Is McKinley Elementary a good school?

McKinley Elementary ranks 2241 st of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend McKinley Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 385 students attended McKinley Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of McKinley Elementary?

Students at McKinley Elementary are 48% Hispanic, 35% White, 7% Two or more races, 6% Asian, 2% African American, 1% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of McKinley Elementary attend?

Students who attend McKinley Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Petaluma Junior High High : Petaluma High

McKinley Elementary

Summary:

McKinley Elementary is a public elementary school in Petaluma, California, serving 388 students in grades K-6 and part of the Petaluma City Elementary District.

While McKinley generally performs below the district and state averages on Smarter Balanced Assessments, with particularly low scores for English Language Learners and Hispanic students, the school's special education students perform exceptionally well, ranking in the top 25% of California elementary schools for this subgroup. McKinley also faces challenges with a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 5.9% in 2017-2018 to 22.5% in 2022-2023, notably higher than the district average of 19.1%. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, at 43.04% in 2022-2023, compared to the district average of 29.58%.

Compared to nearby schools, McKinley performs better than McDowell Elementary, but lags behind the higher-performing Sonoma Mountain Elementary and the local charter schools, such as Loma Vista Immersion Academy and Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley. McKinley's performance has also declined over the past few years, with its statewide ranking dropping from the top 12% of California elementary schools in 2018-2019 to the top 38% in 2023-2024.

Detail:

Public K-6

110 Ellis St.
Petaluma, CA 94952-3305

(707) 778-4750

District: Petaluma City Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
2241^st of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,527

Students who attend McKinley Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Petaluma Junior High
High:	Petaluma High

Student/teacher ratio: 25.6

Number of students: 385

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

48.1%

White:

35.1%

Two or more races:

7.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 49.4%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare McKinley Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details McKinley Elementary ranks better than 61.8% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 3^rd among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Petaluma City Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.8. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (48.1%), White (35.1%), two or more races (7.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 49.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at McKinley Elementary is 25.6. 5 elementary schools in the Petaluma City Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare McKinley Elementary employs 15 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McKinley Elementary is $8,527, which is the 3^rd highest among 6 elementary schools in the Petaluma City Elementary School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McKinley Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks McKinley Elementary 2241^st of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See McKinley Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Petaluma City Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Petaluma City Elementary 754^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for McKinley Elementary

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Rank History for all students at McKinley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	21.78	3807^th	4809	20.8%
2005	17.79	4119^th	4822	14.6%
2006	27.20	3503^rd	4818	27.3%
2007	9.81	4926^th	5113	3.7%
2008	23.85	4060^th	5113	20.6%
2009	30.74	3653^rd	5193	29.7%
2010	40.62	3133^rd	5314	41.0%
2011	15.99	4901^st	5377	8.9%
2012	26.38	4223^rd	5390	21.7%
2013	30.66	3991^st	5530	27.8%
2015	46.21	2671^st	5611	52.4%
2016	53.77	2307^th	5614	58.9%
2017	66.94	1706^th	5692	70.0%
2018	77.59	1234^th	5662	78.2%
2019	89.32	681^st	5789	88.2%
2022	72.41	1514^th	5883	74.3%
2023	58.29	2123^rd	5874	63.9%
2024	55.80	2241^st	5862	61.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at McKinley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	63.33	743^rd	3246	77.1%
2022	24.47	2977^th	3311	10.1%
2023	18.44	3195^th	3250	1.7%
2024	22.63	2966^th	3160	6.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at McKinley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	60.17	655^th	2420	72.9%
2024	64.80	605^th	2634	77.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at McKinley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.37	2276^th	5084	55.2%
2019	40.07	3109^th	5173	39.9%
2022	59.12	1727^th	5264	67.2%
2023	30.34	3875^th	5374	27.9%
2024	38.52	3248^th	5511	41.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at McKinley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	78.09	1128^th	5413	79.2%
2019	86.74	734^th	5492	86.6%
2022	67.74	1612^th	5635	71.4%
2023	51.58	2327^th	5617	58.6%
2024	54.25	2200^th	5605	60.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at McKinley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	94.15	112^th	2227	95.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at McKinley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	74.86	1278^th	5431	76.5%
2019	87.89	693^rd	5510	87.4%
2022	73.80	1355^th	5663	76.1%
2023	62.84	1815^th	5650	67.9%
2024	56.78	2117^th	5636	62.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at McKinley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	42.28	2716^th	4830	43.8%
2019	52.15	2142^nd	4963	56.8%
2022	57.67	1747^th	5084	65.6%
2023	28.80	3807^th	5098	25.3%
2024	30.89	3675^th	5102	28.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at McKinley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	93.45	24^th	2737	99.1%
2019	94.62	8^th	2834	99.7%
2022	69.52	827^th	2726	69.7%
2023	66.07	931^st	2662	65.0%
2024	63.35	1026^th	2647	61.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, February 7, 2020

We are so impressed with this innovative school that is constantly re-evaluating and improving. The staff is young and highly motivated and constantly looking into new training opportunities. There is a strong commitment to project-based learning and a special track for accelerated students. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, May 7, 2018

We have two children at the school... I am very impressed by the principal and teaching staff... Close Quote

Enrollment information for McKinley Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	248	3	5	29	5	n/a	n/a	0	290
1989	267	6	7	45	0	n/a	n/a	0	325
1990	257	4	12	50	1	n/a	n/a	0	324
1991	291	1	4	49	1	n/a	n/a	0	346
1992	213	9	11	58	4	n/a	n/a	0	295
1993	200	7	11	77	9	n/a	n/a	0	304
1994	210	8	5	87	1	n/a	n/a	0	311
1995	180	6	3	94	3	n/a	n/a	0	286
1996	180	6	3	94	3	n/a	n/a	0	286
1997	202	7	7	98	0	n/a	n/a	0	314
1998	199	4	6	104	1	n/a	n/a	0	314
1999	204	13	12	116	0	n/a	n/a	0	345
2000	184	7	11	104	1	n/a	n/a	0	307
2001	180	8	11	118	4	n/a	n/a	0	321
2002	120	9	13	144	5	n/a	n/a	1	292
2003	120	9	13	144	5	n/a	n/a	1	292
2004	102	14	9	148	5	n/a	n/a	1	279
2005	101	4	8	153	5	n/a	n/a	1	272
2006	91	8	6	158	4	n/a	n/a	1	268
2007	65	6	7	174	4	n/a	n/a	3	259
2008	57	8	6	187	4	n/a	n/a	0	262
2009	46	7	1	185	1	1	1	0	242
2010	37	6	2	184	1	0	0	0	230
2011	31	7	2	177	0	0	0	0	217
2012	25	5	0	164	1	1	0	0	196
2013	35	7	3	174	1	1	1	0	222
2014	43	6	5	170	1	2	1	0	228
2015	58	6	10	184	0	1	3	0	262
2016	81	4	11	164	1	0	3	0	264
2017	75	3	17	141	1	2	3	0	242
2018	108	4	9	133	1	2	6	0	263
2019	159	5	12	142	2	2	9	0	331
2020	174	5	12	150	3	2	26	0	372
2021	182	5	14	161	4	2	27	0	395
2022	167	4	17	165	6	2	21	0	382
2023	164	5	20	171	6	0	21	1	388
2024	135	7	24	185	5	0	28	1	385

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at McKinley Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	290	15.0	19.3	n/a
1989	325	15.0	21.6	n/a
1990	324	14.0	23.1	n/a
1991	346	16.4	21.0	n/a
1992	295	16.7	17.6	38
1993	304	12.6	24.1	26.6
1994	311	12.0	25.9	39.5
1995	286	13.0	22.0	50.3
1996	286	13.0	22.0	50.3
1997	314	16.0	19.6	51.6
1998	314	18.0	17.4	50
1999	345	19.0	18.2	50.7
2000	307	17.0	18.1	48.5
2001	321	18.0	17.8	48.3
2002	292	16.0	18.3	60.1
2003	292	16.0	18.3	60.1
2004	279	14.0	19.9	65.5
2005	272	14.4	18.9	63.1
2006	268	16.0	16.8	71.2
2007	259	n/a	n/a	n/a
2008	262	17.0	15.4	80.5
2009	242	16.0	14.2	87.6
2010	230	16.0	14.3	90.9
2011	217	n/a	n/a	91.2
2012	196	14.5	13.5	n/a
2013	222	17.5	12.6	88.3
2014	228	14.0	16.2	83.8
2015	262	15.0	17.4	77.1
2016	264	12.0	22.0	64
2017	242	10.0	24.2	59.9
2018	263	10.0	26.3	52.1
2019	331	12.0	27.5	39.9
2020	372	n/a	n/a	40.9
2021	395	15.0	26.3	35.7
2022	382	15.0	25.4	37.7
2023	388	15.0	25.8	43
2024	385	15.0	25.6	49.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio McKinley Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	290	15.0	19.3	n/a
1989	325	15.0	21.6	n/a
1990	324	14.0	23.1	n/a
1991	346	16.4	21.0	n/a
1992	295	16.7	17.6	38
1993	304	12.6	24.1	26.6
1994	311	12.0	25.9	39.5
1995	286	13.0	22.0	50.3
1996	286	13.0	22.0	50.3
1997	314	16.0	19.6	51.6
1998	314	18.0	17.4	50
1999	345	19.0	18.2	50.7
2000	307	17.0	18.1	48.5
2001	321	18.0	17.8	48.3
2002	292	16.0	18.3	60.1
2003	292	16.0	18.3	60.1
2004	279	14.0	19.9	65.5
2005	272	14.4	18.9	63.1
2006	268	16.0	16.8	71.2
2007	259	n/a	n/a	n/a
2008	262	17.0	15.4	80.5
2009	242	16.0	14.2	87.6
2010	230	16.0	14.3	90.9
2011	217	n/a	n/a	91.2
2012	196	14.5	13.5	n/a
2013	222	17.5	12.6	88.3
2014	228	14.0	16.2	83.8
2015	262	15.0	17.4	77.1
2016	264	12.0	22.0	64
2017	242	10.0	24.2	59.9
2018	263	10.0	26.3	52.1
2019	331	12.0	27.5	39.9
2020	372	n/a	n/a	40.9
2021	395	15.0	26.3	35.7
2022	382	15.0	25.4	37.7
2023	388	15.0	25.8	43
2024	385	15.0	25.6	49.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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