Lupine Hills Elementary

Lupine Hills Elementary, an intimate primary school in Hercules, California, overseen by West Contra Costa Unified, teaches 387 students, covering grades K through 5.

Across the 52 schools in West Contra Costa Unified (25,133 students total), Lupine Hills Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Lupine Hills Elementary records that 39% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 33% Asian, 10% Black, 9% multiracial, 7% White. That is noticeably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 28%.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Lupine Hills Elementary has 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 19.6:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 22.3:1, putting Lupine Hills Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 74% of students at Lupine Hills Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Contra Costa County (around 45%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Lupine Hills Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 35.6% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 37.3%.

Across the wider county, ACS estimates for Contra Costa County put median household earnings sit near $127,229, roughly 45% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. In all, Contra Costa County runs 280 public schools (combined enrollment of about 167,423 students), of which Lupine Hills Elementary is one.

Nearest neighbor: Hercules High, around 0.6 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Lupine Hills Elementary. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Lupine Hills Elementary ranks 7th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 41.4%.

Geographically, the school is in a commuter-belt area.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 3%: 398 students in 2018 compared to 387 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment rose from 23% to 39% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 24.1:1 in 2018 to 19.6:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, 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.