Is Murphy Elementary a good school?

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

How many students attend Murphy Elementary?

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

What is the racial makeup of 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.

What schools do graduates of Murphy Elementary attend?

Students who attend Murphy Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Betty Reid Soskin Middle High : De Anza High

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:
4398^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,695

Students who attend Murphy Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Betty Reid Soskin Middle
High:	De Anza High

Student/teacher ratio: 20.2

Number of students: 445

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

51.0%

Asian:

17.1%

African American:

15.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 53.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Murphy Elementary ranks worse than 75% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 17^th among 37 ranked elementary schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 24.62. (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 Student population at Murphy Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (51%), Asian (17.1%), African American (15.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 53.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Murphy Elementary is 20.2, which is the 7^th best among 37 elementary schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Murphy Elementary employs 22 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Murphy Elementary is $6,695, which is the 17^th highest among 37 elementary schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Murphy Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Murphy Elementary 4398^th 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 1129^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Murphy Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Murphy Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	32.64	3096^th	4809	35.6%
2005	31.99	3159^th	4822	34.5%
2006	36.39	2912^th	4818	39.6%
2007	35.64	3185^th	5113	37.7%
2008	33.11	3383^rd	5113	33.8%
2009	36.36	3285^th	5193	36.7%
2010	22.98	4383^rd	5314	17.5%
2011	22.88	4471^st	5377	16.8%
2012	23.85	4392^nd	5390	18.5%
2013	22.46	4570^th	5530	17.4%
2015	38.21	3121^st	5611	44.4%
2016	24.88	4192^nd	5614	25.3%
2017	39.50	3137^th	5692	44.9%
2018	44.68	2847^th	5662	49.7%
2019	27.76	4123^rd	5789	28.8%
2022	18.57	5001^st	5883	15.0%
2023	23.79	4482^nd	5874	23.7%
2024	24.62	4398^th	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
2018	35.40	2034^th	3246	37.3%
2019	18.62	3234^th	3275	1.3%
2022	36.03	2116^th	3311	36.1%
2023	23.66	2971^st	3250	8.6%
2024	40.14	1810^th	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
2018	53.75	2122^nd	5084	58.3%
2019	36.16	3421^st	5173	33.9%
2022	20.96	4575^th	5264	13.1%
2023	25.94	4243^rd	5374	21.0%
2024	20.61	4736^th	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
2018	43.36	2868^th	5413	47.0%
2019	29.97	3830^th	5492	30.3%
2022	18.97	4811^th	5635	14.6%
2023	24.74	4263^rd	5617	24.1%
2024	31.19	3697^th	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	914^th	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
2018	45.10	2716^th	5431	50.0%
2019	26.44	4067^th	5510	26.2%
2022	20.42	4671^st	5663	17.5%
2023	24.31	4322^nd	5650	23.5%
2024	20.65	4642^nd	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
2018	14.85	950^th	1071	11.3%
2019	5.63	1074^th	1149	6.5%
2022	1.43	1131^st	1154	2.0%
2023	2.46	1149^th	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
2018	65.14	180^th	700	74.3%
2019	52.31	304^th	747	59.3%
2022	36.51	392^nd	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
2018	42.28	2717^th	4830	43.7%
2019	25.34	4011^th	4963	19.2%
2022	22.43	4319^th	5084	15.0%
2023	26.06	4027^th	5098	21.0%
2024	23.68	4213^th	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	2127^th	2737	22.3%
2019	24.82	2281^st	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.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a principal
Sunday, November 12, 2017

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

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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

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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

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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.

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