West Contra Costa Unified: West Contra Costa Unified high schools lead at 47.5. A 73.5-point spread across all schools shows this is a district of contrasts.
West Contra Costa Unified has 55 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 31.2/100 — 7.7 points below the state average of 38.9. The highest-scoring school is Madera Elementary at 78/100, where 56.7% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $15,242 per student (above the state average of $14,491). 2 schools rank as Growth Engines — cohort growth (the school's returning cohort, tracked across a two-year span) well above the state median. Chronic absenteeism averages 27.3%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
73 points separate Madera Elementary (78) from Cesar E. Chavez Elementary (4) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
73 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 42 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.
Madera Elementary (78/100) holds the Strong band — 56.7% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 12.9%. 2 schools here rank as Growth Engines — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.
27.4% of students are chronically absent (state: 17.9%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.
The middle years
The middle schools average 32.8/100 — 5.8 points below the state average. Here is what that number does and doesn't say.
3 middle schools span 20 points around an average of 32.8.
Hercules Middle is the strongest option at 40/100 — 17.6% of its students exceed the state standard.
1 of 3 middle schools sits in the Needs Support band — which campus you're zoned for carries real weight here.
The high school years
40 points separate Hercules High (65) from Greenwood Academy (25) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
40 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 10 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.
Hercules High is the strongest option at 65/100 — 24.9% of its students exceed the state standard.
29.4% of students are chronically absent (state: 23.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.
What it means for your family
The 73-point spread means the district average is nearly meaningless for an address decision — the zoned elementary school is the whole decision. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Madera Elementary at 78/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
8 of the 55 ranked schools are charters — enrollment paths that don't depend on your address. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, those lotteries and applications are the levers worth the paperwork.
A band is a position, not a prophecy — 10 campuses here rank as On the Rise (8) or Growth Engine (2), their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what it is doing about attendance, and what the classroom looks like for a kid who arrives ahead.
The strongest-scoring run through the district:
Madera Elementary StrongHercules Middle DevelopingHercules High Solid
Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.
What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.
The system behind the schools
West Contra Costa Unified spends $15,242 per student — $751 above the state average — while scores sit below the state line. Spending and results are telling different stories here.
NCES F-33 district finance 2019–2020 (district grain, not school-specific) · CDE Form J-90 salary schedule 2024–25 · CDE enrollment (district averages)
Every school in West Contra Costa Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP · levels never mixed
Elementary Schools (42)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madera Elementary West Contra Costa Unified High Ceiling | 56.7% | Strong 78/100 |
| 2 | Kensington Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Growth Engine | 48.3% | Solid 68/100 |
| 3 | West County Mandarin West Contra Costa Unified Strong All-Around | 43.8% | Solid 63/100 |
| 4 | Ohlone Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Growth Engine | 34.2% | Solid 56/100 |
| 5 | Harding Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Culture First | 31.3% | Developing 47/100 |
| 6 | Richmond College Preparatory West Contra Costa Unified On the Rise | 27.7% | Developing 46/100 |
| 7 | Olinda Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 21.4% | Developing 41/100 |
| 8 | Richmond Charter Elementary-Benito Juarez West Contra Costa Unified On the Rise | 13.6% | Developing 40/100 |
| 9 | Fairmont Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 26.2% | Developing 39/100 |
| 10 | Stewart Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 16.2% | Developing 39/100 |
| 11 | Ellerhorst Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 18.7% | Developing 38/100 |
| 12 | Montalvin Manor Elementary West Contra Costa Unified On the Rise | 15.6% | Developing 37/100 |
| 13 | Hanna Ranch Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Culture First | 22.5% | Developing 36/100 |
| 14 | Mira Vista Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 15.3% | Needs Support 29/100 |
| 15 | Lupine Hills Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 14.1% | Needs Support 29/100 |
| 16 | Collins Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 10.2% | Needs Support 27/100 |
| 17 | Tara Hills Elementary West Contra Costa Unified On the Rise | 7.0% | Needs Support 27/100 |
| 18 | Sheldon Elementary West Contra Costa Unified On the Rise | 4.0% | Needs Support 26/100 |
| 19 | Shannon Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 10.7% | Needs Support 26/100 |
| 20 | Valley View Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 11.2% | Needs Support 24/100 |
| 21 | Michelle Obama Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 11.6% | Needs Support 24/100 |
| 22 | Vista Independent Study / Virtual Academy West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 7.0% | Needs Support 24/100 |
| 23 | Riverside Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 7.0% | Needs Support 21/100 |
| 24 | Nystrom Elementary West Contra Costa Unified On the Rise | 4.6% | Needs Support 20/100 |
| 25 | Washington Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 6.9% | Needs Support 20/100 |
| 26 | Aspire Richmond Technology Academy West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 7.9% | Needs Support 19/100 |
| 27 | Lincoln Elementary West Contra Costa Unified On the Rise | 1.8% | Needs Support 18/100 |
| 28 | Lake Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 2.7% | Needs Support 17/100 |
| 29 | Bayview Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 7.0% | Needs Support 16/100 |
| 30 | Murphy Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 8.6% | Needs Support 16/100 |
| 31 | Edward M. Downer Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 2.6% | Needs Support 14/100 |
| 32 | Voices College-Bound Language Academy at West Cont West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 4.5% | Needs Support 14/100 |
| 33 | Highland Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 4.0% | Needs Support 13/100 |
| 34 | Coronado Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 1.6% | Needs Support 13/100 |
| 35 | Stege Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 2.3% | Needs Support 13/100 |
| 36 | Dover Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 2.0% | Needs Support 13/100 |
| 37 | Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 0.9% | Needs Support 12/100 |
| 38 | Peres Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 2.1% | Needs Support 12/100 |
| 39 | Grant Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 1.5% | Needs Support 9/100 |
| 40 | Verde Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 1.1% | Needs Support 9/100 |
| 41 | Ford Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 2.1% | Needs Support 7/100 |
| 42 | Cesar E. Chavez Elementary West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 2.2% | Needs Support 4/100 |
Middle Schools (3)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hercules Middle West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 17.6% | Developing 40/100 |
| 2 | Richmond Charter Academy West Contra Costa Unified On the Rise | 11.6% | Developing 39/100 |
| 3 | Aspire Richmond Ca. College Preparatory Academy West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 6.1% | Needs Support 19/100 |
High Schools (10)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hercules High West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 24.9% | Solid 65/100 |
| 2 | Middle College High West Contra Costa Unified Strong All-Around | 34.8% | Solid 64/100 |
| 3 | Leadership Public Schools: Richmond West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 14.8% | Solid 61/100 |
| 4 | El Cerrito High West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 18.9% | Solid 58/100 |
| 5 | Summit Public School: Tamalpais West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 7.8% | Solid 54/100 |
| 6 | De Anza High West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 9.9% | Developing 44/100 |
| 7 | Pinole Valley High West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 18.4% | Developing 43/100 |
| 8 | Richmond High West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 7.0% | Developing 31/100 |
| 9 | John F. Kennedy High West Contra Costa Unified Building Momentum | 2.5% | Developing 31/100 |
| 10 | Greenwood Academy West Contra Costa Unified continuation high school | 0.0% | Needs Support 25/100 |
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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.
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