Carmichael Elementary, Carmichael CA

Original Research by School Decision on Carmichael Elementary

Carmichael Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in an unincorporated residential community in northeastern Sacramento County. The school sits in a stable, mature suburban setting where single-family ranch homes on spacious lots and established neighborhoods dominate the landscape. Fair Oaks Boulevard runs through Carmichael as the main commercial spine, and the community is anchored by parks, a library branch, and healthcare facilities rather than a traditional downtown core.

Enrollment is small to moderate for an elementary school, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is diverse: roughly two-fifths white, with meaningful representation across Asian, Hispanic, Black, and multiracial populations. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners was not available.

State testing data from the most recent school year shows academic performance below the midpoint among districts in Sacramento County. In English language arts across tested grades, proficiency ranges from the mid-twenties to low thirties. Math proficiency is lower, ranging from the high teens to low twenties across the grades tested. Science proficiency at the fifth-grade level, the only science grade tested, falls in the upper thirties. These are soft results, and a parent weighing this school may want to look into further detail with the school about current efforts to strengthen reading and math instruction. The district adopted a strategic plan in 2024 with explicit focus on early literacy and grades 3-8 mathematics, and is implementing new TK-8 mathematics materials beginning in the current school year, both shifts intended to improve student outcomes in these foundational areas.

Carmichael sits within San Juan Unified, a large district spanning multiple communities in Sacramento County. In November 2024, voters approved a substantial general obligation bond for school facilities, which will increase property tax bills for families through the mid-2050s but fund modernization of classrooms, removal of health hazards, and other building improvements. This is a structural fact about the district that affects both housing costs and school condition going forward.

The broader Carmichael community is described publicly as a high-demand suburban market with mature housing stock, spacious lots, and strong demographics. Recent infill development is beginning on what are marketed as among the last remaining vacant parcels. Housing values reflect the region, and rental costs align with that profile. The area is mostly car-dependent, though some locations near commercial corridors are more walkable. For families, Carmichael Elementary offers a neighborhood school in an established residential area with access to the district's evolving instructional priorities, though its recent academic results suggest families would want to understand the school's approach to literacy and mathematics in detail and to track progress over time.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 33% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 31% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 26% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 34% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 36% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 40% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 30% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

This schoolSan Juan 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-income27%3 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income31%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income19%Higher-income33%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income27%Higher-income7%20 pp gap