Fairmont Elementary, El Cerrito CA

Original Research by School Decision on Fairmont Elementary

Fairmont Elementary sits in El Cerrito, a small, transit-oriented East Bay suburb just above the Oakland-Berkeley line, where most commercial and civic life moves along the San Pablo Avenue corridor. The school serves a diverse student population across kindergarten through sixth grade in a neighborhood that mixes hillside and flatland housing. Home values in the area are substantial, though rents have been holding relatively steady; the city is in the midst of transit-oriented redevelopment around its two BART stations, which means the immediate landscape is changing, with new apartments and commercial space under construction or recently completed.

Fairmont's enrollment is small to moderate for its grade band. Nearly half the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, signaling economic diversity. The school's student body is racially and ethnically mixed, with notable shares of Asian, Hispanic, and white students, along with a smaller contingent of Black students and children of multiracial background. Data on English learner enrollment and special education identification were not reported.

The school's recent academic performance shows mixed results. In English language arts, students in grades three and four performed at or above the midline statewide, with third grade around the lower-middle range and fourth grade solidly in the middle. Proficiency declined notably in grades five and six, settling to around the midpoint in grade six. Math showed a sharper pattern of decline by grade: third and fourth graders performed near the midline, but fifth grade dropped substantially below it, recovering somewhat in sixth grade. Science proficiency in grade five, the only year tested, fell below the midline. Overall across subjects and tested grades, the school's proficiency index places it above the midpoint when compared with other schools in Contra Costa County, but the grade-level volatility, especially the sharp drops in fifth grade, suggests students encounter a significant learning challenge in that transition year. A parent may want to look into whether the school has identified supports or curriculum changes aimed at that grade level.

The district context shapes what families should expect. West Contra Costa Unified, which operates Fairmont, recently settled its first teachers strike after a December 2025 work action, winning wage increases and new health benefits for educators. That settlement has pushed the district toward an acute fiscal crisis. The district is now contemplating major budget reductions, including potential layoffs of support staff, larger class sizes, and elimination of some programs. Additionally, the district is consolidating some schools and converting some K-8 facilities to elementary-only, though Fairmont itself appears to remain a traditional K-6 elementary. In reading instruction, the district has adopted a "science of reading" approach district-wide, supplementing the existing curriculum with systematic phonics instruction, a pedagogy shift that affects how all elementary readers are taught.

The school's location near the Ohlone Greenway, a linear park that runs the length of El Cerrito with trails and natural habitat, and proximity to the Stockton Avenue area gives it walkable access to parks and green space. The city is actively developing mixed-use housing and commercial development on San Pablo Avenue, particularly around the BART stations, which may increase foot traffic and population density in the school's catchment area over time.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 363%

School 63% · District 34% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 30% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 23% · ▲ 15 pts above district

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

Grade 647%

School 47% · District 27% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 30% · ▲ 22 pts above district

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

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 31% · ▲ 33 pts above district

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

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 32% · ▲ 13 pts above district

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

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 35% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Science

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 23% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

This schoolWest Contra Costa 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-income41%Higher-income67%26 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income52%Higher-income74%23 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income41%Higher-income50%9 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income50%Higher-income53%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income60%Higher-income67%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income52%Higher-income74%23 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income26%Higher-income59%33 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income45%Higher-income50%5 pp gap