Ford Elementary, Richmond CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ford Elementary

Ford Elementary is a traditional public elementary school in Richmond serving kindergarten through sixth grade. The school's location in the Maricopa Avenue corridor places it in a predominantly Latino neighborhood; the student body is predominantly Latino, with smaller shares of Asian, Black, and white students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the families the school serves.

The school's academic performance on California state assessments is notably weak across both mathematics and English language arts. In math, proficiency ranges from very low in fourth and fifth grades to modest in third grade. In English language arts, performance is similarly limited across grades, with a somewhat stronger result in sixth grade and sixth-grade science proficiency also low. These results place Ford among the lowest-performing schools countywide relative to other districts in Contra Costa County. A parent considering this school should recognize that current state test results show most students are not meeting grade-level standards and may want to discuss with the school what supports are in place to address that gap and what recent shifts in reading instruction or other initiatives are underway.

The district serving Ford, West Contra Costa Unified, has recently undergone significant change. A teachers' strike in December 2025, the first in district history, resulted in a contract that raised teacher pay and added employer-paid family health benefits. The cost of that settlement has created a serious budget crisis; the district publicly reported it faces potential insolvency and is considering major operational changes including school mergers and program cuts. The district is also shifting elementary reading instruction toward science-of-reading approaches, adopting a supplemental phonics program alongside its existing curriculum.

More directly, the district has proposed converting several K-8 schools to elementary-only, which could reshape which grade configurations are available to families depending on where they live. The proposed redesign also includes merging middle schools. While Ford itself is currently designated as elementary-only, families with children planning to move to middle school should understand that the district's restructuring may affect which middle schools will be available or how transitions work. The immediate climate in the district is one of fiscal strain and operational uncertainty, which typically affects staffing stability, class sizes, and program availability in the near term.

Housing in the Richmond zip code where Ford is located is moderately priced relative to broader California trends, making it somewhat more accessible than many parts of the Bay Area. Rents are roughly in line with pre-pandemic rates, though home values have declined slightly in the past year. The area remains economically working-class with an unemployment rate similar to national averages.

Ford is a neighborhood school serving a community with substantial economic need and recent immigrant families. Its current academic results are below grade and should be a real consideration for parents making a school choice. The broader district context of budget pressure and operational change adds another layer of uncertainty that families may want to clarify directly with school leadership.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 34% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 48%

School 8% · District 30% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 52%

School 2% · District 23% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 69%

School 9% · District 27% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 35%

School 5% · District 30% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 46%

School 6% · District 31% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 36 pts below county median

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 32% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 35% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Science

Grade 56%

School 6% · District 23% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below 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.