Loma Verde Elementary

<p>Loma Verde is situated in a quiet part of Ignacio, a section in southern Novato just west of Highway 101. The school serves a diverse array of families that live in the Loma Verde area, Rafael Village slightly to the north and the Marin County Club area slightly to the west.</p> <p>The school is one of eight neighborhood elementary schools in the Novato Unified School District. Loma Verde is comprised of 21 classrooms, a multipurpose room/cafeteria, a library, a computer lab, a staff lounge and workroom and two playgrounds.</p> <p>Principal Eileen Smith was named Marin County Principal of the Year in May 2010 for guiding Loma Verde to its second 50-point jump in Academic Performance Index test scores within the past three years.</p> <p>Loma Verde's API index for the 2009-2010 academic year was 842, up from 792 a year earlier. The state has set 800 as the score schools should strive to meet.</p> <p>As of the 2009-2010 school year, the ethnic breakdown of the student body included 51.4 percent Hispanics, 36.8 percent whites, 4.8 percent Asian Americans and 3.6 percent African Americans. Forty percent of the students are considered English language learners, which is double the district average per school.</p> <p>The socioeconomic status of the families in the Loma Verde area is lower than the district average, according to district statistics (socioeconomically disadvantaged students are those receiving free or reduced lunch or when neither parent is a high school graduate). Districtwide, 33 percent of students are considered socioeconomically challenged, but he number is 54 percent at Loma Verde. Thirty-nine percent of the parents surveyed had college degrees, well below the district average of 53 percent.</p>