Field (eugene) Elementary, Pasadena CA

Original Research by School Decision on Field (eugene) Elementary

Field Elementary sits in Pasadena's diverse Sierra Madre neighborhood, serving students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The school draws from a substantially affluent area with a highly educated workforce anchored by Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, though Pasadena itself contains neighborhoods ranging from historic Craftsman-bungalow districts to more suburban family areas, and the school's enrollment reflects both the neighborhood's professional-class character and substantial economic diversity.

The student body is predominantly Asian, with substantial representation across two-or-more-races and Hispanic students, and a meaningful share qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. State testing data from the most recent school year shows solid proficiency in both English language arts and mathematics. In English language arts across tested grades, students at or above proficiency reach into the high seventies overall. In mathematics the school sits slightly lower overall, with third grade showing strong performance, fourth grade somewhat lower, and fifth grade notably softer. In science, fifth graders meet proficiency at better than three-in-five. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among the districts in Los Angeles County.

The pattern here suggests the school has stronger foundational reading skills than math skills, and that math performance weakens in the upper elementary grades. This is information a parent may want to explore further with the school, especially if your child will be in fourth or fifth grade. English language learner and special education enrollment data were not available, so understanding how the school supports students with those needs would require a direct conversation with staff.

Field is a traditional public elementary school of about mid-size for its grade band. Pasadena Unified has faced profound disruption since early 2025. The Eaton Fire in January destroyed or severely damaged five district campuses, displacing thousands of students and initiating years-long rebuilds. The district also confronted a structural budget deficit, compounded by declining enrollment and the expiration of pandemic relief funds. In November 2025 the board voted to cut substantially from the 2026-27 budget through workforce reductions, affecting librarians, teachers, and staff, with cuts to arts, science, and athletics programs. The district pursued a consolidation and school-closure process, though a 33-member advisory committee voted in May 2026 against any closure scenario, and the board subsequently halted the consultant contract. Field was not among the campuses destroyed or proposed for closure, but the district-wide instability and program cuts ripple across all schools in the system.

On the positive side, voters showed strong commitment to the district in November 2024, approving both a major general obligation bond for facility renovations and the district's first parcel tax, a lasting funding commitment for years to come. These investments signal renewed local confidence even as the district navigates the present fiscal and operational challenges.

Pasadena itself is economically strong, with home values well above state and national medians and a vibrant downtown anchored by walkable Old Pasadena and a historic Civic Center. Growth in the city is concentrated in multifamily housing in the central core, and transit is available through the Metro A Line light rail. Families moving to Field should understand both the school's solid baseline performance and the district's current contraction, which may reshape programs and staffing over the next few years.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 387%

School 87% · District 49% · ▲ 38 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Grade 483%

School 83% · District 46% · ▲ 36 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 34% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 51% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Grade 473%

School 73% · District 50% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 582%

School 82% · District 49% · ▲ 33 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Science

Grade 562%

School 62% · District 38% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

This schoolPasadena 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-income62%Higher-income80%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income68%Higher-income77%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income63%Higher-income90%27 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income80%Higher-income90%10 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income65%Higher-income94%29 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income30%Higher-income74%44 pp gap