Bahia Vista Elementary, San Rafael CA

Original Research by School Decision on Bahia Vista Elementary

Bahia Vista Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in San Rafael. The school draws a student body that is almost entirely Hispanic and economically disadvantaged; a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is small to moderate for an elementary school across its grade bands.

State testing results from spring 2025 show proficiency that falls well below what the field considers strong. In English language arts across tested grades, overall proficiency sits in a range that positions this school in the bottom quartile among elementary schools in Marin County. Math proficiency is similarly low. Science testing, available only for fifth grade, showed proficiency even below the math and ELA results. These are real weaknesses. A parent considering this school should look into the school and district's specific plans for literacy and numeracy instruction, how the school supports students who arrive below grade level, and what progress the school has made in prior years, since comparable trend data was not available. The district has a local parcel tax in place dedicated to academic programs and teacher retention, which is one indicator of resources, though it does not guarantee results.

The school sits within San Rafael City Elementary, a district serving the city of San Rafael across elementary and middle grades. The district is undertaking a large modernization program funded by a bond measure. Starting in summer 2026, Bahia Vista is among the nine of the district's eleven campuses that will be under simultaneous construction, making it one of the largest construction phases in the program's history. This will bring facility upgrades but creates near-term disruption for the school year ahead. Families should be aware that access to outdoor and community spaces may be limited during the construction window, which is expected to run through September 2026 with some work possibly extending into mid-fall.

San Rafael itself is in Marin County, an affluent coastal region. Housing in the 94901 zip code where Bahia Vista sits is expensive by national standards. Rents in the area are also high. The economic context of the region contrasts sharply with Bahia Vista's student population, the vast majority of whom qualify for free or reduced-price meals. This disconnect between the broader community and the school's enrollment reflects patterns of economic segregation within the town.

The school does not have state testing data for kindergarten through second grade, as those grades are not tested under California's assessment system. Special education and English learner enrollment counts were not available. The locale brief for San Rafael was not retrievable, so a fuller picture of the town's character and amenities could not be included here.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 39% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 36 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 43% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 35% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 319%

School 19% · District 33% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 40% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 44 pts below county median

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 43% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 48 pts below county median

Science

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 27% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 48 pts below county median

This schoolSan Rafael City Elementary, 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.