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310 Nova Albion Way
San Rafael, California 94903
Phone: 415.492.3200 

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Top 10 Best San Rafael, CA Public Schools (2023)

For the 2023 school year, there are 21 public schools serving 9,185 students in San Rafael, CA (there are 15 private schools, serving 2,453 private students). 79% of all K-12 students in San Rafael, CA are educated in public schools (compared to the CA state average of 90%).

The top ranked public schools in San Rafael, CA are Sun Valley Elementary School, Glenwood Elementary School and Marin’s Community High School. Overall testing rank is based on a school’s combined math and reading proficiency test score ranking.

San Rafael, CA public schools have an average math proficiency score of 31% (versus the California public school average of 34%), and reading proficiency score of 40% (versus the 49% statewide average). Schools in San Rafael have an average ranking of 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of California public schools.

Minority enrollment is 67% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the California public school average of 78% (majority Hispanic).

Best San Rafael, CA Public Schools (2023)

School (Math and Reading Proficiency)

Location

Grades

Students

Rank: #11.

Sun Valley Elementary School

Math: 65-69% | Reading: 70-74%
Rank:

Top 10%

Add to Compare

75 Happy Ln.
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 485-2440

Grades: K-5

| 447 students

Rank: #22.

Glenwood Elementary School

Math: 55-59% | Reading: 60-64%
Rank:

Top 20%

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25 Castlewood Dr.
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 485-2430

Grades: K-5

| 346 students

Rank: #33.

Marin’s Community High School

Alternative School

Math: <50% | Reading: <50%
Rank:

Top 30%

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1111 Las Gallinas Ave.
San Rafael, CA 94913
(415) 491-0581

Grades: 7-12

| 42 students

Rank: #44.

Terra Linda High School

Math: 48% | Reading: 58%
Rank:

Top 50%

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320 Nova Albion Way
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 492-3100

Grades: 9-12

| 1,247 students

Rank: #55.

San Rafael High School

Math: 40% | Reading: 58%
Rank:

Top 50%

Add to Compare

150 Third St.
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 485-2330

Grades: 9-12

| 1,298 students

Rank: #66.

Coleman Elementary School

Math: 39% | Reading: 39%
Rank:

Bottom 50%

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800 Belle Ave.
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 485-2420

Grades: K-5

| 662 students

Rank: #77.

Madrone High Continuation

Alternative School

Math: <50% | Reading: ≤20%
Rank:

Bottom 50%

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185 Mission Ave.
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 485-2435

Grades: 9-12

| 97 students

Rank: #88.

James B. Davidson Middle School

Math: 25% | Reading: 40%
Rank:

Bottom 50%

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280 Woodland Ave.
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 485-2400

Grades: 6-8

| 1,129 students

Rank: #99.

Venetia Valley K-8

Math: 20% | Reading: 33%
Rank:

Bottom 50%

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177 N. San Pedro Rd.
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 492-3150

Grades: K-8

| 618 students

Rank: #1010.

Laurel Dell Elementary School

Math: 25-29% | Reading: 20-24%
Rank:

Bottom 50%

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225 Woodland Ave.
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 485-2317

Grades: K-5

| 240 students

Rank: #1111.

San Pedro Elementary School

Math: 15-19% | Reading: 10-14%
Rank:

Bottom 50%

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498 Point San Pedro Rd.
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 485-2450

Grades: K-5

| 427 students

Rank: #1212.

Bahia Vista Elementary School

Math: 14% | Reading: 15%
Rank:

Bottom 50%

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125 Bahia Way
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 485-2415

Grades: K-5

| 532 students

Rank: #1313.

Marin County Special Education

Special Education School

Math: ≤10% | Reading: ≤10%
Rank:

Bottom 50%

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1111 Las Gallinas Ave.
San Rafael, CA 94913
(415) 491-6612

Grades: K-12

| 212 students

Rank: n/an/a

Lucas Valley Elementary School

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1175 Idylberry Dr.
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 492-3730

Grades: K-5

| 336 students

Rank: n/an/a

Marin County Juvenile Court High School

Alternative School

Add to Compare

16 Jeannette Prandi Way
San Rafael, CA 94913
(415) 491-0581

Grades: 7-12

| 6 students

Rank: n/an/a

Marin County Rop Elementary School

Vocational School

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1111 Las Gallinas Ave.
San Rafael, CA 94913
(415) 499-5892

Grades: 9-12

| n/a students

Rank: n/an/a

Mary E. Silveira Elementary School

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375 Blackstone Dr.
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 492-3741

Grades: K-5

| 418 students

Rank: n/an/a

Miller Creek Middle School

Add to Compare

2255 Las Gallinas Ave.
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 492-3760

Grades: 6-8

| 692 students

Rank: n/an/a

Old Gallinas

Add to Compare

251 N. San Pedro Rd.
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 492-3220

Grades: n/a

| n/a students

Rank: n/an/a

Phoenix Academy

Alternative School
Charter School

Add to Compare

1111 Las Gallinas Ave.
San Rafael, CA 94913
(415) 491-0581

Grades: 7-12

| 28 students

Rank: n/an/a

Vallecito Elementary School

Add to Compare

50 Nova Albion Way
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 492-3750

Grades: K-5

| 408 students

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the top ranked public schools in San Rafael, CA?

The top ranked public schools in San Rafael, CA include Sun Valley Elementary School, Glenwood Elementary School and Marin’s Community High School.

How many public schools are located in San Rafael, CA?

21 public schools are located in San Rafael, CA.

What percentage of students in San Rafael, CA go to public school?

79% of all K-12 students in San Rafael, CA are educated in public schools (compared to the CA state average of 90%).

What is the racial composition of students in San Rafael, CA?

San Rafael, CA public schools minority enrollment is 67% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the California public schools average of 78% (majority Hispanic).

June 13, 2023

Comparing Types of Schools: Governance and Funding

Explore the differences in governance and funding models between charter schools, traditional public schools, and private K-12 schools. Gain insights into how these factors shape educational experiences and outcomes for students.

May 17, 2023

A Story of Overcoming Common Reading Difficulties

Follow the story of Sarah, a fictional character who overcame common reading difficulties with the help of the three cueing system. This blog post explores the advantages and disadvantages of the three cueing system and provides strategies for implementing it effectively.

May 17, 2023

Standardized Tests

Standardized tests have a long history in American K-12 education. We examine what standardized tests evaluate and more.

Meet Maestro Rafael Payare – Articles :: Our Newspaper

40-year-old Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare will lead the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

Canada’s national treasure, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, is not as old as it might seem. It was created in 1934 on the initiative of the French Canadian lawyer and politician Atanaz David, who devoted himself to the cultural construction of the province. Subsequently, as a token of gratitude, the name of Atanaz David was given to the most beautiful building of the UQAM University on Saint-Denis Street, as well as to the literary prize that is awarded to writers. Yes, and in town
Val-David, an hour from Montreal, is named after him.

During its 86-year history, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra has been led by eight conductors in succession, among which Wilfried Pelletier, Zubin Mehta, Igor Markevich, Charles Duthoit, Kent Nagano left a special mark. Many concert programs recorded by the best recording houses and hundreds of tours have allowed the orchestra to gain worldwide fame.

In 2011, the orchestra found its own roof – at the intersection of Boulevard de Maisonneuve and rue. St. Urbain, in accordance with the latest achievements in the field of acoustics, was erected “Symphonic House” – a luxurious building with a hall for 2100 spectators. The “Symphonic House” became a kind of epicenter of the “Concert Quarter” that arose around it, which attracted thousands of Montrealers and tourists from different countries.

At that time, the orchestra was led by Kent Nagano, popular in Quebec, an American conductor of Japanese origin, following his predecessor, the Swiss Charles Duthoit (he led the orchestra from 1977 to 2002), who did a lot to popularize classical music in Quebec.

After 14 years of work, in 2019, Nagano’s contract with the Montreal Symphony expired and the conductor moved to work in Germany, and a new candidate began to be looked for in his place. She, according to the unanimous opinion of the selection committee, was the 40-year-old Venezuelan Rafael Payare, who, however, is not a “newcomer” in the full sense of the word. First, because Payare is a well-known name in the world, and secondly, in 2018, Payare was already at the conductor’s stand of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra: under his leadership, the musicians successfully performed a concerto that included works by Beethoven, Mozart and Schoenberg. In 2019he took part in the music festival in Lanaudière.

A native of “El Systema”

Rafael Payare was born in Venezuela in Puerto La Cruz on February 23, 1980. His family had nothing to do with classical music: his father was a municipal cartographer, his mother was a primary school teacher.

In 1994, 14-year-old Raphael began learning to play the horn. Why did you choose the horn? As the conductor later explained, this happened after he heard Tchaikovsky’s Solemn Overture of 1812. “Wind instruments sounded very special in it.”

The music school that Rafael entered with his brother Joel worked as part of “El Systema” (“The System”). By that time, Sistema, created in 1975 on the initiative of the prominent Venezuelan economist and politician José Antonio Abreu, already had an extensive network of state choirs and orchestras through which hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan children and adolescents passed. Many of them were from low-income families.

“Music should be regarded as an instrument of social development in the highest sense,” wrote Abreu, “because it preaches the highest values: solidarity, harmony, compassion.

Music has the ability to unite people, to express the subtlest feelings.

Abreu, internationally recognized for his contribution to educating the younger generation through music, passed away in 2018, but his work is still alive, and other countries are now adopting the El Systema experience.

As for her graduate Rafael Payare, then he entered the National Experimental University of the Arts in Venezuela and, thanks to his hard work and musical temperament, quickly moved into the ranks of young talents with great promise. Worked in the Youth Orchestra. Simon Bolivar.

Noticed by experts, he soon receives invitations one after another to participate in international competitions, festivals and concerts. Collaborating with the best orchestras of European capitals – London, Paris, Vienna, he met, and in 2013 married the hereditary American cellist Alice Weilerstein.

In St. Petersburg and Minsk In the same year, 2013, Payare performs in St. Petersburg, in the Concert Hall and on the stage of the second Mariinsky, where, together with Valery Gergiev, he conducts the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Brahms’s “First Symphony” and Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Violin Concerto” (soloist – Sergey Khachatryan).

In 2014, Payare received a five-year contract as Principal Conductor of the Ulster Symphony Orchestra in Belfast (Northern Ireland), and upon completion, in July 2019, he was appointed Principal Conductor of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra of America.

In September 2019, as a guest conductor of the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Payare arrives in the Belarusian capital and performs at the Minsk Palace of the Republic as part of the XIV International Yury Bashmet Festival held there. Under the direction of Pairet, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London, consisting of eighty musicians, performs Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 and F. Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major in the first part. In the second – “Symphony No. 1 in C Minor” by Johannes Brahms (soloist – Rostislav Krimer).

Here is just one review from a Belarusian listener who was present at that concert:

“And then I was in the Universe. Listened to the Royal Symphony Orchestra. Rafael Paillare jumped like a grasshopper and sometimes hit himself on the back with a conductor’s baton. And when they performed the Hungarian Brahms dance as an encore, he danced. The audience applauded to the beat – as at a wedding, he conducted the audience. The dance returned the feeling of the earth under my feet, otherwise I don’t know how I would have gone home, because when they finished the 1st symphony of Brahms – the last in the program – I didn’t feel my body at all, despite the fact that I had goosebumps all over my body “.

In the snow of Mont-Royal And now Rafael Payare has a five-year contract in Montreal, effective from September 2021.

The press service of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra released a video: Payare, dressed in a stylish warm jacket with a hood and jeans tucked into high boots, bareheaded (instead of a hat – thick hair of dark curly hair in the “afro” style), glasses on his nose in a light frame – walking through the snow among the trees of Mont-Royal. “I am inspired by the opportunity to live and work in Quebec, the French-speaking center of North America. I’m very interested in Quebec culture,” he says in Spanish. How did my love for music start? I find it difficult to answer. But it is definitely the meaning of my life. When the creator of El Systema, José Antonio Abreu, said that he would help me become an orchestra conductor, I thought that I was about to discover some kind of treasure, and from that moment it was already clear to me what to do.”

And continues in English from the walls of the Symphony House, where preliminary rehearsals have already begun. “After accepting this position, I look forward to working with the Montreal Symphony. From the very beginning, we played well on stage. Our first joint concert was a performance of Beethoven, Schonberg and Mozart. It was a completely new program, but we felt each other, maybe because we share common values. First of all, I mean the desire for artistic excellence in the performance of music, but also our desire to connect as many listeners as possible to it. Our mission: to bring the wonder of music to a wider community of people. The Montreal Symphony Orchestra is a wonderful orchestra, it is well organized. And finally, he concludes in French: “I am Raphael Payare. It is a great pleasure and honor for me to become the new Principal Conductor of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.”

The Quebec press is very enthusiastic about a new appointment to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. “After the ‘rational’ Kent Nagano,” wrote one critic, “we are delighted to host a young temperamental and charismatic conductor. With his appearance, Payare resembles a “rock star”. We look forward to new discoveries from him from the magical world of classical music.”

Author: Lyudmila Pruzhanskaya

La Cañada – Society for Relief of Orphaned Armenians (SOAR)

La Cañada-Flintridge is located in the scenic Crescenta Valley between the San Gabriel Mountains and the Angeles National Forest to the north and the San Rafael Hills to the south. The city is home to the Descanso Gardens and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

La Cañada Flintridge has been home to many celebrities over the years, including Vince Vaughn; Angela Bassett; Mark Geragos; Ron Howard; Chris D’Elia; Diane Farr; Hayley Joel Osment and Emily Osment; Kevin Costner; Bill Plaschke, Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus and Steve Priest. Three of Walt Disney’s top animators, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and Eric Larson, and Academy Award winner Chris Buck have settled in this community. It’s also a popular filming location where clips from American Pie, The Dating Movie, Old School, and Frank Capra and James Stewart’s classic Celebration 19 have been filmed.46 “It’s a Wonderful Life”

The Crescent Valley is densely populated by a growing Armenian community and has many Armenian organizations and centers. SOAR La Cañada is bringing an important SOAR mission to the region while continuing to raise awareness of the needs of orphaned Armenians around the world.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Tatevik Tervartanyan
President

Tatevik holds an MBA and works as an Operations and Human Resources Consultant. She helps her clients by developing creative solutions to complex organizational problems. Tatevik is also the co-founder of Bloom’d, a corporate wellness company that aims to promote a healthier and happier workforce.

When the opportunity presented itself, Tatevik was eager to join SOAR because of her love for humanitarian work and her desire to lend a helping hand to those in need. Tatevik is attracted by the resilience of the human spirit and the beauty of helping others overcome trials and tribulations.

Christina Tusan
Vice President

Christina Tusan graduated with a BA in Political Science from Stanford University and a law degree from the University of Southern California. She is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully investigated and handled complex, multi-million dollar consumer protection cases in federal and state courts on behalf of the California Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. She was also in private practice. Christina has dedicated her career to helping consumers and has received hundreds of millions of dollars in consumer compensation. She has volunteered for many organizations and served on the boards of other non-profit organizations, including serving on the board of an organization that has helped improve the lives of students and teachers in Armenia. In addition to her involvement with the USC Alumni Association, Christina is active in the Stanford University Alumni Association, where she has volunteered at the university and where she is on the Los Angeles Stanford Professional Women’s Council. She welcomes the opportunity to serve on the SOAR Council, where she can contribute to the important work done by the organization.

Hayk Grigoryan
Treasurer

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Hayk Grigoryan graduated from California State University, Northridge in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He is a licensed Chartered Accountant and has over 10 years of experience in accounting and auditing across a variety of industries. In her spare time, she enjoys cycling, traveling, playing the piano and tennis. Hayk is passionate about helping others and benefiting the community. He currently volunteers at an animal shelter in Burbank and is excited to be part of SOAR to help make a difference in the Armenian community. “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Varand Onani
Secretary

Varand studied urban planning and real estate development (UC Berkeley, Columbia University) with a focus on people. He hopes to help people through his post-war reconstruction efforts for displaced Armenians around the world. Varand regularly visits Armenia and seeks to expand projects that help the development of Armenia and Armenians. His interests include hiking and camping, biking on the road or in the mountains, and playing + watching some sports (LA Clippers fan!).

Zara Aleksanyan

Zara Aleksanyan graduated from California State University Northridge in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism and has since worked as a photographer specializing in portraits, portraits and events.

Born and raised in Yerevan, Armenia, she has always been an active participant in cultural activities and fundraising. She has been published internationally and loves to explore new creative possibilities.

Sasha Aref

Sasha holds a Master of Public Health degree and is also a nutritionist. She had the opportunity to live in Armenia in 2013 and volunteered in several villages helping to collect research, disseminate information and provide preventive education on a range of health issues. She also had the opportunity to volunteer at the Our Lady of Armenia Center Summer Camp for orphans and underprivileged children, which is supported by SOAR. Sasha is very excited to continue raising funds, spreading awareness and supporting the beautiful children in Armenia.

Linda Hovhannisyan

Linda Hovhannisyan graduated from California State University Northridge in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She then began working at the USC Occupational Therapy Clinic as a practice plan administrator. At that time, she was the link between doctors, patients and insurance professionals. She established new policies and procedures to develop the practice and helped increase its presence in the community. In 2016, she earned a master’s degree in healthcare management from the University of Southern California, where she was able to use her business skills and passion for healthcare and community well-being to advocate for patient care. Linda now works at the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, handling corporate contracts with various healthcare systems. She also helps drive CHLA’s strategic initiatives throughout the community. Linda has a particular interest in working with the underprivileged. She has a passion for advocacy for children and wants to continue her passion by joining the SOAR community to help vulnerable populations and give them a chance to fulfill their dreams.

Cebu Sabunjan

Cebu earned a Bachelor of Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego with a major in Computer Science and has been involved in information technology ever since. He started his first business at the age of eighteen where he provided web hosting and design services for artists.