Herbert Hoover Elementary earned the No. 6 spot among 5,920 ranked California elementary schools in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Elementary Schools rankings, released Oct. 20. It ranked first among Palo Alto Unified School District elementary schools.
The K-5 school on East Charleston Road scored 99.92 out of 100. Ninety-four percent of its students scored at or above the proficient level in math, and 93% hit that mark in reading on 2023-24 state assessments, according to U.S. News.
Both figures exceeded the Palo Alto Unified School District averages displayed in Hoover’s profile of 80% in math and 79% in reading, and the profile’s statewide comparison figures of 38% and 44%.
The profile lists 389 students with a 19-to-1 student-teacher ratio. It reports 20 full-time-equivalent teachers and a 96% teacher certification rate.
Two nearby schools also cracked the state’s top 10. Covington Elementary in Los Altos placed No. 7 with a 99.9 overall score, posting 94% math proficiency and 95% reading proficiency on the 2023-24 assessments. Its profile lists 404 students.
Bullis Charter, also in Los Altos, landed at No. 8. Its profile lists 997 students in grades K-8 and proficiency rates of 93% in math and 92% in reading on the 2023-24 assessments.
In a welcome message on Hoover’s website, Principal Nikole Manou writes, “Quality learning is not an accident.” The message emphasizes staff collaboration, family involvement and support from the PTA and Palo Alto Partners in Education. It does not address the new rankings.
How the rankings work
The 2027 rankings weighted four factors equally at 25% each: math proficiency, math performance, reading proficiency and reading performance.
Half of each school’s score reflected assessment results without demographic adjustments. The other half measured academic performance relative to socioeconomic demographics. The state assessment data came from the 2023-24 school year.
U.S. News ranked schools at the state and district levels only, with no national ranking for elementary schools. The publication ranks only public schools because they participate in common statewide math and reading assessments that allow comparison within each state.
California’s top 10 elementary schools (2027 U.S. News)
- Buckeye Union Mandarin Immersion Charter, El Dorado Hills (K-12 charter)
- Cold Spring Elementary, Santa Barbara (K-6)
- Murdock-Portal Elementary, San Jose (K-5)
- William Faria Elementary, Cupertino (K-5)
- North Star Academy, Redwood City (grades 3-8)
- Herbert Hoover Elementary, Palo Alto (K-5)
- Covington Elementary, Los Altos (K-6)
- Bullis Charter, Los Altos (K-8 charter)
- Elkhorn, Stockton (grades 4-8)
- Jack L. Weaver Elementary, Los Alamitos
Several schools on the list serve grades beyond the traditional elementary range, including Buckeye Union Mandarin Immersion Charter (K-12), North Star Academy (3-8) and Elkhorn (4-8).
The complete list is available in the U.S. News California rankings.
