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Hercules VillageHercules Village · Photo: Sanfranman59 · CC BY-SA 3.0
C+
Schools in Hercules · West Contra Costa Unified School District

Hercules’s public schools score below 64% of California districts on tests and graduation

21% of students in Hercules’s public schools are proficient in math, below the California average (33%). The grade covers the public school district serving Hercules, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within California, not nationally.

#665of 847 California townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From California state tests taken in spring 2022, when 92% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
32%
▼ 15 pts vs CA 47%
2021–22
Math proficiency
21%
▼ 12 pts vs CA 33%
2021–22
Graduate on time
84%
▼ 2 pts vs CA 86%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$21.6K
▲ 2% vs CA $21.2K
FY2024
Students per teacher
22.0
CA 21.6
Schools in town
5
2,653 students on the public path
In brief

Hercules’s schools, in brief

Against towns with similar incomes

Among the 424 California towns with household incomes within a quarter of Hercules’s, its schools beat 12%, lower than their 36% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Results trail the state

In spring 2022, 32% of tested students were proficient in reading and 21% in math, against 47% and 33% statewide; 92% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓

Graduation

84% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 86% across California. Districts ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $21,597 per student, against $21,206 across California (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

Three elementary schools, then one middle and one high school

Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 6 the district’s path is Hercules Middle, then Hercules High. Enrollment is down 8% since 2020–21. See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Hercules’s grade

C Test scoresC Graduation

C+: better than 36% of California school districts, #665 of 847 California towns. Both inputs trail the California average; graduation is the closer of the two to typical.

California school districts we grade (1,872)Better than 36%
Lower resultsHigher results
California towns with similar household incomes (424)Better than 12%
CC+A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 12,796 test results and a graduating class of 2,144 could put Hercules anywhere from C to C+. The tests are from spring 2022, when 92% of Hercules’s students in the tested grades sat them (12,808 in math, 12,784 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Hercules, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
K–53 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressNo scores
6–8Hercules MiddleWest Contra Costa Unified School DistrictNo scores
9–12Hercules HighWest Contra Costa Unified School DistrictNo scores

Hercules’s public schools are run by West Contra Costa Unified School District, which also serves El Cerrito, Pinole, Richmond and San Pablo. Parts of Hercules (19% of its land) are served by John Swett Unified instead. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

West Contra Costa Unified School DistrictGrades K–12 · 52 schools · 25,133 students, down 8% since 2020–21 · 22.0 per teacher (CA 21.6)
$21,597CA $21,206 · FY2024
C+
Test scores · 2021–22

Well below the state in reading

Reading32%
State average 46.7% · 12784 students tested
Math21%
State average 33.1% · 12808 students tested

Hercules vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the California towns that share Hercules’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
HerculesC+West Contra Costa Unified
PinoleC+West Contra Costa Unified
VallejoCVallejo City Unified

Every school in Hercules

5 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with California’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Herculesby address
Ohlone Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5
482 students23:1Rate it →
Hanna Ranch Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5
421 students23:1Rate it →
Lupine Hills Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5
387 students20:1Rate it →
Hercules Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8
596 students25:1Rate it →
Hercules High
High · Grades 9–12
767 students24:1Rate it →

Questions about Hercules’s schools

Are Hercules’s schools good?

On California’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Hercules children attend score below 64% of California’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C+ Schools grade, #665 of 847 California towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 12%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Hercules in?

West Contra Costa Unified School District, which runs grades K–12 and enrolls 25,133 students in 52 schools (2024–25). Small parts of Hercules are served by John Swett Unified.

Where do Hercules kids go to high school?

Hercules High, with 767 students.

What is Hercules’s graduation rate?

84% of the class of 2023 in West Contra Costa Unified School District graduated in four years, against 86% across California.

How much does Hercules spend per student?

$21,597 in West Contra Costa Unified School District (FY2024), against $21,206 across California. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Hercules families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Hercules → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within California. Stars are from neighbors.