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West Contra Costa Unified: West Contra Costa Unified schools score 9.6 points below the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 3.8 points.

Below Average2024–25 data55 schools · avg 35.2/100

West Contra Costa Unified has 55 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 35.2/100 — 9.6 points below the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Madera Elementary at 83/100, where 56.7% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $15,242 per student (above the state average of $14,815). 4 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 27.3%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.

Avg Scope Score
35.2
State avg: 44.8
SchoolScope composite
Score Range
74.1
8.6 – 82.7
Avg Exceeded %
13.0%
State avg: 21.3%
CDE CAASPP 2025
Chronic Absenteeism
27.3%
State avg: 17.9%
CDE Attendance 2025
Schools Ranked
55
With Scope Scores
Charter Schools
8
of 55 ranked
LevelAvg ScoreSchoolsExceededAbsent
ElementaryDeveloping
33.3/100
4312.7%27.3%
MiddleDeveloping
44.7/100
214.6%17.7%
HighDeveloping
41.5/100
1013.9%29.4%

West Contra Costa Unified's middle schools average 44.7/100 — 2.1 points above the state average.

K–12 pipeline

The typical school path in West Contra Costa Unified, top-scoring shown first.

Elementary
33.3
avg score · 43 schools
Madera Elementary
Strong
83/100
Kensington Elementary
Strong
72/100
West County Mandarin
Solid
68/100
+40 more elementary schools
→
Middle
44.7
avg score · 2 schools
Richmond Charter Academy
Developing
45/100
Hercules Middle
Developing
44/100
→
High
41.5
avg score · 10 schools
Hercules High
Solid
59/100
Middle College High
Solid
59/100
El Cerrito High
Solid
53/100
+7 more high schools

District Analysis

West Contra Costa Unified has 55 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 35.2/100 — 9.6 points below the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Strongest level: West Contra Costa Unified's middle schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 44.7.

District-wide elementary growth averages -3.8pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.

Score range of 74.1 points — showing significant variation between schools.

District chronic absenteeism averages 27.3%, 9.4pp above the state average of 17.9%.

District suspension rate averages 2.9%, near the state average of 1.6%.

Madera Elementary leads the district at 83 with 56.7% exceeding standard.

How we score · Scope Score methodology

School archetypes in West Contra Costa Unified

4 Growth Engine3 On the Rise2 Strong All-Around1 High Ceiling43 Building Momentum

Hidden gems: 7 schools in West Contra Costa Unified are classified as Growth Engine (4) or On the Rise (3) — 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
59.1%
White
8.7%
Asian
9.8%
Black
10.8%
Other
11.6%
Free/Reduced Lunch
67%
Economic need indicator · district avg
CDE CAASPP 2025

District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data

District Funding

West Contra Costa Unified spends $15,242 per student in current expenditures — $427 above the state average of $14,815.

Per-Pupil Spending
$15,242
State avg: $14,815
District Enrollment
27,383
Students for funding calc
2016–2020 Trend
↑ 35.4%
$11,254 → $15,242
Spending Efficiency
2.31
Scope Score per $1K spent
Spending Breakdown
Instruction 51%Support 40%Other 9%
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
$58,573–$119,395
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
Teaching Staff
1,338
Full-time equivalent teachers

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25

For the data nerds

Every school in West Contra Costa Unified

ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP

Elementary Schools (43)

West Contra Costa Unified has 43 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 33.3 — 11.5 points below the state average of 44.8. 2 of 43 elementary schools score above 70.

Growth averages -3.8pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.

The highest-scoring elementary school is Madera Elementary with a Scope Score of 83 and 56.7% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Madera Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified High Ceiling
56.7%Strong
83/100
2Kensington Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Strong All-Around
48.3%Strong
72/100
3West County Mandarin
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
43.8%Solid
68/100
4Ohlone Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Solid Base
34.2%Solid
61/100
5Harding Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Growth Engine
31.3%Solid
52/100
6Richmond College Preparatory
West Contra Costa Unified Growth Engine
27.7%Solid
52/100
7Stewart Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Growth Engine
16.2%Developing
48/100
8Richmond Charter Elementary-Benito Juarez
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
13.6%Developing
48/100
9Olinda Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
21.4%Developing
48/100
10Montalvin Manor Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Growth Engine
15.6%Developing
46/100
11Ellerhorst Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
18.7%Developing
44/100
12Fairmont Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
26.2%Developing
44/100
13Hanna Ranch Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Culture First
22.5%Developing
40/100
14Sheldon Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
4.0%Developing
37/100
15Tara Hills Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
7.0%Developing
36/100
16Mira Vista Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
15.3%Developing
35/100
17Lupine Hills Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
14.1%Developing
34/100
18Shannon Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
10.7%Developing
32/100
19Collins Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
10.2%Developing
31/100
20Michelle Obama Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
11.6%Developing
30/100
21Riverside Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified On the Rise
7.0%Needs Support
29/100
22Valley View Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
11.2%Needs Support
28/100
23Nystrom Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
4.6%Needs Support
28/100
24Vista Independent Study / Virtual Academy
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
7.0%Needs Support
27/100
25Lincoln Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
1.8%Needs Support
27/100
26Washington Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
6.9%Needs Support
26/100
27Aspire Richmond Technology Academy
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
7.9%Needs Support
25/100
28Lake Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
2.7%Needs Support
25/100
29Aspire Richmond Ca. College Preparatory Academy
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
6.1%Needs Support
25/100
30Bayview Elementary
West Contra Costa Unified On the Rise
7.0%Needs Support
23/100

Middle Schools (2)

West Contra Costa Unified has 2 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 44.7 — 2.1 points above the state average of 42.6.

Grade-to-grade growth averages +1.7pp — schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.

The highest-scoring middle school is Richmond Charter Academy with a Scope Score of 45 and 11.6% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Richmond Charter Academy
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
11.6%Developing
45/100
2Hercules Middle
West Contra Costa Unified On the Rise
17.6%Developing
44/100

High Schools (10)

West Contra Costa Unified has 10 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 41.5 — 2.2 points below the state average of 43.7.

The highest-scoring high school is Hercules High with a Scope Score of 59 and 24.9% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Hercules High
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
24.9%Solid
59/100
2Middle College High
West Contra Costa Unified Strong All-Around
34.8%Solid
59/100
3El Cerrito High
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
18.9%Solid
53/100
4Leadership Public Schools: Richmond
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
14.8%Developing
49/100
5De Anza High
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
9.9%Developing
41/100
6Pinole Valley High
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
18.4%Developing
39/100
7Summit Public School: Tamalpais
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
7.8%Developing
34/100
8Richmond High
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
7.0%Needs Support
29/100
9John F. Kennedy High
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
2.5%Needs Support
29/100
10Greenwood Academy
West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum
0.0%Needs Support
24/100
Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 55 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 West Contra Costa 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 West Contra Costa Unified a good school district?
West Contra Costa Unified has 55 ranked schools averaging a Scope Score of 35.2/100, which is 9.6 points below the state average. 13.0% 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 West Contra Costa Unified?
The highest-scoring school in West Contra Costa Unified is Madera Elementary with a Scope Score of 83/100 and 56.7% exceeding standard. See methodology.
How much does West Contra Costa Unified spend per student?
West Contra Costa Unified spends $15,242 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 West Contra Costa Unified?
Teacher salaries in West Contra Costa Unified range from $58,573–$119,395 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.

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