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Email BoardPalo Alto Unified
Santa Clara County school performance
Palo Alto Unified is an excellent district.
Reading and math results average to the 97th percentile among California school districts.
81.3% of students met California's reading standard, and it is trending up slightly.
79.7% of students met California's math standard, which is strong statewide and is trending up slightly.
| Current Reading Proficiency | 81.3% |
| Current Math Proficiency | 79.7% |
| District Reading Rank | 30 / 977 (97th percentile) |
| District Math Rank | 25 / 977 (98th percentile) |
| Student / Teacher Ratio | 16:1 |
| Spend per Student | $31,608 |
| Schools in District | 18 |
| Student Enrollment | 10,187 |
| Low-Income Students | 1,383 (13.5%) |
| English Learners | 1,174 (11.5%) |
District Website
Great Schools
Niche
Ed-Data
CAASPPTest score trends
Reading fell 1.0 points from last year and rose 0.7 points over the full period. Math was unchanged from last year and rose 1.5 points over the full period.
•Math +1.5 percentage pointsBoard Members
| name | elected | up for re-election |
|---|---|---|
Shounak Dharap President [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Rowena Chiu Vice President [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Alison Kamhi Board Member [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Josh Salcman Board Member [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Shana Segal Board Member [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Expand for details on low-income and english learner performance
Reading Proficiency Scores
Comparison of low-income and English learner groups using district-level CAASPP proficiency data.
Low-Income vs Non-Low-Income
Low-income students trail other students by 39.1 points in reading. It widened slightly over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
21.5% of English learners meet the reading standard, compared with 85.1% of English-only students. The gap widened as English-learner results fell and English-only results rose.
•Math Proficiency Scores
Comparison of low-income and English learner groups using district-level CAASPP proficiency data.
Low-Income vs Non-Low-Income
Low-income students trail other students by 43.2 points in math. It narrowed slightly over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
37.3% of English learners meet the math standard, compared with 82.0% of English-only students. The gap widened as English-learner results fell and English-only results rose.
•District School Map
Schools in this district, color-coded by reading proficiency.
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Hover over a school marker to see details
Schools
Understanding this district
How does Palo Alto Unified rank in California?
Palo Alto Unified ranks No. 30 of 977 in reading and No. 25 of 977 in math for 2026. These proficiency rankings compare districts across all district types.
How much do results vary between Palo Alto Unified’s schools?
Among the 12 schools serving K–5, proficiency ranges from 61.8% to 91.2% in reading and 66.2% to 92.7% in math.
See the district’s schoolsAre results improving across Palo Alto Unified’s schools?
Over 2024–2026, reading proficiency rose at 8 of 17 schools with results covering that full period; math rose at 10 of 17. 1 school has a different reporting period and is excluded.
Compare school trendsHow do low-income students in Palo Alto Unified compare with other districts?
Low-income reading proficiency is 47.6%, compared with 35.1% at a typical California unified district. In math, it is 42.5%, compared with 23.6%.
See student-group resultsWhich districts should I compare with Palo Alto Unified?
Unified districts in Santa Clara County. Peers have the closest enrollment sizes.
| District | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto UnifiedThis district | 79.7% | 81.3% |
| Milpitas Unified | 65.0% | 69.6% |
| Gilroy Unified | 33.2% | 40.3% |
How we compare low-income results
“Typical” is the median across 339 California unified districts with 2026 results, a reported low-income population, and at least 20 low-income tested students in each subject. Each district counts once. This compares proficiency for low-income students, rather than the gap between income groups.
