Washington Elementary, San Jose CA

Original Research by School Decision on Washington Elementary

Washington Elementary sits in a well-established residential area of San Jose, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. The school's enrollment is small, with roughly balanced cohorts across its grade bands, and nearly all students come from low-income households. The student body is nearly entirely Hispanic, with representation from other backgrounds very minimal.

The school faces steep academic challenges. On California's state assessments in math and English language arts, proficiency rates across all tested grades are very low. In math, students in the school's upper grades show particularly weak performance, dropping substantially from third to fifth grade. English language arts proficiency is thin across the board, with fourth grade showing the lowest rates. Science results are also weak. These numbers place the school well below the midpoint for elementary schools across Santa Clara County districts. State testing data does not reveal trend over time; only the most recent results are available, so a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand whether these numbers reflect recent changes or longstanding patterns.

The school is part of San Jose Unified, a large urban district that serves most of the city. The district itself is navigating major transitions. In March 2026, the board voted to close five elementary schools, including restructuring of attendance boundaries and program relocations beginning in the 2026-27 school year. Washington Elementary was not among those slated for closure, but families in the area should verify that attendance boundaries remain stable. Additionally, voters approved a major facilities bond in November 2024 that will increase local property taxes to fund building upgrades, classroom renovations, and teacher housing over roughly a generation.

San Jose as a place is a sprawling, car-oriented city with dense downtown and suburban outlying neighborhoods. The area where Washington Elementary sits is residential and family-oriented. Housing in the school's zip code runs toward the high end for the region and nationally; rents are also elevated relative to median household income, so affordability for renters is tight. The broader economy remains anchored by technology employment, particularly Cisco Systems and other major tech firms, though manufacturing and professional services also remain significant.

A parent considering this school should understand that it is serving students facing substantial economic and educational barriers. The proficiency data shows the school is contending with significant academic challenges. The school is a small, neighborhood-serving elementary with no apparent specialty programs or alternative pedagogy in the available data. The immediate context is stable—the school is not subject to closure—but families should confirm attendance boundaries as the district implements its consolidation plan.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 48% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 40 pts below county median

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 46% · ▼ 29 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 42% · ▼ 34 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 40 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 310%

School 10% · District 44% · ▼ 34 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 43 pts below county median

Grade 44%

School 4% · District 47% · ▼ 43 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 52 pts below county median

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 52% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Science

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 38% · ▼ 27 pts below district

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

This schoolSan Jose 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

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income14%Higher-income27%13 pp gap