Jack London Elementary, Santa Rosa CA

Original Research by School Decision on Jack London Elementary

Jack London Elementary is a small public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Santa Rosa. The school has a student body drawn largely from working and lower-income families: a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and about half the enrollment is Hispanic, with smaller populations of white, Asian, and multiracial students. The school operates within the Piner-Olivet Union Elementary district, which in November 2024 passed a facilities bond that will fund modernization of classrooms, roofs, HVAC systems, electrical infrastructure, and safety work across district schools over a long repayment period extending into the late 2050s.

Academic performance at Jack London is below the county median. On the most recent state assessments, proficiency in mathematics across tested grades ranges from low numbers in the upper elementary years to somewhat higher in third grade, while English language arts proficiency is more consistent across grades but still modest. The one science assessment available shows low proficiency as well. Across both tested subjects, the school's overall proficiency sits in the bottom quartile when compared to other elementary schools in Sonoma County. The school has only one year of assessment data in the available record, so trend information is not yet available; a parent may want to look into further detail with the school about recent academic initiatives and how the district is addressing these results.

Santa Rosa itself is the county seat and a mixed-character city anchored by a downtown core that has been undergoing transformation from a business-oriented center toward one with more residential life, mixed-use development, and street-level activity. Downtown proper has good walkability, with clusters of restaurants, galleries, and cafes concentrated around Courthouse Square and Railroad Square, but the city as a whole is car-dependent. Neighborhoods range from urban lofts in the West End to conventional single-family residential districts. The city is directing growth inward through infill rather than sprawl, using an urban growth boundary, and recent projects include new downtown apartments and affordable housing developments. Employment is anchored by county government, major healthcare providers including Kaiser Permanente and hospital systems, and some tech and medical device manufacturing. An interconnected system of parks and trails, including Howarth Park and the adjoining Spring Lake Regional Park and Annadel State Park, provides outdoor recreation and allows residents to walk or bike from neighborhoods into wilderness.

Housing in the area is moderately expensive. Home values are well above the national average, though slightly below the California state median, and have experienced a modest recent decline. Monthly rent is substantial, and the ratio of rent to typical income is such that finding affordable housing requires significant household income or constraints on other spending.

Jack London Elementary is embedded in a neighborhood school model, serving younger elementary students in a community context. For families in the area seeking an elementary school, this school's current academic performance and the district's ongoing facilities investment would both be relevant to understanding what kind of academic experience and physical environment the school offers.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 39% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 28% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 11% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 631%

School 31% · District 29% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 27% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 39% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 33% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 41% · ▲ 3 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Science

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 17% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

This schoolPiner-Olivet 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-income28%Higher-income27%1 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income63%35 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income73%44 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income35%Higher-income50%15 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income14%Higher-income50%36 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income19%Higher-income55%36 pp gap