Nystrom Elementary, Richmond CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Nystrom Elementary

Nystrom Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Richmond, California, with an enrollment across that range. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with substantial Black and multiracial enrollment. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting economic circumstances in this waterfront neighborhood near the Port of Richmond.

The school's recent state test results in English language arts and math show proficiency rates that are notably low. In English language arts across grades three through six, proficiency ranged from below one in ten students to roughly one in three, with the highest performance in sixth grade. Math proficiency was similarly constrained, peaking in sixth grade at roughly one in three students, while third and fourth graders showed proficiency rates below one in five. Science proficiency data was available only for fifth grade, where fewer than one in twenty students met the standard. Across all tested grades and subjects, Nystrom's overall proficiency falls in the bottom quartile when compared to other schools in Contra Costa County.

Only one year of assessment data is available in the current reporting period, so trend information is not present. The parent may want to look into this further with the school or district to understand whether these results represent the school's recent direction.

The district serving Nystrom, West Contra Costa Unified, is navigating substantial fiscal stress following a first-ever teachers strike in December 2025. The resulting contract, which includes wage increases and employer-paid family health benefits, has pushed the district toward a major budget crisis. The district is publicly reported to be considering significant restructuring, including school closures, mergers, and conversion of multigrade schools to elementary-only configurations. This redesign could affect which grade bands and program configurations remain available in families' home communities.

At the instructional level, the district has adopted a stronger emphasis on phonics and the science of reading through the supplemental SIPPS program across elementary schools, alongside a reevaluation of the Units of Study reading curriculum that had been in use. This shift toward explicit phonics instruction represents a change in how early reading is being taught district-wide.

Nystrom's location in the 94804 zip code reflects a housing market with median home values in the mid-range for the Bay Area, though notably lower than the state benchmark. Rental costs are moderate for the region. The neighborhood sits in a broader economic context where household income is above the national median but where the rent-to-income ratio suggests housing cost burden for renters.

The school operates within the standard public school framework, without charter or magnet designation. For families considering Nystrom, the immediate academic performance picture is one of substantial need, combined with a district in transition due to fiscal and structural pressures that may reshape school options in the near term.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 34% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 30% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 23% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 27% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 311%

School 11% · District 30% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 31% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 32% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 637%

School 37% · District 35% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 56%

School 6% · District 23% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 25 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.