Washington Elementary, Sacramento CA

Original Research by School Decision on Washington Elementary

Washington Elementary is a small kindergarten-through-sixth-grade public school in central Sacramento, serving about that size student body with roots in the city's downtown core. The enrollment is notably diverse: roughly one-third Hispanic, one-quarter white, and a fifth Black, with smaller Asian and multiracial shares. Just over half the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, marking a school serving a lower-income area.

Academic proficiency across the tested grades is weak. In math, the school sits below the midpoint among schools across Sacramento County. Third grade showed the strongest result at just over forty percent proficiency, but fourth, fifth, and sixth grades all clustered in the low twenties. English language arts performed slightly better, with third grade near forty percent and other grades in the mid-to-upper thirties. Science testing at fifth grade showed proficiency near thirty percent. Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the county midpoint. No multiyear trend data is available; only the current year's results are reported.

The school's setting is central Sacramento. Housing values in the 95814 zip code that includes the school are moderately below the state median. Rents are also moderate relative to California's typical levels, though monthly rent absorbs a higher share of typical household income than a mortgage payment would. This is an established urban neighborhood rather than a growing suburb.

The broader context here matters. Sacramento City Unified, the school's district, is navigating acute financial stress. In late 2025 and into 2026, the district approved a Fiscal Solvency Plan to avert state or county takeover, prompted by ballooning deficits. The district has issued layoff notices to hundreds of employees, delayed curriculum and technology purchases, and cut administrative positions. A state oversight agency warned the district's cash could run out without major intervention. While Washington Elementary's own operations are not separately documented in available data, this district-wide squeeze directly constrains school spending on supplies, staffing, and programs. Additionally, the district recovered from an eight-day teacher strike in spring 2022 that closed schools; though that was resolved with wage increases, the aftermath included early school start dates in 2024 and 2025 to avoid state penalties for lost instructional time.

On a positive note, district voters approved a facilities bond (Measure D) in November 2024 for modernization, STEAM classrooms, technology upgrades, and infrastructure projects. This represents long-term capital investment, though it also adds to property-tax obligations for homeowners.

Washington Elementary's profile is one of a small, diverse, urban elementary school with proficiency results that are low and a district under fiscal pressure. A family considering this school would want to understand both the neighborhood's character and the district's current financial and operational constraints, and may benefit from direct conversations with the school about how recent cuts and hiring freezes are affecting day-to-day teaching and resources. The school's test results indicate significant academic gaps that warrant close inquiry into how instruction is being delivered and what support systems exist for struggling learners.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 342%

School 42% · District 39% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 35% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 12 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 624%

School 24% · District 36% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 37% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 39% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 39% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 636%

School 36% · District 44% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 28% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 7 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 3Lower-income15%Higher-income56%41 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income52%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income22%Higher-income40%18 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income24%Higher-income48%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income32%Higher-income50%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income13%Higher-income33%21 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income9%Higher-income38%29 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income10%Higher-income38%29 pp gap