Mary Deterding Elementary, Carmichael CA

Original Research by School Decision on Mary Deterding Elementary

Mary Deterding Elementary is a public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Carmichael, an established suburban community in northeastern Sacramento County. The school enrolls a mix of about one-sixth Asian, one-third Hispanic and two-or-more-race students, and about one-half white students. About half its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with moderate economic diversity.

The school sits in an unincorporated, car-oriented area dominated by mid-20th-century single-family homes and commercial strips along Fair Oaks Boulevard. Carmichael retains a semi-rural feel with mature trees and large lots, and most residents work outside the community, with Mercy San Juan Medical Center the principal local employer. The housing market is moderate for the region; median home values are below the state benchmark. The Carmichael Recreation and Park District operates 13 parks nearby, and the area has library and bus transit access, though walkability depends on which neighborhood you are in.

San Juan Unified, the district serving this school, has undertaken structural changes over the past two years. In May 2024, it adopted a strategic plan for 2025-2029 centering on student achievement, with explicit focus on early literacy and grades 3 through 8 math. In November 2024, voters approved a facilities bond with lasting property tax impact through the mid-2050s; the district is modernizing aging buildings and addressing environmental hazards. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the district is rolling out new TK-8 mathematics instructional materials, a curriculum change that will directly affect how math is taught.

On state assessments in 2024-25, proficiency at Mary Deterding shows a clear grade-level pattern. In the tested grades, fourth-grade students performed strongest in English language arts and math, with about seven in ten meeting proficiency. Third grade showed just over half proficient in English language arts and about six in ten in math. From fifth grade onward, proficiency drops sharply: about two-thirds of fifth graders met the standard in English language arts, but fewer than half did in math. In sixth grade, proficiency fell further to about four in ten in both subjects. In the one science assessment administered (fifth grade), about half met the standard. Overall across tested grades and subjects, the school's proficiency index places it in the top quartile of districts in Sacramento County, a meaningful strength anchored mainly by fourth-grade performance. State testing data was the source available; the school's data sections do not report trend data or comparison by student subgroup, so a reader may want to ask the school directly about growth over time and whether patterns hold across demographic groups.

The school is part of a community experiencing slow, managed growth focused on infill rather than new subdivisions. A new all-electric neighborhood development on Fair Oaks Boulevard broke ground in 2024 and began move-ins by mid-2025, and county planning continues to guide redevelopment of the commercial corridor. The area is described publicly as a stable, high-demand submarket within the Sacramento market.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 358%

School 58% · District 33% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 470%

School 70% · District 31% · ▲ 39 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 26% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 27% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 351%

School 51% · District 34% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 474%

School 74% · District 36% · ▲ 38 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 40% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 41% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 30% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 26 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-income38%Higher-income65%28 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income58%Higher-income92%34 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income55%Higher-income80%25 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income38%Higher-income50%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income50%Higher-income67%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income56%Higher-income88%32 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income32%Higher-income64%32 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income33%Higher-income54%21 pp gap