Rosa Parks Elementary, Sacramento CA

Original Research by School Decision on Rosa Parks Elementary

Rosa Parks Elementary serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Sacramento and sits in the middle of a significant academic challenge. The school's state test results show proficiency rates that are well below what most schools achieve. In English language arts across all tested grades, about one in six students score at proficient level or above. In mathematics, the rate falls to about one in twelve students. Science proficiency is comparably low. Against other districts in Sacramento County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile, meaning it is among the lowest-performing schools measured in the county comparison group.

The school serves a community with substantial economic need. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is diverse, with Hispanic and Asian students each representing a meaningful share, alongside Black, Native Hawaiian, and other students. The grade configuration shows a notably larger enrollment in middle grades, particularly seventh and eighth, which represent more than half the school's population of roughly seven hundred fifty students.

The neighborhood housing market around the school reflects moderately priced property, with home values below the state average and rents that run somewhat lower than statewide norms. Monthly mortgage costs are considerably lower than the national benchmark. This positioning makes the area relatively accessible to families on moderate incomes, though housing appreciation has been flat to slightly negative in recent years.

The parent district, Sacramento City Unified, is navigating a financial crisis that directly touches the school's operations. The district is at serious risk of state takeover and has issued hundreds of layoff notices to staff. It has delayed curriculum purchases and technology upgrades that schools depend on. Additionally, the district suffered an eight-day teacher strike in 2022 and has since shifted school start dates to compensate for lost instructional time, a disruption whose effects ripple through family schedules. On the positive side, voters approved a facilities bond in November 2024 that will fund infrastructure improvements over time, though this represents a property tax obligation for homeowners.

A parent considering Rosa Parks would be weighing very low state test performance alongside a school that serves students with genuine economic hardship and a district under financial strain. The school's academic results suggest students are not meeting grade-level standards in core subjects, and a parent may want to look into further detail with the district about what literacy and numeracy interventions are in place, what teacher retention looks like given the layoff environment, and what classroom resources remain available. The district's budget crisis is real and recent, and its effects on staffing, supplies, and program continuity are ongoing.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 39% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 42%

School 2% · District 35% · ▼ 33 pts below district

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

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 28% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 36% · ▼ 22 pts below district

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

Grade 710%

School 10% · District 32% · ▼ 22 pts below district

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

Grade 87%

School 7% · District 26% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 37% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 49%

School 9% · District 39% · ▼ 29 pts below district

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

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 39% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 617%

School 17% · District 44% · ▼ 27 pts below district

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

Grade 718%

School 18% · District 44% · ▼ 26 pts below district

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

Grade 813%

School 13% · District 40% · ▼ 27 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 54%

School 4% · District 28% · ▼ 23 pts below district

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

Grade 86%

School 6% · District 25% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 46% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

This schoolSacramento City 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 7Lower-income15%Higher-income30%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income10%Higher-income26%16 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income8%Higher-income18%10 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income6%Higher-income11%6 pp gap