West Side Elementary, Healdsburg CA

Original Research by School Decision on West Side Elementary

West Side Elementary is a small K-6 school in Healdsburg serving a modest enrollment spread across seven grades. The school's academic profile shows solid proficiency in English language arts across grades 3-6, with stronger results in the middle grades. Math proficiency is comparable overall, though it dips in sixth grade. Science results are limited to one tested grade, where students achieved full proficiency. On the most recent state assessments, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Sonoma County districts.

The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful Hispanic population, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school has not reported data on English learner enrollment or special education identification, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the availability and depth of those services. The school offers music instruction as part of its arts curriculum.

Healdsburg itself is a wine-country city with a walkable, plaza-centered downtown mixed with agriculture and tourism-driven employment. The town has undergone recent upscale development, including the Mill District, a major mixed-use redevelopment near downtown that began move-ins in late 2025 and is planned to add both market-rate and income-restricted housing. A SMART rail station is planned to open in late 2028, which could reshape commuting patterns. Housing costs in the area are substantially above the state average, and rents have risen modestly. The school itself sits in a residential neighborhood a short distance from downtown rather than at the downtown core.

The primary change affecting the district in recent years was the passage of Measure F, a general obligation bond approved by voters to fund facility modernization including a new multi-purpose room and cafeteria, HVAC upgrades, classroom and restroom improvements, and playground work. This bond created an ongoing property tax obligation that carries forward to families purchasing homes in the district. Construction related to the bond was still ongoing during the 2024-2025 school year, and the district notes that parking is currently limited due to construction activity.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 385%

School 85% · District 85%

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 488%

School 88% · District 88%

▲ 51 pts above state median · ▲ 50 pts above county median

Grade 582%

School 82% · District 82%

▲ 52 pts above state median · ▲ 52 pts above county median

Grade 658%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 375%

School 75% · District 75%

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 482%

School 82% · District 82%

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

Grade 588%

School 88% · District 88%

▲ 43 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 685%

School 85% · District 85%

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

Science

Grade 5100%

School 100% · District 100%

▲ 72 pts above state median · ▲ 68 pts above county median

This schoolWest Side Union 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.