District guide
West Contra Costa Unified public schools
Parent-focused district context for Contra Costa County, CA: school list, grade pathway, enrollment scale, profile links, and the local checks to make before using the district in a housing decision.
Direct answer for parents
What West Contra Costa Unified tells you before choosing a home
West Contra Costa Unified is listed with 54 public schools and 25,626 reported students in the current NCES file. Treat this as a district-level research page: it helps you understand scale, grade coverage, and school records, but it does not confirm the school assigned to a specific address.
The current district file lists 38 primary, 6 middle, 8 high, 2 other schools. Verify transition grades, feeder patterns, transfer policies, and program eligibility with the district.
54 district schools are associated with Contra Costa County in the current file, about 19% of listed county schools. Confirm address-level assignment locally.
Grade pathway
District school mix by level
Use this section to separate elementary, middle, high, and other school records before comparing commute, programs, and assignment rules.
38
14,466 reported students
6
3,066 reported students
8
7,526 reported students
2
568 reported students
Parent checks for West Contra Costa Unified
These are the local questions that matter after the public data narrows the field.
Confirm the assigned school
Use official attendance-zone or address lookup tools before assuming a school serves a home.
Check transition grades
Elementary choices can split into different middle or high school paths, especially in large districts.
Verify choice-program rules
Charter, magnet, virtual, and transfer options can require applications, lotteries, or eligibility checks.
Compare similar schools
Compare schools at the same level before treating enrollment, grade span, or school type as a quality signal.
School records
Largest listed schools in West Contra Costa Unified
Sorted by reported enrollment. Profile links appear where SchoolsByCounty has generated an individual school page; listed-only records still preserve NCES grade, type, city, and enrollment fields.
| School | Level | Grades | City | Enrollment | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Cerrito High Regular | High | 9–12 | El Cerrito | 1,522 | Profile |
| Richmond High Regular | High | 9–12 | Richmond | 1,431 | Profile |
| Pinole Valley High Regular | High | 9–12 | Pinole | 1,280 | Profile |
| De Anza High Regular | High | 9–12 | Richmond | 1,237 | Profile |
| John F. Kennedy High Regular | High | 9–12 | Richmond | 823 | Listed only |
| Hercules High Regular | High | 9–12 | Hercules | 734 | Listed only |
| Fred T. Korematsu Middle Regular | Middle | 7–8 | El Cerrito | 681 | Listed only |
| Helms Middle Regular | Middle | 7–8 | San Pablo | 591 | Listed only |
| Hercules Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Hercules | 590 | Listed only |
| Vista Independent Study / Virtual Academy Alternative | Other | KG–12 | San Pablo | 568 | Listed only |
| Grant Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | Richmond | 562 | Listed only |
| Peres Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–8 | Richmond | 537 | Listed only |
| Dover Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | San Pablo | 530 | Listed only |
| Mira Vista Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–8 | Richmond | 512 | Listed only |
| Fairmont Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | El Cerrito | 503 | Listed only |
| Harding Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | El Cerrito | 475 | Listed only |
| Montalvin Manor Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–8 | San Pablo | 475 | Listed only |
| Madera Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | El Cerrito | 465 | Listed only |
| Ohlone Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Hercules | 452 | Listed only |
| Nystrom Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | Richmond | 444 | Listed only |
| Cesar E. Chavez Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | Richmond | 435 | Listed only |
| Michelle Obama Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | Richmond | 431 | Listed only |
| Edward M. Downer Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | San Pablo | 425 | Listed only |
| Kensington Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | Kensington | 421 | Listed only |
| Lovonya DeJean Middle Regular | Middle | 7–8 | Richmond | 404 | Listed only |
| Murphy Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | El Sobrante | 404 | Listed only |
| Betty Reid Soskin Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | El Sobrante | 401 | Listed only |
| Pinole Middle Regular | Middle | 7–8 | Pinole | 399 | Listed only |
| West County Mandarin Regular | Primary | KG–6 | Pinole | 397 | Listed only |
| Ford Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | Richmond | 395 | Listed only |
| Hanna Ranch Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Hercules | 392 | Listed only |
| Highland Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | Richmond | 389 | Listed only |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | Richmond | 385 | Listed only |
| Stewart Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–8 | Pinole | 376 | Listed only |
| Lupine Hills Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Hercules | 371 | Listed only |
| Lake Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | San Pablo | 362 | Listed only |
| Tara Hills Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | San Pablo | 347 | Listed only |
| Shannon Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | Pinole | 335 | Listed only |
| Olinda Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | El Sobrante | 333 | Listed only |
| Coronado Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–6 | Richmond | 329 | Listed only |
Communities in the district file
NCES city fields are directory fields, not attendance boundaries. Use them to orient the district footprint, then verify the exact home-to-school assignment.
County coverage
Some districts can include records associated with more than one county. The route is anchored to the district's primary county record in the current data.
West Contra Costa Unified FAQ
What schools are included for West Contra Costa Unified?
West Contra Costa Unified includes 54 public schools in the current NCES district file. The current district file lists 38 primary, 6 middle, 8 high, 2 other schools.
Does this West Contra Costa Unified page show exact attendance zones?
No. SchoolsByCounty publishes district and school records from public data. Attendance boundaries, transportation, transfers, magnet eligibility, and charter rules must be confirmed with West Contra Costa Unified or local assignment tools.
Is West Contra Costa Unified ranked as the best district in Contra Costa County?
No. This is a district guide, not a recommendation or ranking. Use it to understand the district's listed schools, grade spans, enrollment scale, and available school profiles before verifying local fit.
How many West Contra Costa Unified schools have detailed profiles?
4 schools in this district currently link to detailed SchoolsByCounty profiles. Other schools remain listed with NCES directory fields.
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.