The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Math. The lowest is 21% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Grace Hudson Elementary
Grace Hudson Elementary sits on Jefferson Lane in Ukiah, the county seat of Mendocino County, serving kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Ukiah Unified School District. The school draws a substantial enrollment for its grade band, with a large majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, making it one of the higher-need campuses in the district by that measure. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller share of white students and very small numbers of other groups. Data on English learner rates and students with IEPs was not available in the materials reviewed.
On the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, Grace Hudson's results across grades three through five land in a range that is low relative to statewide expectations. In both English language arts and math, fewer than a third of tested students in any grade reached the proficient level, and fifth-grade science results on the CAST were similarly modest. Looking across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school sits just below the midpoint among districts in Mendocino County in overall proficiency, a comparison that includes districts serving quite different populations. The data available covers only the most recent school year, so whether results reflect a trend upward, downward, or flat cannot be determined from what was provided. Parents who want more context on what the school is doing to move those numbers will want to ask directly.
No program offerings data was available for Grace Hudson. Information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, and attendance was also not in the materials, which limits how fully the school environment can be characterized here.
The broader district context matters for families thinking about facilities. Ukiah Unified voters approved Measure A, a school improvement and student safety bond, in early 2020. Repaid through local property taxes, it is funding ongoing modernization across the district, including roof replacements, aging plumbing and electrical upgrades, HVAC improvements, and classroom updates. Active construction projects are still being completed under it, so the facilities landscape is in a period of change.
Housing near the school reflects Ukiah's position as a mid-sized inland California city well below the state's coastal pricing. Typical home values in the zip code are meaningfully above the national median but well below the California statewide benchmark, and recent values have edged slightly downward year over year. Rents have moved in the opposite direction, rising over the past year. The publicly reported price-to-income ratio signals that buying remains a stretch at current mortgage rates, though the market is comparatively accessible for California. The city's planning priorities lean toward infill and modest-density housing types rather than large subdivisions, and Ukiah has received a state Prohousing designation, which may shape what gets built near the school over the next few years.
Ukiah itself functions as a working county seat. The downtown on State Street has historic brick storefronts, a year-round Saturday farmers market at Alex Thomas Plaza, and a walkability push backed by Complete Streets policies and a growing trail network. Todd Grove Park, with its pool and amphitheater, is the most prominent neighborhood recreation anchor. Mendocino College sits on a hilltop north of downtown and Ukiah Valley Medical Center anchors the healthcare employment base, alongside county government and the school district itself as major local employers. Elementary school campuses, including Grace Hudson, are distributed across city neighborhoods rather than clustered near downtown.
For a family weighing this school, the academic performance data is the clearest thing to sit with. The proficiency numbers are low across subjects and grades, and there is only one year of data here, so no trend is visible. That warrants a direct conversation with the school about what supports are in place for students who are behind grade level and what the trajectory looks like.
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