San Pedro Elementary, San Rafael CA

Original Research by School Decision on San Pedro Elementary

San Pedro Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in San Rafael. The school has an enrollment of about five hundred students, nearly all of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is overwhelmingly Hispanic, reflecting the school's location and community makeup.

State testing results from spring 2025 show that San Pedro's students are struggling significantly in core academics. In English language arts, proficiency rates across tested grades average in the single digits. Mathematics proficiency is similarly low, hovering in the mid-teens at best and dropping to just a few percent by fifth grade. Science proficiency in fifth grade is also in the single digits. These are substantially below the median for districts across Marin County. A parent considering this school should understand that most students are not meeting grade-level standards in reading and math, and should speak directly with the school about what academic support and intervention structures are in place to address this gap.

The school sits in San Rafael, a community in Marin County. Housing costs in the area are extremely high relative to both regional and national benchmarks. Median home values are well above the state average, and rents are correspondingly steep. The gap between rents and the estimated monthly mortgage payment is substantial, making ownership the more affordable path for those who can manage it. This is a costly place to live and work, and families at San Pedro reflect lower household incomes than the surrounding county, indicated by the near-universal free-lunch rate.

San Rafael City Elementary, the district that operates San Pedro, has approved a parcel tax for eight years of funding to support academic programs, small class sizes, and teacher retention. This adds to local property tax bills but provides ongoing revenue dedicated to instructional quality. Simultaneously, the district is undertaking a major construction program funded by a bond measure. Summer 2026 marks the peak of this modernization push, with the majority of elementary and middle school campuses, including San Pedro, undergoing simultaneous construction projects. Families should expect significant facility disruption during this period, though the work will result in long-term campus upgrades.

The data available does not include information on English learner enrollment, special education enrollment rates, or attendance patterns. These details would matter to many families, particularly if the school serves a high proportion of students learning English as a second language, which is common in schools with San Pedro's demographics. A parent would want to inquire directly about language support programs, how the school identifies and serves students with disabilities, and what the average attendance rate is.

This is a school where academic performance is notably below county benchmarks and where nearly all students come from low-income households. The community investment in sustained funding and capital improvements signals commitment to the school's future. Whether this school is right for a particular family depends on what academic supports and programs they find when they visit, what their own circumstances are, and what alternatives they can access in the area.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 39% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 46 pts below county median

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 43% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 52%

School 2% · District 35% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 56 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 33% · ▼ 24 pts below district

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

Grade 410%

School 10% · District 40% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 53 pts below county median

Grade 59%

School 9% · District 43% · ▼ 34 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 67 pts below county median

Science

Grade 52%

School 2% · District 27% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 53 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.