Overview
| School type | School of Choice |
| Address | 400 Duane Street, Redwood City, CA 94062 |
| Phone | (650) 482-2411 |
| School website | northstar.rcsdk8.net |
| GreatSchools | 10/10 ↗ |
Academic Performance
Student Growth
CA State Testing (2023-24)
Growth measures how much students are learning each year, regardless of their starting point. A school with low proficiency but high growth is accelerating learning. Proficiency measures how many students are at or above grade level right now.
Growth = % of students meeting their annual i-Ready Expected Growth target on the mid-year diagnostic. i-Ready is the district’s local K–8 literacy and math assessment; the LCAP goal is to raise this by 4 percentage points each year. Proficiency = % meeting or exceeding grade-level standards on the CAASPP (the California state test, given in spring of grades 3–8).
Sources: 2024-25 SARCs, 2025-26 SPSAs, 2025-26 LCAP, each school’s 2025-26 Board of Trustees data presentation. Proficiency from 2023-24 CAASPP. Growth from each school’s 2025-26 mid-year i-Ready diagnostic as reported to the Board.
Student Demographics
Chronic Absenteeism by Subgroup
| Subgroup | Rate | Absent | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Students | 2.3% | 12 | 531 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 1.4% | 1 | 71 |
| White | 3.1% | 8 | 262 |
| Asian | 3.2% | 3 | 95 |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0 | 88 |
| English Learners | 0% | 0 | 13 |
| Students with Disabilities | 0% | 0 | 50 |
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 2% | 1 | 49 |
Chronic absenteeism rate by student subgroup. A student is chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of school days — about 18 days a year. Groups too small to report (fewer than 10 students) are not shown, to protect privacy. Source: California Dept. of Education, 2024-25.
English Learners: A Closer Look
In 2024-25, 13 of this school's 527 students (2%) were English Learners — students who are still learning English. Another 42 used to be English Learners and are now fluent: they passed the state's English test and were "reclassified" (RFEP).
A "long-term English Learner" (LTEL) is a student who has been learning English for 6 or more years without yet reaching fluency; students at 4-5 years are counted as "at risk" of becoming long-term. Schools watch these numbers because the goal is for students to reach fluency well before the 6-year mark.
Source: California Dept. of Education English Learner data (ELAS/LTEL), 2024-25 school year.
Funding
Per-pupil expenditure data from the 2022-23 SARC. Restricted funds include Title I, special ed, and EL programs. Unrestricted funds are general operating. PTO/PTA revenue from IRS Form 990 filings.
Site Supplemental (SPSA) 2025-26
SPSA Source Breakdown
| Source | Amount | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| District | $44K | 8% |
| PTO/PTA | $326K | 58% |
| Measure U | $135K | 24% |
| Prop 28 | $59K | 10% |
| Total | $564K | 100% |
This school does not receive Title I federal funding.
SPSA budgets represent supplemental site-level spending (enrichment, counseling, PD, materials). Base operating costs (teacher salaries, admin, facilities) come from the general fund and vary by school.
Who Teaches Here
North Star Academy has 21 teachers for 527 students — about 26 students per teacher. On average, its teachers have been teaching for 14.7 years, and 6 of the 21 are in their first or second year.
Source: California Dept. of Education staffing data, 2024-25 school year.
Credentials
"Misassigned" means a teacher was placed in a class they are not credentialed for — most often classes with students learning English (EL). District target: 100% by 2027.
Teacher demographics highlights
| Hispanic staff | 19% |
| Staff over 55 | 42.9% |
Highest retirement risk in the district: 42.9% of staff are over 55. Lowest reading growth (9.6% of students hit their yearly goal) despite the highest test scores. Every student group does well — 81% of Hispanic students and 72% of students with disabilities meet grade level. The PTA provides $326K, 58% of the site budget.
Teacher Race & Ethnicity
| Race/Ethnicity | Teachers | % | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic/Latino | 2 | 9.5% | |
| White | 13 | 61.9% | |
| Asian | 3 | 14.3% | |
| African American | 2 | 9.5% | |
| Filipino | 1 | 4.8% | |
| Total | 21 | 100% |
Counts classroom teachers only. Source: California Dept. of Education staff data, 2024-25 school year.
Documents & Resources
School Accountability Report Card (SARC)
A yearly report card the state requires from every school: test scores, class sizes, teacher credentials, and campus conditions in one PDF.
School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)
The school’s yearly plan for how it spends its extra (“supplemental”) money — tutoring, counselors, materials, and more.
Bell Schedule
| Grade | RegularMon · Tue · Wed · Fri | Thursday | Super-min |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-8 | 8:35 AM – 3:00 PM | 1:55 PM | 11:40 AM |
Lunch Menu
PTO / PTA
Parent Communication
ParentSquare (district-wide) ↗
Konstella — Contact PTA Konstella lead Michelle Guiney for access
School Site Council
Chair: Jill Schmidt
SPSA adopted: May 21, 2024
Teacher: David Flint, Lauren Tickel, Nooshin Kaviani, Amaya Knight
Parent / Community: Jill Schmidt, Brian Etscheid, Michelle Guiney, Catherine Stewart
Board Meetings
Board of Trustees meetings with agenda items mentioning this school.