Four public school districts received the lowest overall grades among eligible entries in Niche’s 2027 Marin County listing. Two earned a B and two earned a B+. The tie at B+ brought a fourth district into the comparison.
One district earned an A for college prep and a C for administration. Both districts with a B overall earned an A for teachers, a higher mark than either of the B+ districts received in that category.
Academics make up half of the overall score under Niche’s 2027 district methodology, which also weighs teacher-related data, student and parent feedback, and other factors.
The spring 2026 test results below come from California’s Smarter Balanced assessments, which test English language arts and math in grades 3–8 and 11.
Novato Unified School District — Overall Niche Grade B+
College Prep earned an A on Novato Unified’s report card, while Clubs & Activities, Administration, Food, and Resources & Facilities each received a C.
The district serves Novato and nearby areas in northern Marin, with 7,247 students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the 2024–25 federal enrollment count.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | A− |
| Diversity | A− |
| Teachers | B− |
| College Prep | A |
| Clubs & Activities | C |
| Administration | C |
| Sports | B+ |
| Food | C |
| Resources & Facilities | C |
About half met the English language arts standard
In spring 2026, 50.45% of tested Novato students met or exceeded California’s English language arts standard, and 40.70% did so in math.
English language arts fell about 2.3 percentage points from the previous spring, while math slipped by less than a point, according to state results compiled by EdSource.
Novato had 21.06 students per teacher in the 2024–25 federal staffing count. The national public-school benchmark was 15.2 in 2023–24.
The National Center for Education Statistics left the 2024–25 national ratio unpublished because Tennessee’s staffing data were missing. These ratios measure staffing across school systems. Class sizes can vary by campus and grade.
Arts applicants prepare a portfolio or audition
Students interested in the Marin School of the Arts at Novato High School can apply for the 2027–28 school year. The process includes an interview and, depending on the program, a portfolio or audition.
Students who live outside Novato Unified also need to complete the district transfer process before the program can offer them a spot.
San Rafael City High School District — Overall Niche Grade B+
San Rafael City High earned a B+ for academics, teachers and college prep, while food received a C on its Niche report card. The district serves grades 9–12 in the San Rafael area and enrolled 2,706 students in the 2024–25 federal count.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | B+ |
| Diversity | A− |
| Teachers | B+ |
| College Prep | B+ |
| Clubs & Activities | B− |
| Administration | B |
| Sports | B |
| Food | C |
| Resources & Facilities | B |
Eleventh-grade math rose while English language arts fell
Among tested 11th graders in spring 2026, 52.24% met or exceeded the English language arts standard and 34.08% met or exceeded the math standard. The district’s Smarter Balanced results show a gain of about 2.6 percentage points in math and a decline of about 3.4 points in English language arts from spring 2025.
The district had 19.72 students per teacher in 2024–25 federal staffing data, compared with the 15.2 national public-school benchmark from 2023–24.
Students can take College of Marin courses while in high school
At San Rafael High, students interested in dual enrollment through College of Marin start by speaking with their school counselor. Students seeking high school credit for an outside course must submit a request before registering.
The school also lists on-campus office hours for a College of Marin counselor who can help students work through the process.
San Rafael City Elementary School District — Overall Niche Grade B
Teachers earned an A and academics earned a B− on San Rafael City Elementary’s report card. The district serves San Rafael-area students in kindergarten through eighth grade and enrolled 4,439 students in the 2024–25 federal count.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | B− |
| Diversity | B+ |
| Teachers | A |
| College Prep | Not graded |
| Clubs & Activities | B− |
| Administration | B+ |
| Sports | Not graded |
| Food | B |
| Resources & Facilities | B |
The two state test results were about two points apart
In spring 2026, 38.15% of tested students met or exceeded the English language arts standard and 36.02% did so in math. Compared with the prior spring, English language arts fell 1.25 percentage points while math rose 1.5 points, according to the district’s Smarter Balanced results.
The district recorded 20.90 students per teacher in 2024–25 federal staffing data, above the 15.2 national benchmark for 2023–24.
Students learn in English and Spanish at Venetia Valley
Based primarily at Venetia Valley TK–8, the district’s dual-language program brings native Spanish speakers and native English speakers into the same classrooms to learn grade-level subjects in both languages.
The district asks participating families to commit through fifth grade. Families can contact the enrollment office or Venetia Valley to ask about entry and openings.
Shoreline Unified School District — Overall Niche Grade B
Shoreline earned an A for teachers and an A− for resources and facilities, alongside a C+ for sports on its 2027 Niche report card. The district operates schools in coastal communities including Tomales, Point Reyes Station and Bodega Bay.
It enrolled 473 students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the 2024–25 federal count.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | B− |
| Diversity | B+ |
| Teachers | A |
| College Prep | B |
| Clubs & Activities | B+ |
| Administration | B |
| Sports | C+ |
| Food | B+ |
| Resources & Facilities | A− |
About a quarter met the math standard
In spring 2026, 33.79% of tested students met or exceeded the English language arts standard, and 26.03% did so in math. The district’s Smarter Balanced results show that math fell about 5.8 percentage points from the previous spring and English language arts fell about 1.4 points.
Shoreline had 12.49 students per teacher in the 2024–25 federal staffing count. It was the only featured district below the 15.2 national benchmark for 2023–24.
Agriculture classes can start before high school
Shoreline’s Tomales FFA chapter expanded to include middle school students in 2024. Seventh and eighth graders at Tomales Elementary can take Introduction to Agriculture as an elective, giving them an entry point before they reach Tomales High.
What the four report cards show
The cutoff fell at B+, with A− the next higher grade among eligible districts on Niche’s list. The listing also includes the Marin County Office of Education, which the California School Directory classifies separately from local school districts.
Shoreline earned the highest grades of the four for clubs and activities, food, and resources and facilities, even with a B overall. And the two San Rafael districts cover different grade spans. The high school figures reflect 11th-grade testing, while the elementary district’s figures cover grades 3–8.
Families can start with Marin County’s address-based boundary search to identify their district, confirm the assigned campus with that district, then look up results for the school and grade in California’s Smarter Balanced results tool.