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A+

Union Elementary School District

Public school districtGrades K–8

San Jose’s School Grade B+ better than 72% of California school districts

Students
5,376
Schools
8
Spent per student
$17,212
CA $21,206
Students per teacher
24:1
Free or reduced lunch
12%
Debt
$211.4M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Union Elementary School District

  • Its letter, A+: results better than 98% of California districts
  • Math proficiency 40 pts above the state
  • Reading proficiency 28 pts above the state
  • Spends 19% less per student than the CA average
  • 24 students per teacher
  • Enrollment down 6.1% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $211.4M, about $39,324 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

A+: better than 98% of the 1,872 California school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well above the state, 2021–22
A+

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for San Jose. Grade by grade →

K–527 elementary schoolsSan Jose Unified School District
6–87 middle schoolsSan Jose Unified School District
9–1217 high schoolsEast Side Union High School District

Test scores vs. CA

2021–22
Math proficiency73%
State average 33.1% · 3,732 students tested
Reading / language arts75%
State average 46.7% · 3,714 students tested

98% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Graduation rate 87% at East Side Union High, which runs the high school (state 86.2%) · class of 2023.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$17,212 per student · 19% below CA
Spending
Classroom instruction 59%Support & administration 36%Other 5%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 66%State 31%Federal 2%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
5,723’20
5,444’21
5,351’22
5,368’23
5,376’24

Down 6.1% since 2020–21.

Students
Asian 43%White 30%Hispanic 17%Two or more races 8%Black <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%

Schools in the district

8 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with California’s other public schools.

Carlton Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · San Jose
656 students26:1
Oster Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · San Jose
627 students26:1
Alta Vista Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Los Gatos
584 students26:1
Guadalupe Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · San Jose
537 students27:1
Lietz Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · San Jose
501 students23:1
Noddin Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · San Jose
500 students23:1
Union Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · San Jose
1,068 students24:1
Dartmouth Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · San Jose
903 students22:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Campbell Union High School DistrictCampbell, Santa Clara
$19,636per student
Fremont Union High School DistrictCupertino, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale
$24,927per student
Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union School DistrictMonte Sereno, Saratoga
$25,830per student
Saratoga Union Elementary School DistrictMonte Sereno, Saratoga
$25,102per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within California.