Elder Creek Elementary, Sacramento CA

Original Research by School Decision on Elder Creek Elementary

Elder Creek Elementary is a public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Sacramento, located on the city's east side. The school has roughly student enrollment distributed fairly evenly across its grade levels. The student body is predominantly Asian and Hispanic, with Asian students forming the largest group and Hispanic students the second-largest. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the neighborhood's economic profile.

On California's latest state assessments in English language arts and math, Elder Creek's proficiency rates are below the midpoint relative to other schools in Sacramento County. In English language arts across all tested grades, proficiency was below a third of students. Math proficiency was similarly low, with the exception of sixth grade, where the rate rose notably above the overall school average. Science proficiency, measured only in fifth grade, was substantially lower still. Grade-level variation is visible: older elementary grades (third and fourth) tended to show slightly higher proficiency than fifth, which dipped considerably; sixth grade showed recovery in both English language arts and math. These patterns may reflect particular cohort strengths, classroom composition, or instructional shifts at upper grades, though the data alone does not explain them. A parent may want to look into the school's approach to math and literacy instruction, particularly what the school has learned from the sixth-grade gains.

The school is part of Sacramento City Unified, a district currently navigating serious fiscal challenges. In late 2025, the board approved a Fiscal Solvency Plan after facing a substantial budget deficit. By spring 2026, the shortfall had grown further, leading to layoffs and furloughs of staff and delays in curriculum and technology purchases. State oversight from an outside agency warned the district could run out of cash without major intervention. These cuts directly affect classroom supplies, staffing levels, and program availability that families depend on. The district is at risk of state receivership. A prospective family should be aware that budgetary upheaval and staffing instability are affecting the system right now.

The district also faced a significant strike in spring 2022 that closed schools for eight days. To recover instructional time and avoid a state penalty, the district shifted school start dates earlier in the 2024 and 2025 school years, a multi-year scheduling effect that altered the calendar families plan around.

In November 2024, district voters approved a school facilities bond (Measure D) to fund modernization, new construction, STEAM classrooms, technology upgrades, and improvements like a new swimming pool at a high school. This bond added property taxes on assessed home value that will persist while the debt is active. For families considering a move into the area, this ongoing tax obligation is a factor to weigh.

The zip code where Elder Creek sits has a median home value slightly below the national benchmark, though year-over-year, values declined modestly. Rental costs have risen modestly. The affordability picture shows rent-to-income ratios that are reasonable for California, though monthly mortgage estimates remain substantial relative to local incomes.

Data on English learner enrollment and students with individualized education plans was not available, limiting a full picture of the school's student support landscape and the scope of its service delivery. Overall, Elder Creek is a neighborhood school in an economically diverse area serving a multilingual, multicultural population, operating within a district managing acute financial stress that is rippling through staffing and resources at the school level.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 39% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 433%

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

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

Grade 523%

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

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

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 36% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 37% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 39% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 39% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 638%

School 38% · District 44% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Science

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 28% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 12 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 3Lower-income24%Higher-income36%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income24%Higher-income46%21 pp gap