San Carlos Elementary runs schools through 8th grade. Its 3 public middle schools run from the 91st to the 99th percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests). High school is run by another district; confirm the school for your address with the district.
K5Elementary
68Middle
912High
San Carlos Elementary · grades K–8
Another district · grades 9–12
Elementary · 1 school
at 95th · among 5,726 California elementary schools we score · spring 2026 tests
San Carlos Charter Learning Center: 95th percentile, Strong
0Needs Support
0Developing
0Solid
1Strong
Middle · 3 schools
from 91st to 99th · among 2,529 California middle schools we score · spring 2026 tests
Central Middle: 99th percentile, Strong
Tierra Linda Middle: 98th percentile, Strong
San Carlos Charter Learning Center: 91st percentile, Strong
0Needs Support
0Developing
0Solid
3Strong
← lower percentilehigher →
One dot per school. Each stage is placed only among California schools at its own level. 1 of the 3 ranked schools teaches two levels, so it appears in more than one picture.
Percentile among California schools at the same level
Strong75th+
Solid50–74th
Developing25–49th
Needs Supportbelow 25th
Not scored
The school lists on this page are also available without the map.
Elementary schools
Where does the elementary school we score in the San Carlos Elementary district stand?
San Carlos Charter Learning Center is at the 95th percentile.
That’s higher than 95 in 100 of the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). It’s the only public elementary school we score in San Carlos Elementary.
Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. What patterns mean
The average middle school in the San Carlos Elementary district had 6 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once.
The district
Where does San Carlos Elementary’s money go, and what does it plan?
The San Carlos Elementary district spent $17,387 per student in the 2024–25 school year.
The typical California district spent $20,491. About 62 cents of every San Carlos Elementary dollar went to classroom instruction.
Spending by function
Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus.
Share by function, 2024–25
Instruction62%
Instruction support9%
Student services9%
Administration9%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other1%
Shares of the same spending total, by the report’s spending categories, rounded so they add up to 100. Names are simplified from the report’s own categories.
What the district plans
$7.6 million
planned in its 2026–27 plan for 25 funded actions in 5 goals. That’s 14% of its $56.0 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts; the district reports what it spent in a later plan.
The plan in short
Source: the district’s yearly spending plan (Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, 127 pages), as posted to the California School Dashboard.
Where the money goes
Three actions take 66% of the money. The plan itself puts 89% of it toward staff.
Staffing $2.4 million
Staffing and Support for Student Groups $1.9 million
Staffing $653,431
22 other actions
Reading, math and catch-up help
1 of the plan’s 25 funded actions names reading, math, catch-up help or English learners in its title.
Actions whose titles name English learners
English learners $80,118
Largest of these
Support for English Learners$80,118
For high-need students (English learners, low-income students and foster youth), what changed and what its goals measure
For high-need students
It plans $1.4 million in extra services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth. For 2025–26, it planned $1.2 million and estimates it spent $1.2 million, under $0.1 million (1%) less than planned (our arithmetic).
$1.2 million spent (estimated)$1.2 million planned
What changed
The total is $546,452 (8%) higher than in the 2025–26 plan. The biggest change in dollars is Staffing, which went from $2.2 million to $2.4 million.
Largest cuts
Technology: Devices for Staff and Students and Instructional Materials−$38,883
Support for Student Groups−$28,121
Largest increases
Staffing+$208,888
Staffing+$195,757
Staffing and Support for Student Groups+$63,472
What its goals measure
Read these state results for the district’s own schools as context for the goals they measure; results alone can’t show what the plan caused.
What its goals measure: state results, 2024–25 and 2025–26
Measure
2024–25
2025–26
Change
English, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 1
84%
82%
down 2 pts
Math, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 1
80%
80%
no change
Chronically absentCounted across all the district’s students, not averaged by schoolGoal 2
5 in 100
5 in 100
no change
Suspended at least onceGoal 2
0.3%
0.2%
down 0.1 pts
Goals 3, 4 and 5 aren’t shown because they track other measures.
Figures from CDE’s state test, chronic absence and suspension files. Test figures cover every grade the district tests (California tests grades 3–8 and 11), so they differ from a profile’s rated grades. We combined the district’s schools ourselves, weighted by students and leaving out charter schools. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days.
The plan’s own titles and amounts
Staffing · $2,448,493
Staffing and Support for Student Groups · $1,885,752
Staffing · $653,431
The full plan5 goals, 32 measures and where the money goes
We calculate each action’s share of the plan by dividing its planned amount by the total of the plan’s funded actions ($7.6 million).
Where does the money go?
44% to Goal 1. Each box is one action, sized by its planned dollars and coloured by its change since last year’s plan. Tap a box to open its goal.
not compared: unconfirmed, or repeated across goals
Every goal, in the plan’s order
Goal 1We will prioritize and support learners’ intellectual, intrapersonal, and interpersonal growth and ensure…$3.3 million44% of action budgets
“We will prioritize and support learners’ intellectual, intrapersonal, and interpersonal growth and ensure future success for all students by developing future ready skills, sparking engagement, and building academic confidence in all students” p. 27 ↗
9 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $3.1 million (+$239,298)
Technology: Data Warehousing and Analysis · $83,855 → $89,427 · p. 84 ↗+$5,572
Professional Development · $26,150 → $38,000 · p. 84 ↗+$11,850
Professional Development · $15,000 → $15,000 · p. 84 ↗unchanged
Student Engagement · $9,810 → $9,778 · p. 84 ↗−$32
How the plan measures it · 13 measures
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 27 ↗.
Goal 2We will provide rigorous and differentiated learning, set ambitious goals, and use inclusive practices so…$2.3 million30% of action budgets
“We will provide rigorous and differentiated learning, set ambitious goals, and use inclusive practices so that ALL students, including those with learning differences, reach their full academic and social potential” p. 46 ↗
4 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $2.2 million (+$89,696)
Largest funded actions
Staffing and Support for Student Groups$1.9 millionaction 2.1 · p. 85 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $273,378 is state funding counted toward those services
Staffing and Support for Student Groups$0.3 millionaction 2.3 · p. 85 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $18,889 is state funding counted toward those services
Support for English Learners$0.1 millionaction 2.5 · p. 85 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Support for Student Groups$0.1 millionaction 2.4 · p. 85 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Staffing and Support for Student Groups+$0.1 million$1.8 million → $1.9 million · p. 85 ↗
Staffing and Support for Student Groups+$20,858$250,571 → $271,429 · p. 85 ↗
Support for English Learners+$3,366$76,752 → $80,118 · p. 85 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Support for Student Groups · $54,000 → $56,000 · p. 85 ↗+$2,000
Goal 3We will foster a culture of collaboration and reflection within the school community by prioritizing educator…$646,6869% of action budgets
“We will foster a culture of collaboration and reflection within the school community by prioritizing educator learning to promote facilitation of standards based, equitable learning experiences for all students” p. 56 ↗
Professional Learning Time$395,892action 3.2 · p. 85 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Professional Development$163,464action 3.1 · p. 85 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Professional Development and Training$65,830action 3.3 · p. 85 ↗
Staff Retention and Recruitment$12,000action 3.4 · p. 86 ↗
Professional Development$9,500action 3.6 · p. 86 ↗
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Professional Learning Time+$56,889$339,003 → $395,892 · p. 85 ↗
Professional Development+$20,463$143,001 → $163,464 · p. 85 ↗
Professional Development and Training−$95$65,925 → $65,830 · p. 85 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Staff Retention and Recruitment · $12,000 → $12,000 · p. 86 ↗unchanged
Professional Development · $9,500 → $9,500 · p. 86 ↗unchanged
How the plan measures it · 4 measures
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 56 ↗.
Goal 4 · Maintenance of Progress GoalWe will create flexible, safe, and climate ready schools and educational environments that support engaging…$1.2 million16% of action budgets
“We will create flexible, safe, and climate ready schools and educational environments that support engaging and innovative learning experiences for staff and learners by prioritizing actions in the the SCSD Facilities Master Plan” p. 63 ↗
2 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $1.1 million (+$156,874)
Technology: Devices for Staff and Students and Instructional Materials−$38,883$607,735 → $568,852 · p. 86 ↗
How the plan measures it · 2 measures
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 63 ↗.
Goal 5We will strengthen outreach, engagement, and collaboration with our community and partners to build mutually…$99,2691% of action budgets
“We will strengthen outreach, engagement, and collaboration with our community and partners to build mutually beneficial linkages between schools, families and the community at large” p. 67 ↗
All amounts are planned. We read them from the PDF and added up each goal’s actions ourselves. Page links open the plan at that page.
Who goes to the district’s schools
Who attends
Student mix
2024–25 · October enrollment count, 3,254 students
1White42%
2Asian23%
3Two or more races17%
4Hispanic or Latino15%
5Filipino1%
6Black or African American<1%
7Pacific Islander<1%
8Not reported<1%
9American Indian or Alaska Native<1%
Shares use the district's own October enrollment counts from the CDE, including its charter schools. Rounded labels may not total 100%; segments use the original shares.
Free or reduced-price meals
9%
Across California, 63% of students qualify.
2024–25 · 307 of 3,252 students qualify, summed from the CDE’s meal counts for every school it lists under the district, charters included. It comes from a different CDE file than the student mix, so the two totals differ.
The district’s state records
Is the state giving the district extra help?
San Carlos Elementary isn’t getting extra state help in 2026, only the standard support every district gets.
How English learners moved up on the state’s English test
From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 66% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (61 of 92 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent.
Which public schools in the San Carlos Elementary district rank highest?
Elementary: San Carlos Charter Learning Center, 95th percentile (Strong). Middle: Central Middle, 99th percentile (Strong). Each percentile is among the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.
Does living in the San Carlos Elementary district decide which school my child attends?
Not by itself. Attendance boundaries, programs, transfers and space all matter. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
More questions (5)
Are the public schools in the San Carlos Elementary district good?
San Carlos Elementary has one public elementary school we score, San Carlos Charter Learning Center, at the 95th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 1 Strong. San Carlos Elementary’s 3 public middle schools run from the 91st to the 99th percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 3 Strong. A percentile compares a school with California public schools at the same level that we score. How we score schools.
How does chronic absence in the San Carlos Elementary district compare with California?
The average middle school in the San Carlos Elementary district had 6 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once. These are averages of school rates: each school counts once, whatever its size.
How much does the San Carlos Elementary district spend per student?
The San Carlos Elementary district spent $17,387 per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491. About 62 cents of every San Carlos Elementary dollar went to classroom instruction. Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from its annual financial report to the California Department of Education. The district’s spending, by function.
What is in the San Carlos Elementary district’s 2026–27 spending plan?
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $7.6 million into 25 funded actions in 5 goals, 14% of its $56.0 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $3.3 million, 44% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.
Where do these results come from?
California’s state tests (CAASPP) from spring 2026 and chronic-absence rates for 2025–26, published by the California Department of Education. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.
Sources and methodology
This page lists the public schools governed and funded by the San Carlos Elementary district, with the district’s spending and state accountability records.
Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2025–26
Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s own calculations from these state files.