Jean Callison Elementary, Vacaville CA

Original Research by School Decision on Jean Callison Elementary

Jean Callison Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Vacaville, a mid-sized city on the I-80 corridor between Sacramento and San Francisco. The school enrolls a diverse student body with roughly half qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with a strong mix of Asian, Hispanic, white, and multiracial families.

The school's most recent state test results show weaker performance in math than in English language arts. In math, proficiency rates across tested grades run in the low range, with third grade notably higher than the upper elementary grades. In English language arts, proficiency is somewhat stronger overall, with sixth grade and third grade showing the highest rates. Science proficiency in fifth grade sits around the lower third. These results position the school above the midpoint for overall proficiency when measured across tested subjects and grades relative to other districts in Solano County, though the gap between ELA and math performance is notable and a parent may want to explore with the school whether additional math support is available.

The school's location on Vanden Road places it in an area of active residential growth. Vacaville is expanding significantly through new housing developments such as Lagoon Valley, and the district faces mounting enrollment pressure, particularly from the rollout of transitional kindergarten for all four-year-olds, which is expected to add hundreds of students in the coming years. Families should be aware that the district has twice failed to pass school facilities bonds, most recently in late 2024, which means aging campuses remain without modernization and that planned new construction, including a new middle school, is on hold. This context shapes the physical environment and potential crowding conditions families may encounter.

Jean Callison's grade composition is fairly balanced across the primary and intermediate grades, with roughly similar numbers of students at each level. A substantial share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, signaling economic diversity in the neighborhood. Data on English learner enrollment and special education services was not available, so parents may want to ask the school directly about its language support and special services infrastructure.

Vacaville itself offers a distinct character: a historic walkable downtown with parks, cultural facilities, and a farmers market contrasts with more auto-oriented commercial and residential areas. Employment is anchored by biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and distribution, with major employers including Genentech, Kaiser Permanente, and Travis Air Force Base nearby. Housing in the zip code is moderately priced relative to the state but represents a meaningful monthly housing cost for most families. The city is growing and actively planning several new neighborhoods, which may appeal to families seeking a developing community with some suburban character.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 43% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 36% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 27% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 625%

School 25% · District 32% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 42% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 43% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 43% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 45% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Science

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 29% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

This schoolVacaville 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-income35%Higher-income62%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income54%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income32%Higher-income48%15 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income31%Higher-income64%33 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income29%Higher-income56%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income17%Higher-income37%19 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income18%Higher-income38%20 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income14%Higher-income38%25 pp gap