Prestwood Elementary, Sonoma CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Prestwood Elementary

Prestwood Elementary is a small school of about that size serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Sonoma, a historic wine-country town centered on its plaza and known for a relaxed, walkable downtown. The school sits on East MacArthur Street in the 95476 zip code, part of Sonoma Valley Unified School District.

The school's current student body reflects the broader Sonoma Valley population: a majority are white, a substantial share are Hispanic, and smaller numbers represent other backgrounds. About one in three students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating moderate economic need within the enrollment.

On California's state assessments in 2024-25, Prestwood's proficiency results show a mixed profile. English language arts performance is uneven across grades. Third grade proficiency is below half, fourth grade runs roughly at that level, and fifth grade shows stronger results at about that share. Math proficiency drops notably as grades progress: third grade is near half, fourth grade falls to under one-third, and fifth grade reaches only about one-fifth. In science, fifth grade proficiency sits at about one-third. Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among Sonoma County school districts. Parents may want to look into the school's approaches to math instruction and support, particularly in the upper grades, and to understand what intervention or acceleration pathways exist for students not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks.

The school's context has shifted sharply since this data was collected. In October 2025, the Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board voted to close Prestwood Elementary at the end of the 2025-26 school year. The closure is part of a multi-year consolidation program the district launched in 2022 to address fiscal insolvency and enrollment decline. This means any child currently at Prestwood or considering enrollment will attend a different school beginning in 2026-27. The district's decision will trigger revised elementary attendance boundaries, and families will be able to submit intra-district transfer requests starting in January 2026 if they wish to request a different school. A well-regarded dual immersion program currently at another school will be relocated as part of this process.

For families considering Prestwood now, the closure timeline means the 2025-26 school year will likely be marked by transition planning, community outreach, and uncertainty around which school their child will attend going forward. The district has indicated it will support families through this process, but the consolidation itself reflects broader challenges the district faces: enrollment has declined substantially over the past decade as housing costs have made it difficult for young families to remain in the Sonoma area. The wider Sonoma Valley Unified system is navigating a smaller student body and tighter finances, which shapes the educational environment across all its schools during this period of restructuring.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 347%

School 47% · District 32% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 27% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 17% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 342%

School 42% · District 29% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 35% · ▲ 7 pts above district

even with state median · even with county median

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 36% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Science

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 24% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

This schoolSonoma Valley 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-income25%Higher-income52%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income23%Higher-income50%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income63%36 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income35%Higher-income55%20 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income8%Higher-income40%32 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income0%Higher-income27%27 pp gap