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Argonaut Elementary · Saratoga

Argonaut Elementary: High scores, real growth, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

Argonaut posts 66.7% exceeding the standard — versus 21.3% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.

13200 Shadow Mountain Road, 95070 (opens in new tab)·Saratoga Union Elementary·Saratoga·Grades TK-5·367 students·2% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(408) 867-4773
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope8245
% Exceeded67%21%
% Met+89%43%
Growth+1.5-2.9
Absence5.7%17.9%
Suspension0.1%1.6%
Scope Score
82
⭐ High Ceiling · Strong
ranked #106 statewide · #1 of 3 in Saratoga Union Elementary

Argonaut Elementary scores 82 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 98th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

⭐ High Ceiling — Ask what happens for a kid who shows up behind — a high ceiling for the top can sit right next to thin support at the bottom, and the score alone won't show you which.

Most rating sites would stop at “89% proficient” and call it done. Argonaut deserves a closer read. It sits at the 98th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

The headline number: 66.7% of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 21.3%.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Has held the 98th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 89% meet the standard today, versus 93% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 394%94%87%91%81%
Grade 492%94%95%91%90%
Grade 594%96%90%94%87%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 393%99%94%97%93%
Grade 492%91%95%93%94%
Grade 594%89%93%90%89%

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

57%
24%
19%
Grade 3 · 81% proficient
69%
21%
10%
Grade 4 · 90% proficient
61%
26%
13%
Grade 5 · 87% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 3.8pp across grades; the floor rises 6.2pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
66.7%
State 21.3%
45.4pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+1.5pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
89.0%
State 42.7%
46.3pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
5.7%
State 17.9%
12.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.1%
State 1.6%
1.5pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
60.6%
State 18.0%
42.6pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Argonaut Elementary in Saratoga, 86.7% of asian students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 89.7% district-wide and 74.4% statewide. Argonaut Elementary trails its district average for asian students by 3.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Asian students (95.0% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 158 students tested.

All students at this school: 89% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 89%, district —, state 43%89%
AsianAsian: this school 91%, district 92%, state 72%91% · +2 vs school
MaleMale: this school 90%, district 88%, state 42%90% · +1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 88%, district 88%, state 44%88% · −1 vs school

7 of 11 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 5.7%, district 6.1%, state 17.9%5.7% · −12.2pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.1%, district —, state 1.6%0.1% · −1.5pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–65.4%
TK/K4.6%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Argonaut Elementary
82/100
This school
High School
No feeder data available for this level

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 23:1, district 21:123:1
Teaching staff18 teachers
Avg. experience19.1 years
Fully credentialed100%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$80,027 – $155,101
Principal salary$201,819 – $0
Superintendent salary$314,433

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $25,016, CA average $14,815$25,016 · spent at this school
Federal share$54 per student

$54 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$25,793 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction64%
Instruction support10%
Student services6%
Administration11%
Buildings & maintenance10%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$19,588 per pupil
2019$19,548 per pupil
2018$19,764 per pupil
2017$18,109 per pupil
2016$16,578 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Asian73.3%
District 60.8% · CA 10.2%
Other14.2%
District 14.7% · CA 9.0%
White10.1%
District 18.8% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic2.5%
District 5.5% · CA 56.1%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 2.5% (61pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$250K · CA $85K
Median home value$2.00M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+81% · CA 35%
ZIP population31,417
Median age52 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 83% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Argonaut Elementary a good elementary school?

Argonaut Elementary has a Scope Score of 82 out of 100, placing it in the 98th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #106 statewide. 66.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 45.4 percentage points above the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Argonaut Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 89.0% of students at Argonaut Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 66.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 66.7% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 427 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Argonaut Elementary rank in California?

Argonaut Elementary ranks #106 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 98th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.

Is Argonaut Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Argonaut Elementary increases by 1.5 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the elementary Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Argonaut Elementary?

5.7% of students at Argonaut Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.1%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.

How does Argonaut Elementary compare to other schools in Saratoga?

Argonaut Elementary scores 82/100 (98th percentile) among California elementary schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 367 students. Use the schools in Saratoga page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Argonaut Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Argonaut Elementary in Saratoga, 86.7% of asian students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 89.7% district-wide and 74.4% statewide. Argonaut Elementary trails its district average for asian students by 3.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Asian students (95.0% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 158 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

Your other options

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.


For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 38%
66.7%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 94th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+1.5pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 47th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
89.0%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 85th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
5.7%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 70th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.1%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 63th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
60.6%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 100th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 36757%24%16%3%81%+37
Grade 47069%21%9%1%90%+45
Grade 57661%26%8%5%87%+39
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 36868%25%6%1%93%+47
Grade 47073%21%6%0%94%+53
Grade 57674%16%4%7%89%+54
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/117659%24%16%1%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Asian15886.7%−3+12
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Argonaut Elementary ←8266.7%89.0%+1.50.1%
Murdock-Portal Elementary2.4 mi9278.7%95.1%+1.80.1%
John Muir Elementary1.7 mi9069.8%92.1%−3.10.5%
Nelson S. Dilworth Elementary2.3 mi8869.2%87.7%+4.40.6%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20199399#1077.5%93.2%3.3%0.0%+0.7pp
20228799#2271.4%94.0%2.1%0.3%-3.6pp
20238799#4374.7%92.1%3.4%0.6%+0.9pp
20248999#1973.4%92.5%7.2%0.1%-2.0pp
20258298#10666.7%89.0%5.7%0.1%+1.5pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female2.3%6.3%+4.0pp
Male3.9%3.5%-0.4pp
Asian2.6%4.7%+2.1pp
Filipino6.7%5.4%-1.3pp
Hispanic/Latino6.7%
Two or More Races0.0%7.1%+7.1pp
Students with Disabilities0.0%6.3%+6.3pp
English Learners6.5%6.1%-0.4pp
All Students3.1%4.8%+1.7pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged7.7%
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction