Emerson Elementary

Emerson Elementary is a primary school of low-enrollment scale in Oakland, California, run under Oakland Unified, works with 354 students in grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 465 students per school, that is 24% smaller than typical.

Across the 84 schools in Oakland Unified (33,973 students total), Emerson Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Emerson Elementary records that the most-represented group is Black (29%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Beyond that, the school lists 27% White, 22% Hispanic, 17% multiracial, 3% Asian. That is considerably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 10%.

On the income-and-resources front, The school currently runs with 18 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 19.7:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 22.3:1 average. An estimated 74% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Alameda County (around 49%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Emerson Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 35.2% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 28.6%.

In the broader community, census data for Alameda County shows median household income runs about $129,367, roughly 52% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. In all, Alameda County runs 394 public schools (combined enrollment of about 210,511 students), of which Emerson Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Oakland International High, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Emerson Elementary comes 4th of 5 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 54.3%.

Geographically, the school is in an urban area.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 13%: 314 students in 2018 compared to 354 in 2025. Black enrollment moved from 48% to 29% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 25.1:1 in 2018 to 19.7:1 today.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.