Stipe (samuel) Elementary, San Jose CA

Original Research by School Decision on Stipe (samuel) Elementary

Stipe Elementary sits in a dense, rapidly developing neighborhood of San Jose with one of the region's largest immigrant populations and substantial economic diversity. The school itself serves just over three hundred students in kindergarten through sixth grade, drawn overwhelmingly from Hispanic and Asian families, with more than half qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body reflects West San Jose's character as a working-class corridor.

Academic proficiency is markedly low across the school. In English language arts, students overall show proficiency rates in the low thirties across tested grades, dipping to the mid-twenties in grade five. Math results are similarly weak, ranging from the mid-forties in third grade down to the high teens in grade five, a steeper decline that may signal compounding gaps. Science proficiency in grade five sits around fifteen percent. On the state's proficiency index, the school ranks in the bottom quartile among the county's district schools. These results indicate students are struggling to meet grade-level standards, and a parent should understand that academic support and intervention will be central to a child's pathway here.

The school is part of Oak Grove Elementary School District, which serves the immediate San Jose area. The district has invested substantially in facilities modernization through a voter-approved bond that began funding classroom upgrades, technology access, science labs, and STEAM learning spaces without raising the property tax rate. Stipe itself is embedded in one of the district's distinctive offerings: a dedicated TK through sixth-grade STEAM program with project-based learning design and Silicon Valley company partnerships. This is an intentional, resourced program pathway, separate from the standard elementary program, so choice and enrollment patterns matter here. Families interested in a STEAM-focused elementary experience would apply for placement; others attend one of the district's other schools.

The immediate housing market around the school reflects San Jose's ongoing density push. Home values in the surrounding area are elevated for the region, and rental costs are substantial. Downtown San Jose and its tech economy sit close enough to shape the neighborhood's character and property values, though the area itself remains predominantly residential and car-dependent, with most families driving to work or school rather than using transit.

Stipe's low proficiency results require honest assessment. The school serves a student population with significant economic need and likely includes English learners, though specific counts for those subgroups were not available. The pattern of declining proficiency in upper elementary grades, particularly in math, suggests students may not be closing foundational gaps as they progress. A parent considering this school should ask directly about intervention supports, tutoring, English learner services, and the school's approach to closing proficiency gaps. The STEAM curriculum and district bond investment represent genuine resource commitments, but they function in a context where basic reading and math attainment remains below standard for the majority of students. For families prioritizing strong academics with intensive support structures and clear evidence of improvement, this school presents a soft spot that warrants deeper conversation with the school and district about specific supports and their track record.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 345%

School 45% · District 52% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 433%

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

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

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 39% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 44% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 43% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 45% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 46% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 637%

School 37% · District 52% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 36% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below 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 4Lower-income34%Higher-income39%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income19%Higher-income40%21 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income27%Higher-income53%26 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income25%Higher-income54%29 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income13%Higher-income29%15 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income23%Higher-income47%24 pp gap