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Sacramento City Unified: Sacramento City Unified schools score 7.8 points below the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 4.4 points.

Below Average2024–25 data74 schools · avg 37.0/100

Sacramento City Unified has 74 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 37.0/100 — 7.8 points below the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary at 86/100, where 58.3% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $15,654 per student (above the state average of $14,815). 2 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 25.5%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.

Avg Scope Score
37.0
State avg: 44.8
SchoolScope composite
Score Range
77.3
8.5 – 85.8
Avg Exceeded %
15.1%
State avg: 21.3%
Chronic Absenteeism
25.5%
State avg: 17.9%
Schools Ranked
74
With Scope Scores
Charter Schools
15
of 74 ranked
LevelAvg ScoreSchoolsExceededAbsent
ElementaryDeveloping
36.9/100
5815.6%23.6%
MiddleNeeds Support
8.5/100
10.0%38.4%
HighDeveloping
39.3/100
1513.9%31.6%

Sacramento City Unified's high schools average 39.3/100 — 4.4 points below the state average.

K–12 pipeline

The typical school path in Sacramento City Unified, top-scoring shown first.

Elementary
36.9
avg score · 58 schools
+55 more elementary schools
Middle
8.5
avg score · 1 school
Success Academy
Needs Support
8/100
High
39.3
avg score · 15 schools
West Campus
Strong
80/100
+12 more high schools

District Analysis

Sacramento City Unified has 74 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 37.0/100 — 7.8 points below the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Strongest level: Sacramento City Unified's high schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 39.3.

District-wide elementary growth averages -4.4pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.

Score range of 77.3 points — showing significant variation between schools.

District chronic absenteeism averages 25.5%, 7.5pp above the state average of 17.9%.

District suspension rate averages 4.6%, above the state average of 1.6%.

Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary leads the district at 86 with 58.3% exceeding standard.

How we score · Scope Score methodology

School archetypes in Sacramento City Unified

11 On the Rise4 Culture First3 Strong All-Around2 High Ceiling50 Building Momentum

Hidden gems: 13 schools in Sacramento City Unified are classified as On the Rise (11) or Growth Engine (2) — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.

Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more

Student demographics

Hispanic
42.1%
White
16.2%
Asian
15.9%
Black
13.7%
Other
12.1%
Free/Reduced Lunch
62%
Economic need indicator · district avg

District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data

District Funding

Sacramento City Unified spends $15,654 per student in current expenditures — $840 above the state average of $14,815.

Per-Pupil Spending
$15,654
State avg: $14,815
District Enrollment
40,711
Students for funding calc
2016–2020 Trend
↑ 34.9%
$11,601 → $15,654
Spending Efficiency
2.36
Scope Score per $1K spent
Spending Breakdown
Instruction 62%Support 34%Other 4%
NCES F-33 Finance · District-level data — not school-specific

Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020

Teacher compensation

Salary Range
$61,429–$132,487
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
Teaching Staff
2,225
Full-time equivalent teachers

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25

For the data nerds

Every school in Sacramento City Unified

ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP

Elementary Schools (58)

Sacramento City Unified has 58 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 36.9 — 7.9 points below the state average of 44.8. 2 of 58 elementary schools score above 70.

Growth averages -4.4pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.

The highest-scoring elementary school is Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary with a Scope Score of 86 and 58.3% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary
Sacramento City Unified High Ceiling
58.3%Strong
86/100
2William Land Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
44.6%Strong
73/100
3Caleb Greenwood Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Strong All-Around
48.2%Solid
69/100
4Crocker/Riverside Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Strong All-Around
50.1%Solid
69/100
5Matsuyama Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Strong All-Around
37.4%Solid
67/100
6Genevieve Didion
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
43.8%Solid
66/100
7Camellia Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Solid Base
31.9%Solid
61/100
8David Lubin Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
37.8%Solid
60/100
9Leonardo Da Vinci
Sacramento City Unified Culture First
32.7%Solid
54/100
10Theodore Judah Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
30.6%Solid
52/100
11California Montessori Project - Capitol Campus
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
27.3%Solid
50/100
12Sutterville Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Culture First
32.8%Developing
50/100
13Golden Empire Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Growth Engine
18.1%Developing
49/100
14Earl Warren Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
14.5%Developing
46/100
15Growth Public
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
14.1%Developing
46/100
16Pony Express Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Growth Engine
22.6%Developing
45/100
17Capitol Collegiate Academy
Sacramento City Unified On the Rise
12.4%Developing
43/100
18John Cabrillo Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
16.1%Developing
43/100
19O. W. Erlewine Elementary
Sacramento City Unified On the Rise
18.8%Developing
41/100
20The Language Academy of Sacramento
Sacramento City Unified Culture First
9.9%Developing
41/100
21Washington Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
14.8%Developing
41/100
22Susan B. Anthony Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Culture First
14.6%Developing
39/100
23Tahoe Elementary
Sacramento City Unified On the Rise
9.3%Developing
38/100
24A. M. Winn Waldorf-Inspired
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
7.9%Developing
37/100
25Hubert H. Bancroft Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
15.2%Developing
36/100
26Elder Creek Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
14.0%Developing
34/100
27Caroline Wenzel Elementary
Sacramento City Unified On the Rise
8.7%Developing
32/100
28Father Keith B. Kenny
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
8.7%Developing
31/100
29Hollywood Park Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
6.3%Developing
31/100
30Sequoia Elementary
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
13.7%Developing
31/100

Middle Schools (1)

Sacramento City Unified has 1 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 8.5 — 34.2 points below the state average of 42.6.

The highest-scoring middle school is Success Academy with a Scope Score of 8 and 0.0% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Success Academy
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
0.0%Needs Support
8/100

High Schools (15)

Sacramento City Unified has 15 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 39.3 — 4.4 points below the state average of 43.7. 1 of 15 high schools score above 70.

The highest-scoring high school is West Campus with a Scope Score of 80 and 55.5% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1West Campus
Sacramento City Unified High Ceiling
55.5%Strong
80/100
2Kit Carson International Academy
Sacramento City Unified Solid Base
43.5%Solid
55/100
3School of Engineering & Sciences
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
22.4%Solid
52/100
4C. K. McClatchy High
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
14.8%Developing
47/100
5John F. Kennedy High
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
8.3%Developing
43/100
6George Washington Carver School of Arts and Scienc
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
7.9%Developing
42/100
7Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
8.9%Developing
39/100
8The MET
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
13.0%Developing
37/100
9Rosemont High
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
7.5%Developing
35/100
10New Technology High
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
8.8%Developing
33/100
11SAVA - Sacramento Academic and Vocational Academy
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
2.5%Needs Support
29/100
12Luther Burbank High
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
3.1%Needs Support
28/100
13Hiram W. Johnson High
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
5.0%Needs Support
28/100
14Sacramento Charter High
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
7.4%Needs Support
27/100
15American Legion High (Continuation)
Sacramento City Unified Building Momentum
0.0%Needs Support
16/100
Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 74 schoolsMethodology · Explore all schools

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology

Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.

What Scope Scores can't tell you about Sacramento City Unified

Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology

Frequently asked questions

Is Sacramento City Unified a good school district?
Sacramento City Unified has 74 ranked schools averaging a Scope Score of 37.0/100, which is 7.8 points below the state average. 15.1% of students exceed the state standard on average. The Scope Score measures academic performance and school climate across seven dimensions. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What is the best school in Sacramento City Unified?
The highest-scoring school in Sacramento City Unified is Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary with a Scope Score of 86/100 and 58.3% exceeding standard. See methodology.
How much does Sacramento City Unified spend per student?
Sacramento City Unified spends $15,654 per student in current expenditures. The state average is $14,815. Spending data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data Fiscal Survey (F-33). Higher spending does not automatically mean better outcomes — the Scope Score measures what happens in the classroom regardless of budget.
What is the teacher salary range in Sacramento City Unified?
Teacher salaries in Sacramento City Unified range from $61,429–$132,487 based on the district's salary schedule (CDE Form J-90). The California statewide median teacher salary is approximately $98,000.
What does the Scope Score measure?
The Scope Score is SchoolScope's proprietary composite rating (0–100) based on seven dimensions of publicly available California school data: the exceeded-vs-met standard split, overall proficiency, grade-level growth, chronic absenteeism, suspension rate, ELPAC English Learner proficiency, and baseline proficiency. Full methodology and weights.