1
What's the vibe like in the hallways at Mary Farmar Elementary right now?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
477
Elementary
DISTRICT 504 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·BENICIA UNIFIED·NCES 060462000424
Mary Farmar Elementary
901 Military West, Benicia, CA 94510 · (707) 747-8350 · Solano County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY22-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL477 STUDENTS
B-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 46% of California public elementary schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- C-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- C-Three-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
23.9:1
20 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 24.1:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
27%
127 students
DISTRICT 26% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 94 | 20% |
| Grade 1 | 91 | 19% |
| Grade 2 | 73 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 73 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 77 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 69 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (94) is 36% larger than its 5th grade class (69).
Student demographics
70%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 72% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Mary Farmar Elementary→Benicia Middle
Based on grade levels within Benicia Unified. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
50.7%
CA avg 49.1% . -9.3pp since 2014
Math
60.2%
CA avg 37.7% . +7.2pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 51 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 60 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 9 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 7 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 22.1% | 28.6% | 26.3% | 23.0% |
| Math | 25.0% | 35.2% | 24.5% | 15.3% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 50.7% | 60.2% |
| 2023-24 | 51.5% | 63.2% |
| 2022-23 | 48.6% | 58.0% |
| 2021-22 | 53.3% | 61.6% |
| 2018-19 | 52.0% | 53.7% |
| 2017-18 | 54.2% | 58.4% |
| 2016-17 | 57.6% | 61.0% |
| 2015-16 | 62.0% | 60.0% |
| 2014-15 | 60.0% | 53.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
56.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
63.9%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-7.9pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 56% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 64% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Mary Farmar Elementary
Mary Farmar Elementary's state test result (56.0% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 3 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Farmar Elementary this school | 477 | 26.6% | 56.0% |
| Odyssey Charter Altadena | 463 | 25.5% | N/A |
| Our Community Charter Chatsworth | 434 | 29.3% | N/A |
| Linwood E. Howe Elementary Culver City | 567 | 27.9% | 68.0% |
| Marvin Elementary San Diego | 543 | 28.4% | 77.9% |
| Paradise Valley Engineering Academy Morgan Hill | 442 | 25.8% | 59.0% |
Matched among California elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Mary Farmar Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Solano County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 56.0% | #1,339 of 5,151 | #5 of 55 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 60.2% | #1,053 of 5,172 ▼ 169 | #4 of 55 ▼ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 50.7% | #1,974 of 5,172 ▼ 189 | #13 of 55 ▼ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -2.0pp | #1,208 of 5,116 | #16 of 55 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 477 | #2,711 of 5,915 | #35 of 59 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 23.9:1 | #3,620 of 5,352 | #26 of 58 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 70.4% | #587 of 5,354 | #22 of 58 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 26.6% | #4,905 of 5,625 | #54 of 58 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +5.5% | #728 of 1,139 | #15 of 21 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
477
+45 (+10%) vs 2020
-18% since 1990-91, when it was 579
Student : Teacher
23.9:1
was 25.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 477 | 20 | 23.9:1 | 27% (127) |
| 2023-24 | 464 | 19.6 | 23.7:1 | 26% (120) |
| 2022-23 | 420 | 18 | 23.3:1 | 25% (105) |
| 2020-21 | 432 | 17 | 25.4:1 | 24% (105) |
| 2017-18 | 452 | 15 | 30.1:1 | 29% (129) |
| 2015-16 | 476 | 18 | 26.4:1 | 26% (122) |
| 2010-11 | 505 | N/A | N/A | 28% (140) |
| 2000-01 | 427 | 21 | 20.3:1 | 16% (69) |
| 1990-91 | 579 | 24 | 24.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Mary Farmar Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students up 6% (452 to 477); teachers up 33% (15 to 20).
About Mary Farmar Elementary
Federal records list Mary Farmar Elementary as an elementary school in Benicia, California. It teaches 477 students in kindergarten through 5.
Within Benicia Unified, Mary Farmar Elementary is one of 8 schools. The district enrolls 4,343 students.
The largest group at Mary Farmar Elementary is White students, at 42%. Smaller groups are 29% Hispanic, 17% multiracial, 7% Asian, and 4% Black. Census estimates put Solano County at about 39% White, close to the school's figure. The diversity index for Mary Farmar Elementary is 70%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
Mary Farmar Elementary has 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of about 23.9:1. By comparison, the average for elementary schools in California is 22.3:1. A common income measure, free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, is 27% at Mary Farmar Elementary. The rate at public schools in Solano County averages 60%, higher than here.
Among California public elementary schools, Mary Farmar Elementary outscored 46%, which works out to a B- on the allk12 Grade.
In California, Mary Farmar Elementary is in the middle band of BeatsExpectations: 56.0% actual against a predicted 63.9%.
Census data for Solano County show the median household earns about $100,401 a year, 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 7% of people live in poverty. Counting Mary Farmar Elementary, Solano County has 110 public schools.
Mary Farmar Elementary is about 0.3 miles from Benicia High, its nearest public school. Mary Farmar Elementary has at least 8 other public schools within five miles. Mary Farmar Elementary ranks 3rd of 7 among nearby schools on average proficiency, with 56.0% against a local average of 53.7%.
Mary Farmar Elementary is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population between 100,000 and 250,000, a location NCES labels Suburb: Mid-size.
Enrollment increased 10% over 4 years, reaching 477 in 2024-25. The student-to-teacher ratio dropped from 25.4:1 in 2020-21 to 23.9:1 in 2024-25.
Use the discussion section to ask about special education services, counseling, and support programs at Mary Farmar Elementary. You can also rate the school on this page.
Solano County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
451,918
Census ACS
Median income
$100,401
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
29%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
110
60,765 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Benicia Unified
- Benicia HighHigh · 1,335 students
- Benicia MiddleMiddle · 947 students
- Joe Henderson ElementaryElementary · 530 students
- Matthew Turner ElementaryElementary · 529 students
- Robert Semple ElementaryElementary · 480 students
- Liberty HighHigh · 43 students
Other schools in Benicia
- Benicia HighHigh · 1,335 students
- Benicia MiddleMiddle · 947 students
- Joe Henderson ElementaryElementary · 530 students
- Matthew Turner ElementaryElementary · 529 students
- Robert Semple ElementaryElementary · 480 students
- Liberty HighHigh · 43 students
Nearby schools
- Benicia High0.3 mi · 1,335
- Benicia Middle0.4 mi · 947
- Joe Henderson Elementary1.3 mi · 530
- Robert Semple Elementary1.3 mi · 480
- Liberty High1.3 mi · 43
- Community Day1.5 mi · 2
Frequently asked questions
About Mary Farmar ElementaryHow many students attend Mary Farmar Elementary?
Mary Farmar Elementary enrolls approximately 477 students in grades KG-05.
Is Mary Farmar Elementary an elementary, middle, or high school?
Mary Farmar Elementary is an elementary school covering grades KG-05.
How many teachers does Mary Farmar Elementary have?
Mary Farmar Elementary employs 20 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 23.9:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Mary Farmar Elementary?
At Mary Farmar Elementary, the student body is approximately 42% White, 29% Hispanic, 4% Black, 7% Asian, 17% Two or more.
Is Mary Farmar Elementary public or private?
Mary Farmar Elementary is a public K-12 school, overseen by Benicia Unified.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.