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Wilson Elementary · Petaluma

Wilson Elementary: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Wilson posts 54% meeting the standard, and 22.5% going well past it. Most kids here keep up. Fewer get pushed further. Ask the school what it does for a child who already finds the work easy.

3775 Bodega Avenue, 94952 (opens in new tab)·Wilmar Union Elementary·Petaluma·Grades TK-6·235 students·20% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(707) 765-4340
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4345
% Exceeded23%21%
% Met+54%43%
Growth-2.5-2.9
Absence5.9%17.9%
Suspension0.2%1.6%
Scope Score
43
🤝 Culture First · Developing
ranked #2,834 statewide

Wilson Elementary scores 43 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 51st 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 →

🤝 Culture First — Ask whether the low absenteeism and suspension numbers come from what the school does or from the community it serves — both can produce the same numbers, and only a visit tells you which.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “54% proficient” and call it done. Wilson deserves a closer read. It sits at the 51st percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

The headline number: 5.9% chronic absenteeism — versus 17.9% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Slipped from the 94th to the 51st percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELARed(Declined Significantly)MathRed(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 54% meet the standard today, versus 75% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 370%45%56%52%50%
Grade 477%63%61%68%59%
Grade 581%59%75%79%48%
Grade 692%65%52%68%59%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 374%45%74%65%55%
Grade 469%67%68%79%62%
Grade 581%30%53%52%52%
Grade 688%35%28%55%34%

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.

18%
33%
49%
Grade 3 · 51% proficient
28%
31%
41%
Grade 4 · 59% proficient
21%
28%
51%
Grade 5 · 49% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 3.2pp across grades; the floor slips 1.7pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
22.5%
State 21.3%
1.2pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-2.5pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
54.3%
State 42.7%
11.6pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
5.9%
State 17.9%
12.1pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.2%
State 1.6%
1.4pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
8.3%
State 18.0%
9.6pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

  • Ask what changes between grade 3 and grade 5 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • 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 Wilson Elementary in Petaluma, 56.1% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.6% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Wilson Elementary outperforms its district average for white students by 0.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (53.1% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 98 students tested.

All students at this school: 52% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 52%, district —, state 43%52%
WhiteWhite: this school 55%, district 54%, state 56%55% · +2 vs school
MaleMale: this school 55%, district 54%, state 42%55% · +2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 50%, district 50%, state 44%50% · −2 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 42%, district 42%, state 32%42% · −11 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 46%, district 46%, state 32%46% · −7 vs school

7 of 13 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 5.9%, district 5.9%, state 17.9%5.9% · −12.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.2%, district —, state 1.6%0.2% · −1.4pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–64.4%
TK/K3.8%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 24:1, district 24:124:1
Teaching staff11 teachers
Avg. experience10.0 years
Fully credentialed91%
First-year teachers27%

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $16,822, CA average $14,815$16,822 · school-level
Federal share$297 per student

$297 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,226 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
Instruction70%
Instruction support10%
Student services6%
Administration9%
Buildings & maintenance6%

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$11,249 per pupil
2019$10,795 per pupil
2018$10,527 per pupil
2017$9,393 per pupil
2016$9,811 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White78.3%
District 78.3% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic17.0%
District 17.0% · CA 56.1%
Black1.7%
District 1.7% · CA 4.8%
Other1.7%
District 1.7% · CA 9.0%
Asian1.3%
District 1.3% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 20.0% (44pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$117K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.04M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+47% · CA 35%
ZIP population33,785
Median age44 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 235 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California elementary school (≈480).

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

On the state's science test (CAST), 38% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Wilson Elementary a good elementary school?

Wilson Elementary has a Scope Score of 43 out of 100, placing it in the 51st percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #2,834 statewide. 22.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near 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 Wilson Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 54.3% of students at Wilson Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 22.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 31.8% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 22.5% 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. 196 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Wilson Elementary rank in California?

Wilson Elementary ranks #2,834 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 51st 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 Wilson Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Wilson Elementary decreases by 2.5 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. 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 Wilson Elementary?

5.9% of students at Wilson 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 0.2%, 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 Wilson Elementary compare to other schools in Petaluma?

Wilson Elementary scores 43/100 (51st 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 235 students. Use the schools in Petaluma page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

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

At Wilson Elementary in Petaluma, 56.1% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.6% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Wilson Elementary outperforms its district average for white students by 0.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (53.1% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 98 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

All schools in Petaluma →

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%
22.5%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 51th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-2.5pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 32th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
54.3%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 59th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
5.9%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 70th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.2%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 62th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
8.3%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 38th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34018%33%30%20%50%+7
Grade 42928%31%28%14%59%+14
Grade 52921%28%28%24%48%+0
Grade 62914%45%24%17%59%+12
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34018%38%20%25%55%+9
Grade 42924%38%34%3%62%+20
Grade 52928%24%31%17%52%+16
Grade 62921%14%38%28%34%−1
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/112910%28%48%14%

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
White9856.1%+1−6
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Wilson Elementary ←—4322.5%54.3%−2.50.2%
Liberty Elementary2.8 mi7541.6%78.1%+4.80.3%
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley1.7 mi6325.3%54.7%+8.42.0%
Heartwood Charter2.6 mi5223.0%44.4%+11.00.5%
California average—4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20197594#32144.9%75.3%5.5%0.1%+8.7pp
20225380#112925.8%51.5%12.5%0.1%-0.7pp
20236488#68734.1%64.5%5.3%0.1%-0.8pp
20246991#54132.9%65.8%8.2%0.6%+6.8pp
20254351#283422.5%54.3%5.9%0.2%-2.5pp
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
Female2.5%4.9%+2.4pp
Male7.5%3.2%-4.3pp
Hispanic/Latino0.0%11.1%+11.1pp
Students with Disabilities9.7%10.3%+0.6pp
English Learners0.0%13.3%+13.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged9.1%7.9%-1.2pp
All Students5.2%4.0%-1.2pp
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

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