Almond Grove Elementary, Oakley CA

Original Research by School Decision on Almond Grove Elementary

Almond Grove Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Oakley, a rapidly growing residential suburb in East Contra Costa County. The school sits within Oakley Union Elementary School District, which has operated under budget pressure in recent years. The school's enrollment is small, with students distributed fairly evenly across the grade span. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with strong representation among Hispanic, white, and Asian families, alongside smaller numbers of Black and other students.

The school's academic performance, measured by California's standardized assessments in math, English language arts, and science, sits below the midpoint across tested grades and subjects when compared to other elementary schools in Contra Costa County. In English language arts, proficiency rates across tested grades averaged in the low-to-mid range, with some variability by grade. In math, performance was somewhat stronger across the school, though still below average for the county. In science, only fifth grade was tested, and results were notably low. These numbers suggest the school faces genuine instructional challenges. A parent considering this school may want to look into further detail with the school about its current academic strategies and support systems, particularly in the grades and subjects where proficiency is lowest.

The school is a regular public elementary, not a charter or magnet school, and Title I status information was not available. State-reported data did not include special education enrollment or English learner population counts, which can be significant for understanding the full student-support context and school dynamics. Without those figures, a fuller picture of the school's student-support load and instructional priorities would benefit from a direct conversation with the school.

Oakley itself is a young city experiencing sustained growth. The city markets itself as family-oriented, blending newer suburban residential neighborhoods with an agricultural past. Housing in the zip code where Almond Grove sits is moderately valued for the Bay Area, and rental costs are in line with that market. Most residents work outside Oakley and commute to the broader Bay Area, though health care, retail, and construction are present locally. The city has invested in downtown walkability along Main Street and has ambitious infrastructure projects underway, including a planned Amtrak station and a new library and community center, though these remain future amenities. Parks, regional trails, and Delta shoreline access offer outdoor recreation, though residents generally rely on cars for daily life.

The district has just passed a substantial facilities bond (Measure K), which will fund long-overdue repairs to aging plumbing, roofs, electrical systems, and removal of hazardous materials across the district's schools over time. However, a companion bond focused on security and safety improvements (Measure J) failed, leaving those upgrades unfunded for now. The district also faced budget deficits in early 2026 and cut staff positions, a constraint that can affect class stability and program continuity. These financial and operational realities may shape the school environment in the near term.

For a family considering Almond Grove, the key question is whether the school's current academic profile and support systems align with their child's needs. The location is a solid, growing residential area with family infrastructure and new housing development. The school is accessible and embedded in its community. But the academic numbers warrant careful attention and direct inquiry with school leadership about instructional priorities, teacher support, and concrete progress in the grades and subjects where results lag.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 36% · ▲ 8 pts above district

even with state median · even with county median

Grade 460%

School 60% · District 36% · ▲ 24 pts above district

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

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 26% · ▲ 14 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 31% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 40% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 43% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 24% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

This schoolOakley 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-income14%Higher-income32%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income46%Higher-income52%6 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income20%Higher-income67%47 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income29%Higher-income50%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income61%Higher-income59%1 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income20%Higher-income47%27 pp gap