San Rafael Elementary, Pasadena CA

Original Research by School Decision on San Rafael Elementary

San Rafael Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Pasadena, a mixed-character city anchored by Caltech and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where neighborhoods range from historic walkable districts like Old Pasadena and Bungalow Heaven to more suburban family-oriented areas. The school sits within a district facing acute challenges: the January 2025 Eaton Fire destroyed five campuses and displaced thousands of students, while the district voted in November 2025 to cut a substantial amount from the 2026-27 budget through layoffs and program reductions in arts, science, and athletics.

San Rafael's enrollment is small, distributed fairly evenly across its six grades. About a third of its families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and three-quarters of the student body identifies as Hispanic, with smaller populations of white, multiracial, Asian, and Black students. Data on special populations like English learners and students with IEPs was not available.

On California's standardized assessments for 2024-25, the school's proficiency shows a mixed and grade-dependent picture. In third grade, reading proficiency runs at about the middle of the state range, while math sits in the lower half. Fourth grade is notably stronger in reading, climbing significantly above the state midpoint, though math dips slightly below third grade. Fifth grade represents a pronounced decline in both subjects: reading proficiency falls to a low level, and math drops sharply, placing the school well below the midpoint among other schools assessed statewide. In fifth grade science, proficiency also runs low. Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint compared to other schools tested in Los Angeles County.

The school's performance pattern, particularly the marked drops in fifth grade across reading, math, and science, warrants careful conversation with the school itself. A parent might ask what accounts for the grade-by-grade variance and what supports or transitions exist as students move through the upper elementary grades.

The broader Pasadena Unified context shapes what families should know. In November 2024, voters passed Measure R, a major school bond, and Measure EE, the district's first parcel tax, layering new property costs but intended to fund renovations and sustained programs. However, in November 2025 the board voted to eliminate substantial staffing and cut programs in arts, science, and athletics district-wide, meaning that despite voter support for new funding, program reductions are underway. The Eaton Fire displaced thousands of district students and destroyed five campuses; rebuilding is expected to take years and will reshape which campuses operate and where families' children attend.

This is a setting where a small elementary school sits within a district navigating significant structural budget pressures, fire-related facility losses, and program reductions. For families seeking a neighborhood school in Pasadena, San Rafael offers a smaller, Spanish-heritage-majority community, but understanding both the school's fifth-grade proficiency challenges and the district's ongoing fiscal and operational upheaval is essential to the decision.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 361%

School 61% · District 49% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 46% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 34% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 51% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 50% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 49% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Science

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 38% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below 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-income38%Higher-income62%24 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income48%Higher-income88%40 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income19%Higher-income49%30 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income48%Higher-income70%22 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income73%33 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income6%Higher-income27%21 pp gap