John Cabrillo Elementary, Sacramento CA

Original Research by School Decision on John Cabrillo Elementary

John Cabrillo Elementary is a kindergarten-through-sixth-grade public school in Sacramento, serving about the size of a midrange elementary cohort. The enrollment leans heavily toward families with lower household incomes; a substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is diverse: nearly half identify as Hispanic, with Black, Asian, multiracial, and Pacific Islander students each making up a smaller but meaningful share; white students represent a small portion of the enrollment.

On California's standardized assessments in math and English language arts, proficiency is low across all tested grades. In math, students in the upper elementary grades (five and six) show proficiency in the low double digits. Reading results are somewhat stronger in grades four and five, but drop sharply in sixth grade. Science results, where measured, fall below proficiency for the majority. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint among the county's elementary schools. Compared to other districts in Sacramento County, John Cabrillo's academic performance puts it in the lower half.

The school's challenges reflect not only its own conditions but also the broader pressures on Sacramento City Unified. The district has faced a serious and worsening budget crisis, with deficits that have grown dramatically over recent months and forced layoffs of hundreds of employees, reductions in administrative support, and delays in purchasing updated curriculum and technology. These cuts directly reduce the resources and supplies available in classrooms. The district also experienced an eight-day strike in spring 2022 that closed schools and disrupted instruction; though contracts were eventually settled, the aftermath has included earlier school start dates and compressed calendars as the district works to recover lost time. On the positive side, voters approved a school facilities bond in November 2024, which will fund modernization, new construction, STEAM classrooms, and upgrades to buildings and technology over time, though this adds a property tax for homeowners while the debt is active.

The immediate context for families is that John Cabrillo serves a neighborhood of significant economic need, works within a district managing acute financial strain, and reports low test performance across core subjects. A parent or prospective family member may want to look into the school's specific supports for reading and math, what staffing and resources remain available on campus, and the district's trajectory beyond its current crisis, all of which will shape the daily experience and academic pathway for students.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 39% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 434%

School 34% · District 35% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 28% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 36% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 37% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 39% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 39% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 617%

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

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

Science

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 28% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above 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 4Lower-income35%Higher-income69%34 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income38%Higher-income50%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income24%Higher-income56%32 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income21%Higher-income43%22 pp gap