Is Selma Olinder Elementary a good school?

Selma Olinder Elementary ranks in the bottom 8.5% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Selma Olinder Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 278 students attended Selma Olinder Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Selma Olinder Elementary?

Students at Selma Olinder Elementary are 91% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 2% White, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Selma Olinder Elementary attend?

Students who attend Selma Olinder Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Muwekma Ohlone Middle High : San Jose High

Selma Olinder Elementary

Summary:

Selma Olinder Elementary is a public elementary school in San Jose, California, serving 305 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the San Jose Unified School District, which is ranked 796 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Selma Olinder Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of California elementary schools, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science that are significantly lower than the district and state averages. For example, in 2023-2024, only 18.42% of Selma Olinder students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 49.53% for the San Jose Unified district and 47.04% for California. The school has also experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 13.0% in 2018-2019 to 48.5% in 2022-2023. Additionally, 77.38% of Selma Olinder students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

In comparison, the nearby Rocketship Mosaic Elementary, a public charter school, stands out with significantly higher proficiency rates, ranking in the top 25% of California elementary schools. The traditional public schools in the area, such as Lowell Elementary and Horace Mann Elementary, also perform better academically than Selma Olinder Elementary, but still lag behind the state and district averages.

Detail:

Public K-5

890 East William
San Jose, CA 95116-3102

(408) 535-6245

District: San Jose Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
5362^nd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,999

Students who attend Selma Olinder Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Muwekma Ohlone Middle
High:	San Jose High

Student/teacher ratio: 16.9

Number of students: 278

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

91.0%

Asian:

5.8%

White:

1.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 81.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Selma Olinder Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Selma Olinder Elementary ranks worse than 91.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 22^nd among 27 ranked elementary schools in the San Jose Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.25. (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 (91%), Asian (5.8%), White (1.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 81.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Selma Olinder Elementary is 16.9, which is the 6^th best among 27 elementary schools in the San Jose Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Selma Olinder Elementary employs 16.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Selma Olinder Elementary is $12,999, which is the 9^th highest among 27 elementary schools in the San Jose Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Selma Olinder Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Selma Olinder Elementary 5362^nd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Selma Olinder 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:

San Jose Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks San Jose Unified 796^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Selma Olinder Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Selma Olinder Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	11.11	4610^th	4809	4.1%
2005	8.19	4732^nd	4822	1.9%
2006	17.05	4209^th	4818	12.6%
2007	27.87	3714^th	5113	27.4%
2008	28.93	3677^th	5113	28.1%
2009	29.94	3715^th	5193	28.5%
2010	19.42	4625^th	5314	13.0%
2011	26.15	4251^st	5377	20.9%
2012	21.66	4542^nd	5390	15.7%
2013	26.99	4276^th	5530	22.7%
2015	35.61	3280^th	5611	41.5%
2016	13.64	5165^th	5614	8.0%
2017	20.20	4677^th	5692	17.8%
2018	16.18	4988^th	5662	11.9%
2019	14.89	5252^nd	5789	9.3%
2021	18.16	1202^nd	1417	15.2%
2022	18.17	5040^th	5883	14.3%
2023	17.59	5097^th	5874	13.2%
2024	14.25	5362^nd	5862	8.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Selma Olinder Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	48.24	1331^st	3246	59.0%
2019	41.97	1675^th	3275	48.9%
2021	22.61	587^th	602	2.5%
2022	27.40	2792^nd	3311	15.7%
2023	31.48	2428^th	3250	25.3%
2024	31.80	2427^th	3160	23.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Selma Olinder Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	20.28	2186^th	2420	9.7%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Selma Olinder Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	20.36	4465^th	5084	12.2%
2019	20.43	4545^th	5173	12.1%
2021	29.34	832^nd	1110	25.0%
2022	15.10	4960^th	5264	5.8%
2023	16.83	4920^th	5374	8.4%
2024	18.85	4870^th	5511	11.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Selma Olinder Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	21.71	4394^th	5413	18.8%
2019	24.85	4238^th	5492	22.8%
2021	18.16	1094^th	1267	13.7%
2022	19.46	4767^th	5635	15.4%
2023	16.30	5028^th	5617	10.5%
2024	12.76	5302^nd	5605	5.4%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Selma Olinder Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	26.12	1682^nd	2227	24.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Selma Olinder Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	14.94	4967^th	5431	8.5%
2019	10.96	5311^th	5510	3.6%
2021	19.89	1045^th	1272	17.8%
2022	18.25	4906^th	5663	13.4%
2023	20.26	4695^th	5650	16.9%
2024	16.79	4997^th	5636	11.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Selma Olinder Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	21.07	4178^th	4830	13.5%
2019	18.14	4498^th	4963	9.4%
2022	14.86	4808^th	5084	5.4%
2023	18.81	4571^st	5098	10.3%
2024	19.04	4522^nd	5102	11.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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: 4.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a teacher
Friday, September 8, 2017

Olinder Elementary School, located in downtown San Jose is a schools that serves a wonderful community with highly trained and accomplished teachers. With over 125 years of experience among us, we offer bilingual education, are trained in the best researched practices, and offer differentiated instruction and support for all of our children.
We also strive to continuously improve and serve our families. Even with a devastating flood, Olinder teachers serves our hardest hit families by raising thousands of dollars, helping them to clean up after. We are tireless advocates and work in partnership with our families. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Selma Olinder Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	211	15	55	358	5	n/a	n/a	0	644
1989	211	10	50	357	9	n/a	n/a	0	637
1990	190	10	40	397	9	n/a	n/a	0	646
1991	173	16	40	418	8	n/a	n/a	0	655
1992	179	14	52	457	8	n/a	n/a	0	710
1993	144	12	41	447	10	n/a	n/a	0	654
1994	113	6	45	503	7	n/a	n/a	0	674
1995	83	11	39	543	4	n/a	n/a	0	680
1996	83	11	39	543	4	n/a	n/a	0	680
1997	89	24	38	538	6	n/a	n/a	0	695
1998	70	20	28	570	4	n/a	n/a	0	692
1999	81	11	35	553	4	n/a	n/a	0	684
2000	70	13	33	586	5	n/a	n/a	0	707
2001	60	8	39	576	5	n/a	n/a	0	688
2002	36	10	34	501	6	n/a	n/a	0	587
2003	36	10	34	501	6	n/a	n/a	0	587
2004	28	9	27	507	4	n/a	n/a	0	575
2005	20	7	20	507	8	n/a	n/a	7	569
2006	25	5	23	495	10	n/a	n/a	5	563
2007	18	5	14	442	4	n/a	n/a	10	493
2008	14	7	22	447	5	n/a	n/a	0	495
2009	14	6	23	439	6	0	17	0	505
2010	9	3	20	429	5	1	15	0	482
2011	9	3	24	433	7	0	13	0	489
2012	7	3	24	418	4	0	9	0	465
2013	8	4	36	386	2	0	7	0	443
2014	15	2	39	402	1	1	7	0	467
2015	11	2	33	418	1	1	3	0	469
2016	14	4	27	392	1	0	3	0	441
2017	7	4	27	353	1	0	3	0	395
2018	12	4	31	348	0	0	3	0	398
2019	14	5	30	302	0	0	2	0	353
2020	14	4	24	282	0	0	1	0	325
2021	13	5	25	243	0	0	5	0	291
2022	12	4	23	232	0	0	1	0	272
2023	12	2	21	269	0	0	1	0	305
2024	5	1	16	253	0	0	3	0	278

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 Selma Olinder Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	644	30.0	21.4	n/a
1989	637	32.0	19.9	n/a
1990	646	30.8	20.9	n/a
1991	655	31.5	20.7	n/a
1992	710	32.0	22.1	61.4
1993	654	28.0	23.4	72.2
1994	674	30.9	21.8	69.7
1995	680	30.3	22.4	72.2
1996	680	30.3	22.4	72.2
1997	695	26.0	26.7	71.9
1998	692	34.0	20.4	69.8
1999	684	34.0	20.1	68
2000	707	33.0	21.4	57.9
2001	688	31.0	22.2	65.3
2002	587	32.7	18.0	83.1
2003	587	32.7	18.0	83.1
2004	575	29.4	19.6	88.7
2005	569	34.5	16.5	83.6
2006	563	26.0	21.7	85.1
2007	493	28.0	17.6	98.3
2008	495	28.5	17.4	91.5
2009	505	29.0	16.3	88.5
2010	482	33.5	14.3	87.3
2011	489	n/a	n/a	84.7
2012	465	28.3	16.4	n/a
2013	443	27.5	16.0	84
2014	467	26.0	17.9	82.7
2015	469	27.0	17.3	86.8
2016	441	19.0	23.2	83.9
2017	395	19.7	20.0	85.6
2018	398	17.6	22.5	85.9
2019	353	16.4	21.4	80.7
2020	325	n/a	n/a	81.5
2021	291	15.9	18.3	63.6
2022	272	14.9	18.2	70.6
2023	305	16.7	18.2	77.4
2024	278	16.3	16.9	81.7

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 Selma Olinder Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	644	30.0	21.4	n/a
1989	637	32.0	19.9	n/a
1990	646	30.8	20.9	n/a
1991	655	31.5	20.7	n/a
1992	710	32.0	22.1	61.4
1993	654	28.0	23.4	72.2
1994	674	30.9	21.8	69.7
1995	680	30.3	22.4	72.2
1996	680	30.3	22.4	72.2
1997	695	26.0	26.7	71.9
1998	692	34.0	20.4	69.8
1999	684	34.0	20.1	68
2000	707	33.0	21.4	57.9
2001	688	31.0	22.2	65.3
2002	587	32.7	18.0	83.1
2003	587	32.7	18.0	83.1
2004	575	29.4	19.6	88.7
2005	569	34.5	16.5	83.6
2006	563	26.0	21.7	85.1
2007	493	28.0	17.6	98.3
2008	495	28.5	17.4	91.5
2009	505	29.0	16.3	88.5
2010	482	33.5	14.3	87.3
2011	489	n/a	n/a	84.7
2012	465	28.3	16.4	n/a
2013	443	27.5	16.0	84
2014	467	26.0	17.9	82.7
2015	469	27.0	17.3	86.8
2016	441	19.0	23.2	83.9
2017	395	19.7	20.0	85.6
2018	398	17.6	22.5	85.9
2019	353	16.4	21.4	80.7
2020	325	n/a	n/a	81.5
2021	291	15.9	18.3	63.6
2022	272	14.9	18.2	70.6
2023	305	16.7	18.2	77.4
2024	278	16.3	16.9	81.7

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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