According to the recently released 2007 Base Academic Performance Index (API), Hercules High and Middle schools, while earning decent grades (an API of 800 is considered to be excellent), rated quite poorly when compared to similar schools with similar demographics. The same goes with Lupine Hills and Ohlone elementary schools. The lone standout, when looking at the Similar Schools Rank metric, is Hanna Ranch Elementary, which ranked 9 out of 10.

The hard numbers (pulled from the SFGate web database)…

Hercules Middle
2007 API = 725
State Rank = 5 (out of 10)
Similar Schools Rank = 2 (out of 10)

Hercules High
2007 API = 715
State Rank = 6
Similar Schools Rank = 3

Hanna Ranch Elementary
2007 API = 899
State Rank = 9
Similar Schools Rank = 9

Lupine Hills Elementary
2007 API = 766
State Rank = 5
Similar Schools Rank = 2

Ohlone Elementary
2007 API = 772
State Rank = 6
Similar Schools Rank = 3

While the API numbers are certainly not alarming — all are relatively near the 800 “excellent” threshold — there certainly is some cause for concern, as comparatively, Hercules schools need much improvement.