Murphy Elementary

Summary:

Murphy Elementary is a public elementary school located in El Sobrante, California, serving grades K-6 with a total enrollment of 404 students. It is part of the West Contra Costa Unified School District, which is ranked 1129 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Murphy Elementary faces several challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates, low academic performance, and significant disparities in student subgroup outcomes. The school's test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are consistently lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, the percentage of students proficient or better in ELA ranged from 15.69% (6th grade) to 24.14% (4th grade), compared to the state average of 45.82% (6th grade) to 47.04% (end of course). The school's performance in Science is also below the district and state averages. Additionally, Murphy Elementary has a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 52.08% in 2021-2022 to 67.44% in 2020-2021, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Interestingly, the nearby schools, such as West County Mandarin, Olinda Elementary, and Tara Hills Elementary, generally perform better than Murphy Elementary on various metrics, including test scores, chronic absenteeism rates, and student subgroup performance. West County Mandarin, in particular, stands out with its high performance, ranking in the top 25% of California elementary schools and outperforming the district and state averages across multiple subjects and grade levels. Addressing the challenges at Murphy Elementary and learning from the successes of nearby high-performing schools could be crucial for improving the educational experience and outcomes for the students.


Detail:

Public K-6

 4350 Valley View Rd.
       El Sobrante, CA  94803-1499


(510) 231-1427

District: West Contra Costa Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
4398th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,695 Help


Students who attend Murphy Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Betty Reid Soskin Middle
High:    De Anza High

Student/teacher ratio:  20.2 Help
Number of students:  445

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
51.0%
Asian:
17.1%
African American:
15.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  53.5% Help


 See top rated California elementary schools

 Compare Murphy Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Murphy Elementary ranks worse than 75% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 17th among 37 ranked elementary schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 24.62. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Student population at Murphy Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (51%), Asian (17.1%), African American (15.1%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 53.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Murphy Elementary is 20.2, which is the 7th best among 37 elementary schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Murphy Elementary employs 22 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Murphy Elementary is $6,695, which is the 17th highest among 37 elementary schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Murphy Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Murphy Elementary 4398th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Murphy Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:


West Contra Costa Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks West Contra Costa Unified 1129th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Murphy Elementary?

Rank History for Murphy Elementary

Help
Compare

Rank History for all students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 32.64 3096th 4809 35.6%
2005 31.99 3159th 4822 34.5%
2006 36.39 2912th 4818 39.6%
2007 35.64 3185th 5113 37.7%
2008 33.11 3383rd 5113 33.8%
2009 36.36 3285th 5193 36.7%
2010 22.98 4383rd 5314 17.5%
2011 22.88 4471st 5377 16.8%
2012 23.85 4392nd 5390 18.5%
2013 22.46 4570th 5530 17.4%
2015 38.21 3121st 5611 44.4%
2016 24.88 4192nd 5614 25.3%
2017 39.50 3137th 5692 44.9%
2018 44.68 2847th 5662 49.7%
2019 27.76 4123rd 5789 28.8%
2022 18.57 5001st 5883 15.0%
2023 23.79 4482nd 5874 23.7%
2024 24.62 4398th 5862 25.0%
See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.40 2034th 3246 37.3%
2019 18.62 3234th 3275 1.3%
2022 36.03 2116th 3311 36.1%
2023 23.66 2971st 3250 8.6%
2024 40.14 1810th 3160 42.7%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.75 2122nd 5084 58.3%
2019 36.16 3421st 5173 33.9%
2022 20.96 4575th 5264 13.1%
2023 25.94 4243rd 5374 21.0%
2024 20.61 4736th 5511 14.1%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.36 2868th 5413 47.0%
2019 29.97 3830th 5492 30.3%
2022 18.97 4811th 5635 14.6%
2023 24.74 4263rd 5617 24.1%
2024 31.19 3697th 5605 34.0%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.38 914th 2128 57.0%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 45.10 2716th 5431 50.0%
2019 26.44 4067th 5510 26.2%
2022 20.42 4671st 5663 17.5%
2023 24.31 4322nd 5650 23.5%
2024 20.65 4642nd 5636 17.6%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.85 950th 1071 11.3%
2019 5.63 1074th 1149 6.5%
2022 1.43 1131st 1154 2.0%
2023 2.46 1149th 1190 3.4%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.14 180th 700 74.3%
2019 52.31 304th 747 59.3%
2022 36.51 392nd 663 40.9%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 42.28 2717th 4830 43.7%
2019 25.34 4011th 4963 19.2%
2022 22.43 4319th 5084 15.0%
2023 26.06 4027th 5098 21.0%
2024 23.68 4213th 5102 17.4%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.02 2127th 2737 22.3%
2019 24.82 2281st 2834 19.5%
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.

Murphy Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 







Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a principal
Sunday, November 12, 2017

Open Quote Awful school. Lazy principal who ruined the school's API. Compare APIs over the last 10yrs from 2007-2017. Websites describe this school as low low performing. Yet liars who are chummy with the principal posted great reviews about the school. What normal person would post positive reviews when the school is clearly failing at state level, district level, and world level? These people must not care about their child's education if they are calling a school that ranks #2 a great school. The district doesn't care about the kids in this district since they were ignorant enough to keep this poor leader. Send your child elsewhere. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Murphy Elementary

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 236 74 16 29 0 n/a n/a 0 355
1989 266 72 23 33 2 n/a n/a 0 396
1990 258 77 30 32 3 n/a n/a 0 400
1991 257 82 31 37 4 n/a n/a 0 411
1992 236 94 33 39 4 n/a n/a 0 406
1993 265 88 43 55 1 n/a n/a 0 452
1994 239 100 43 60 3 n/a n/a 0 445
1995 235 131 52 77 3 n/a n/a 0 498
1996 235 131 52 77 3 n/a n/a 0 498
1997 211 134 57 68 3 n/a n/a 0 473
1998 188 138 79 80 4 n/a n/a 0 489
1999 174 133 77 78 3 n/a n/a 0 465
2000 173 135 79 75 1 n/a n/a 0 463
2001 154 121 69 77 2 n/a n/a 4 427
2002 113 118 55 86 1 n/a n/a 23 396
2003 113 118 55 86 1 n/a n/a 23 396
2004 115 109 60 83 0 n/a n/a 11 378
2005 93 102 60 77 0 n/a n/a 9 341
2006 67 95 70 78 0 n/a n/a 0 310
2007 61 83 65 78 0 n/a n/a 15 302
2008 62 70 63 91 n/a n/a n/a 0 286
2009 64 68 61 80 0 0 22 0 295
2010 86 116 89 150 1 1 2 0 445
2011 69 86 72 154 0 2 120 0 503
2012 87 114 95 178 1 2 1 0 478
2013 84 124 78 175 2 2 7 0 472
2014 85 123 74 192 3 2 11 0 490
2015 77 99 75 209 2 1 26 0 489
2016 71 97 85 223 2 0 36 0 514
2017 66 96 85 221 2 2 37 0 509
2018 58 100 84 206 4 3 37 0 492
2019 52 98 81 196 2 3 35 0 467
2020 47 86 84 186 4 5 37 0 449
2021 43 83 80 178 5 6 35 0 430
2022 28 67 72 179 3 7 28 0 384
2023 34 60 85 179 7 6 33 0 404
2024 32 67 76 227 5 6 32 0 445

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 Murphy Elementary

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 355 14.0 25.3 n/a
1989 396 17.5 22.6 n/a
1990 400 17.0 23.5 n/a
1991 411 18.7 21.9 n/a
1992 406 19.0 21.3 27.6
1993 452 13.5 33.5 37.6
1994 445 16.0 27.8 36.6
1995 498 17.2 29.0 54.8
1996 498 17.2 29.0 54.8
1997 473 18.4 25.7 52.2
1998 489 19.4 25.2 49.9
1999 465 20.5 22.7 48.6
2000 463 22.2 20.9 42.3
2001 427 22.8 18.7 48.9
2002 396 20.0 19.8 41.6
2003 396 20.0 19.8 41.6
2004 378 20.0 18.9 49
2005 341 18.0 18.9 47.3
2006 310 17.0 18.2 51.3
2007 302 15.6 19.4 61.7
2008 286 17.0 16.8 63.6
2009 295 16.0 16.4 59
2010 445 21.6 20.6 51.2
2011 503 n/a n/a 53.9
2012 478 21.5 22.2 n/a
2013 472 20.0 23.6 61.2
2014 490 21.0 23.3 65.5
2015 489 22.0 22.2 67.9
2016 514 23.0 22.3 66.7
2017 509 22.0 23.1 63.5
2018 492 22.0 22.3 70.7
2019 467 20.0 23.3 68.7
2020 449 n/a n/a 72.8
2021 430 18.0 23.8 67.4
2022 384 20.2 19.0 52.1
2023 404 20.0 20.2 55.4
2024 445 22.0 20.2 53.5

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 Murphy Elementary

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 355 14.0 25.3 n/a
1989 396 17.5 22.6 n/a
1990 400 17.0 23.5 n/a
1991 411 18.7 21.9 n/a
1992 406 19.0 21.3 27.6
1993 452 13.5 33.5 37.6
1994 445 16.0 27.8 36.6
1995 498 17.2 29.0 54.8
1996 498 17.2 29.0 54.8
1997 473 18.4 25.7 52.2
1998 489 19.4 25.2 49.9
1999 465 20.5 22.7 48.6
2000 463 22.2 20.9 42.3
2001 427 22.8 18.7 48.9
2002 396 20.0 19.8 41.6
2003 396 20.0 19.8 41.6
2004 378 20.0 18.9 49
2005 341 18.0 18.9 47.3
2006 310 17.0 18.2 51.3
2007 302 15.6 19.4 61.7
2008 286 17.0 16.8 63.6
2009 295 16.0 16.4 59
2010 445 21.6 20.6 51.2
2011 503 n/a n/a 53.9
2012 478 21.5 22.2 n/a
2013 472 20.0 23.6 61.2
2014 490 21.0 23.3 65.5
2015 489 22.0 22.2 67.9
2016 514 23.0 22.3 66.7
2017 509 22.0 23.1 63.5
2018 492 22.0 22.3 70.7
2019 467 20.0 23.3 68.7
2020 449 n/a n/a 72.8
2021 430 18.0 23.8 67.4
2022 384 20.2 19.0 52.1
2023 404 20.0 20.2 55.4
2024 445 22.0 20.2 53.5

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates

Murphy Elementary

Help
Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionConditionalPolioHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMMR
201295.0%1.0%0.0%4.0%96.0%96.0%98.0%96.0%98.0%
201398.0%0.0%0.0%2.0%98.0%100.0%98.0%98.0%100.0%
201498.0%2.0%0.0%0.0%98.0%98.0%98.0%98.0%98.0%
201597.0%0.0%0.0%3.0%99.0%99.0%99.0%99.0%99.0%
2016100.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%
2017≥98.0%≤2.0%≤2.0%≤2.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%
201893.0%0.0%0.0%7.0%97.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%95.0%≥98.0%
201996.0%0.0%4.0%≥98.0%96.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%
202097.3%0.0%1.4%97.3%
202192.7%1.8%0.0%94.6%94.6%96.4%94.6%

Data source: California Department of Public Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Murphy Elementary

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $6,695

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Murphy Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 4123rd of 5789 Elementary schoolsRanks 4482nd of 5874 Elementary schools
 5.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Murphy Elementary)39.128.6
 10.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (West Contra Costa Unified)31.828.9
 2.9%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.543
 5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Murphy Elementary)22.235.5
 13.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (West Contra Costa Unified)32.931.1
 1.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (California)50.245.1
 5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Murphy Elementary)26.338.9
 12.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (West Contra Costa Unified)31.530.9
 0.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.543.7
 5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Murphy Elementary)25.431.4
 6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (West Contra Costa Unified)25.127.6
 2.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (California)44.940.8
 4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Murphy Elementary)44.118.9
 25.3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (West Contra Costa Unified)37.631.7
 5.9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.746.7
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Murphy Elementary)24.215.4
 8.8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (West Contra Costa Unified)23.721.8
 2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (California)3833.4
 4.6%
5th Grade Science (Murphy Elementary)34.813.2
 21.6%
   5th Grade Science (West Contra Costa Unified)21.222.4
 1.2%
   5th Grade Science (California)31.731.9
 0.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Murphy Elementary)33.315.1
 18.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (West Contra Costa Unified)32.730.1
 2.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.544.2
 4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Murphy Elementary)20.316.7
 3.6%
   6th Grade Mathematics (West Contra Costa Unified)25.121.2
 4%
   6th Grade Mathematics (California)38.533.2
 5.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students467404
 13.5%
African American9860
 38.8%
American Indian27
 250%
Asian8185
 4.9%
Hispanic196179
 8.7%
Pacific Islander36
 100%
White5234
 34.6%
Two or More Races3533
 5.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients68.7%55.4%
 13.3%


Schools Near Murphy Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Murphy Elementary

Students who attend Murphy Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Betty Reid Soskin Middle
High : De Anza High

In the 2023-24 school year, 445 students attended Murphy Elementary.

Students at Murphy Elementary are 51% Hispanic, 17% Asian, 15% African American, 7% White, 7% Two or more races, 1% Pacific Islander, 1% American Indian.

Murphy Elementary ranks in the bottom 25.0% of California elementary schools.


Rate Murphy Elementary!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Murphy Elementary!




SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 87 milliseconds.