Washington Open Elementary, Santa Clara CA

Original Research by School Decision on Washington Open Elementary

Washington Open Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Santa Clara and enrolls a small student body that is stably balanced in composition. About half the school's students are Asian or white, with smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students and very few Black students. Just a small share qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the broader economic character of the neighborhoods the school draws from. The school's enrollment holds steady across grade levels with no sign of significant movement in or out.

In academic performance, the school shows mixed strength. Fourth-grade English language arts proficiency is notably high, well above what one might expect. Third-grade math is also solid. But third-grade English language arts lags, and fifth-grade performance in both math and science falls in the mid-range, suggesting that reading skills may be a point to watch as students move through the upper grades. Across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among the school district options across Santa Clara County, a real distinction in a region where many schools cluster closer to the middle.

The school operates as a regular public elementary in a community with substantial economic means. Home values in the zip code are high, and rents reflect similarly strong market demand. The area hosts major technology employers including Intel and Applied Materials, and the broader Santa Clara landscape mixes established residential neighborhoods with a significant commercial base. Santa Clara University anchors the historic Old Quad neighborhood with walkable streets and local institutions, though much of the city's broader footprint is car-oriented after the demolition of its original downtown in the nineteen-sixties. Central Park serves as the city's primary civic spine, housing libraries, sports facilities, and public gathering space. Public transit is available through multiple bus lines, light rail, and Caltrain service, with planned future BART access near the Santa Clara Transit Center.

The parent district, Santa Clara Unified, recently restructured its secondary math pathway beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. Rather than requiring Algebra 1 as a prerequisite to Geometry, all ninth graders now begin with Geometry, and students can accelerate through optional "compaction points" in eighth and tenth grade without skipping classes. The aim is to allow any student to reach AP Calculus without outside courses, though the shift drew some parent concern. This change does not directly affect elementary students at Washington Open, but families thinking about the full K-12 pathway may want to understand this new structure as their children progress.

A parent may want to explore further with the school what supports are in place for students not yet meeting proficiency in early grades, and whether third-grade English language arts receives specific attention given the proficiency dip at that level. The school's strong fourth-grade reading results suggest momentum is possible, but understanding how the school responds to uneven progress across grade bands would help a family make sense of the full picture.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 370%

School 70% · District 61% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 481%

School 81% · District 56% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 43 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 574%

School 74% · District 50% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 367%

School 67% · District 61% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 490%

School 90% · District 61% · ▲ 29 pts above district

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

Grade 578%

School 78% · District 60% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 47% · ▲ 21 pts above district

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

This schoolSanta Clara 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.