Three public school districts earned the lowest overall grades among eligible entries in Niche’s 2027 Santa Clara County listing, with two receiving a C and one receiving a D+.
The two C districts earned the same marks for academics and administration, but their report cards diverged on teachers, food and facilities. The district with a D+ overall still earned a C+ for resources and facilities, the same grade as one of the districts that finished ahead of it.
Academics make up half of the overall score under Niche’s 2027 district methodology, which also weighs teacher-related data, parent and student survey responses, resources and other factors.
California’s spring test results, reported separately below, show the share of tested students who met or exceeded state standards.
Franklin-McKinley School District — Overall Niche Grade C
Diversity was Franklin-McKinley’s highest mark at B+, while resources and facilities received a C− on its 2027 Niche report card. The kindergarten-through-eighth-grade district enrolled 5,675 students in 2024–25. Its San Jose schools include campuses in Seven Trees and East San Jose.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | C |
| Diversity | B+ |
| Teachers | C |
| College Prep | Not graded |
| Clubs & Activities | C |
| Administration | C+ |
| Sports | Not graded |
| Food | C+ |
| Resources & Facilities | C− |
About three in 10 met the state math standard
On California’s spring 2026 Smarter Balanced tests, 35.68% of tested students met or exceeded the English language arts standard and 29.71% did so in math, according to district results compiled by EdSource.
Math rose from 28.49% the previous spring, while English language arts remained close to its 2025 level.
Franklin-McKinley had 20.58 students per teacher in 2024–25 federal staffing data, compared with a national public-school benchmark of 15.2 in the National Center for Education Statistics’ 2023–24 count.
NCES did not publish a 2024–25 national ratio because Tennessee’s staffing data were missing. These ratios describe staffing across school systems. Class sizes can vary by school and grade.
Two campuses offer instruction in two languages
Franklin-McKinley offers Vietnamese immersion at Windmill Springs School and Spanish immersion at Jeanne R. Meadows Elementary. Students in the dual-language programs learn regular academic subjects in English and the program’s second language.
The district’s fall 2026 entry information was for kindergarten-age children and allowed families living outside district boundaries to apply.
Mount Pleasant Elementary School District — Overall Niche Grade C
Mount Pleasant earned a B− for teachers and a C for academics on its 2027 Niche report card. Food also earned a B−, the highest food grade among the three featured districts.
The east San Jose district serves kindergarten through eighth grade and enrolled 1,516 students in 2024–25 federal data.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | C |
| Diversity | B− |
| Teachers | B− |
| College Prep | Not graded |
| Clubs & Activities | C |
| Administration | C+ |
| Sports | Not graded |
| Food | B− |
| Resources & Facilities | C+ |
Math improved while English language arts declined
In spring 2026, 29.87% of tested students met or exceeded California’s English language arts standard and 22.52% met or exceeded the math standard.
The district’s Smarter Balanced results show that English language arts fell about 2.4 percentage points from the previous spring while math rose by just under one point.
Mount Pleasant had about 20.4 students per teacher in 2024–25 federal staffing data, above the 15.2 national public-school benchmark for 2023–24.
Free after-school care runs until 6 p.m.
The district’s Mount Pleasant After School program runs on weekdays from dismissal until 6 p.m. and includes homework help, enrichment and physical activity. It is free for district students. The 2026–27 registration page explains how the district prioritizes applicants and uses a waitlist if the program fills.
Alum Rock Union Elementary School District — Overall Niche Grade D+
Alum Rock’s D+ for administration matched its overall mark, while teachers received a C and resources and facilities earned a C+ on its 2027 Niche report card. The kindergarten-through-eighth-grade district serves East San Jose and enrolled 7,259 students in the 2024–25 federal count.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | C− |
| Diversity | B− |
| Teachers | C |
| College Prep | Not graded |
| Clubs & Activities | C |
| Administration | D+ |
| Sports | Not graded |
| Food | C |
| Resources & Facilities | C+ |
English language arts and math both improved
In spring 2026, 30.61% of tested students met or exceeded California’s English language arts standard and 22.13% did so in math. Both figures rose from the previous spring, by about two percentage points in English language arts and 1.5 points in math, according to district results compiled by EdSource.
Alum Rock had 19.38 students per teacher in the 2024–25 federal staffing count. That was the lowest ratio of the three districts, though still above the 15.2 national public-school benchmark for 2023–24.
Two Spanish immersion campuses came together at Fischer
The district brought Adelante I and Adelante II together at the former Fischer Middle School site for 2026–27. The combined Adelante Dual Language Academy continues to teach in English and Spanish.
Families interested in the program can use the school’s enrollment page to submit an interest form and ask about openings by grade.
Where the cutoff fell and what families can check
The cutoff fell at C, which both Franklin-McKinley and Mount Pleasant earned. The next eligible districts earned a B.
Niche’s listing also includes the Santa Clara County Office of Education, which California classifies separately from local school districts, and a Rocketship network that operates in Milwaukee.
All three featured districts earned a C for clubs and activities. Their state test results tell a more varied story. Alum Rock, despite having the lowest overall grade, edged Mount Pleasant in English language arts, while Mount Pleasant edged Alum Rock in math.
For families comparing schools, start with the county’s district locator to identify the district for your address. Then confirm the assigned campus with the district and use California’s Smarter Balanced results tool to look up that school and grade.