Photo above: Plaque on a bench marking the 25th anniversary of the Clayton Community Library, March 2020. Mark DeSaulnier, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Mt. Diablo Unified School District runs Clayton’s public schools and assigns them by street address. The two district schools inside Clayton are Mt. Diablo Elementary and Diablo View Middle. Clayton streets in the Diablo View Middle attendance area have no assigned high school: students there get resident status by selecting one of five district high schools as their home high school, starting in 7th grade.
So don’t take a listing’s word for it. Look up the exact address, then verify it with the district before you write an offer.
Which district runs Clayton’s public schools?
Mt. Diablo Unified (MDUSD). Its district office is at 1936 Carlotta Drive in Concord, and it enrolled 29,193 students in 2025-26 (California School Dashboard, Mt. Diablo Unified profile, checked September 25, 2026). Clayton is one of several cities it serves, so the district’s boundary rules, calendar and board decisions all apply here.
How do I find the school for one Clayton address?
Use the district’s own tools, in this order:
- Run the address through MDUSD’s School Site Locator at schoolsitelocator.com/apps/mtdiablo. It shows the assigned elementary, middle and high school. MDUSD calls the result a general guide and “not a binding determination” (MDUSD, Find Your School page, checked September 25, 2026).
- Watch for the word “Choice.” If the high school shows as “Choice,” that street is in the district’s unassigned high school area. More on that below.
- Confirm with the district. MDUSD says to contact the school for a final answer. Its Assessment, Research and Evaluation department takes address questions at (925) 682-8000 ext. 4135 (same source).
Street lines matter. A home near the Concord side of town can be assigned differently than one near downtown. Check the house, not the ZIP code.
Which schools have a Clayton street address?
Two MDUSD schools. Here are their 2025 California School Dashboard results for all students. English and math are shown in points above the state standard, with the Dashboard’s color and the change from the prior year (California School Dashboard 2025, read through the Dashboard’s public data service, checked September 25, 2026):
| School | Address | Grades, 2025-26 enrollment | English | Math | Chronic absenteeism |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. Diablo Elementary | 5880 Mount Zion Drive | K to 5, 739 | 45.5 above, Blue, up 5.5 | 32.4 above, Green, down 2.0 | 8.3%, Yellow |
| Diablo View Middle | 300 Diablo View Lane | 6 to 8, 514 | 63.0 above, Blue, up 19.5 | 11.2 above, Green, up 14.2 | 13.2%, Orange |
MDUSD’s feeder chart lists Mt. Diablo Elementary feeding Diablo View Middle (MDUSD, School Feeder Pattern page, checked September 25, 2026). Having a Clayton address doesn’t mean a school serves every Clayton street, though. The locator is the only way to know for one house.
How do those numbers compare with the district and the state?
Both Clayton schools posted English and math results above the district’s and the state’s on the 2025 Dashboard. For all MDUSD students, English was 11.2 points below standard and math 41.1 points below, both Yellow. Statewide, English was 8.1 points below and math 42.4 below (California School Dashboard 2025, district and state results, checked September 25, 2026).
Two cautions. The Dashboard measures one year of test results and a few other indicators, so it’s a snapshot, not a verdict. And the colors blend the current score with the change from last year. Read the full report for any school on caschooldashboard.org before you lean on one number.
Why does my Clayton address show “Choice” for high school?
Because the Diablo View attendance area has no home high school. On November 14, 2016, MDUSD’s Board of Education approved feeder patterns under which students who live in the Diablo View and Pine Hollow middle school attendance areas are granted resident status by selecting a home high school, beginning in the 7th grade. The five options are College Park, Concord, Mt. Diablo, Northgate and Ygnacio Valley (MDUSD, Unassigned High School Attendance Area Residence page, checked September 25, 2026).
The district says Enrollment Services does its best to give students their first choice, but class size limits apply, so a first choice isn’t assured. It also warns that a choice submitted after a continuously enrolled student’s 7th grade year may not get the first pick (same source). Submit the form on time. MDUSD’s feeder chart shows the high school for Diablo View Middle as “Choice” (MDUSD, School Feeder Pattern page, checked September 25, 2026).
If you’re buying on one of these streets, the high school question is really a “which campus, and how do we get there” question. The five campuses are spread across Concord, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek, so map the drive to each.
Is Clayton Valley Charter High the Clayton high school?
No. It’s a public charter school at 1101 Alberta Way in Concord, and a home address doesn’t assign anyone to it. CVCHS says it will admit “all students residing in California who wish to attend based on available space.” Open enrollment for the 2027-28 school year runs September 1, 2026 to January 5, 2027. If a grade gets more applications than seats, the school holds a public random drawing (Clayton Valley Charter High School, Enrollment page, checked September 25, 2026).
Its 2025 Dashboard results for all students: English 46.0 points above standard (Green), math 35.1 points below (Yellow), a 95.5% graduation rate (Blue) and 83.3% of graduates counted as prepared for college or career (Blue). It enrolled 2,373 students in 2025-26 (California School Dashboard 2025, read through the Dashboard’s public data service, checked September 25, 2026).
Any preferences used in the drawing are set in the school’s Board Policy on Student Enrollment and Public Random Drawing, linked from the same page. Read it, and the school’s dates, before you count on a seat.
What should I check before I write an offer?
Three things, and save a dated copy of each:
- The locator result for the exact address, including whether the high school reads “Choice.”
- A call or email to MDUSD confirming that result.
- The full 2025 Dashboard report for each school on your list, not just a color.
The listing agent can’t promise a school, and neither can we. The district decides.
Questions people also ask
What elementary school serves Clayton, CA?
It depends on the street. Mt. Diablo Elementary, at 5880 Mount Zion Drive, is the MDUSD elementary school with a Clayton address, and it feeds Diablo View Middle per the district’s feeder chart checked September 25, 2026. Some Clayton area addresses may be assigned elsewhere. Enter the exact address in MDUSD’s School Site Locator and confirm the result with the district.
What high school do Clayton students go to?
Many Clayton streets have no assigned high school. MDUSD lets students in the Diablo View and Pine Hollow middle school areas select College Park, Concord, Mt. Diablo, Northgate or Ygnacio Valley as their home high school, starting in 7th grade, per its unassigned area page checked September 25, 2026. Clayton Valley Charter High is a separate charter school with its own application.
How does Clayton Valley Charter High School admission work?
CVCHS is a public charter that admits California residents based on available space, per its enrollment page checked September 25, 2026. Open enrollment for 2027-28 runs September 1, 2026 to January 5, 2027. If a grade gets more applications than seats, it holds a public random drawing. A Clayton home address does not assign a student there.
Where can I see test scores for Clayton schools?
On the California School Dashboard at caschooldashboard.org. Search the school’s name and open its 2025 report. For example, Diablo View Middle scored 63.0 points above standard in English and 11.2 above in math on the 2025 Dashboard. Read the whole report, and always verify which school serves an address with MDUSD.
Your next step
Found a Clayton home you like? Send us the address. We’ll run it through the district’s locator with you, flag whether it’s in the “Choice” area, and pull the recent sales on that street. Talk to an agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.
More on Clayton: Is Clayton, CA a good place to live? · How much does a house cost in Clayton? · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Clayton, CA. Updated September 25, 2026.
Sources
- California School Dashboard, 2025 results for Mt. Diablo Elementary (CDS 07617546004188), Diablo View Middle (CDS 07617546111504), Clayton Valley Charter High (CDS 07100740731380), Mt. Diablo Unified (CDS 07617540000000) and the state, read through the Dashboard’s public data service: caschooldashboard.org (checked September 25, 2026)
- Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Find Your School: mdusd.org/families/enrollmentservices/enrollnow/find-your-school (checked September 25, 2026)
- Mt. Diablo Unified School District, School Feeder Pattern: mdusd.org/families/enrollmentservices/enrollnow/school-feeder-pattern (checked September 25, 2026)
- Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Unassigned High School Attendance Area Residence: mdusd.org/families/enrollmentservices/transfers/unassignedarea (checked September 25, 2026)
- MDUSD School Site Locator: schoolsitelocator.com/apps/mtdiablo (checked September 25, 2026)
- Clayton Valley Charter High School, Enrollment: claytonvalley.org/admissions/enrollment (checked September 25, 2026)