Photo above: Hercules Public Library, part of the Contra Costa County Library system. Coro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Most Hercules addresses are in West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), which runs five public schools inside the city. Some homes near the Rodeo border are in John Swett Unified instead, so look up the exact address with the district before you count on any school.

That second part trips people up. Same city name on the listing, different district. Check it before you write an offer.

Which school districts cover Hercules?

Two. The City of Hercules says it sits on the border of West Contra Costa Unified and John Swett Unified. Most residents are in WCCUSD. Addresses on the border of Hercules and Rodeo are in John Swett Unified (City of Hercules, Local Schools page, checked September 24, 2026).

So “Hercules” on a listing does not tell you the district. The address does.

Which public schools are in Hercules?

The California Department of Education’s School Directory lists five active public schools with a Hercules address, all run by WCCUSD (CDE School Directory, checked September 24, 2026). Grade spans and enrollment are from each school’s 2025 California School Dashboard profile. Addresses are from the schools’ own WCCUSD websites (checked September 24, 2026).

  • Hanna Ranch Elementary, grades K to 5, 421 students, 2480 Refugio Valley Rd.
  • Lupine Hills Elementary, grades K to 5, 387 students, 1919 Lupine Rd.
  • Ohlone Elementary, grades K to 5, 482 students, 201 Turquoise Dr.
  • Hercules Middle, grades 6 to 8, 596 students, 1900 Refugio Valley Rd.
  • Hercules High, grades 9 to 12, 767 students, 1900 Refugio Valley Rd.

Hercules Middle and Hercules High share the same campus address on Refugio Valley Road.

For homes in the John Swett Unified part of town, the city lists Rodeo Hills Elementary (545 Garretson Ave., Rodeo), Carquinez Middle (Crockett) and John Swett High (Crockett) (City of Hercules, Local Schools page, checked September 24, 2026).

How do I find the exact school for one address?

Use the district’s own tool, then call to confirm. WCCUSD’s School Locator lets you type in a home address and shows the assigned elementary, middle and high school, with boundary maps (WCCUSD Frequently Asked Questions page, checked September 24, 2026). It is at schoolsitelocator.com/apps/westcontracosta.

Three steps before you fall for a house:

  1. Put the full street address into the WCCUSD School Locator.
  2. If the home is near the Rodeo side, call John Swett Unified at (510) 245-4300 (City of Hercules, checked September 24, 2026).
  3. Call the district to verify. Boundaries and school assignments can change. Enrollment and registration details are on the WCCUSD Enrollment and Registration page.

A listing, a website or an agent’s word is not a boundary. The district is.

What do the state numbers say about each Hercules school?

Here are the official numbers, straight from the state. The California School Dashboard is run by the California Department of Education. The 2025 Dashboard came out in November 2025 and uses 2024 to 2025 school year data (CDE news release, November 13, 2025).

Test scores show “distance from standard”: how many points the school’s average score sits above (+) or below (minus) the “Standard Met” level on the state tests in English and math. Chronic absenteeism is the share of students in kindergarten through grade 8 who missed 10% or more of school days, so the Dashboard does not report it for a 9 to 12 high school.

  • Hanna Ranch Elementary: English 10.0 points below standard, math 15.0 below, chronic absenteeism 12.1%.
  • Lupine Hills Elementary: English 47.2 below, math 45.1 below, chronic absenteeism 20.3%.
  • Ohlone Elementary: English 15.8 above, math 12.8 above, chronic absenteeism 17.1%.
  • Hercules Middle: English 0.3 below, math 40.9 below, chronic absenteeism 13.0%.
  • Hercules High: English 33.5 above, math 33.8 below (chronic absenteeism not reported for grades 9 to 12).
  • WCCUSD, whole district: English 52.4 below, math 77.9 below, chronic absenteeism 27.0%.
  • California, all students: English 8.1 below, math 42.4 below, chronic absenteeism 17.1%.

Source for every number in this list: California School Dashboard, 2025 (2024 to 2025 data), each school’s report, checked September 24, 2026.

At Hercules High, the Dashboard graduation rate is 95.2%, and 70.3% of students in the graduating class counted as “Prepared” on the College/Career measure. The statewide figures on the same Dashboard are 87.8% and 51.7% (California School Dashboard, 2025, checked September 24, 2026).

Numbers move year to year, sometimes a lot. Look at the trend on each school’s Dashboard page, not one year.

What about GreatSchools or Niche ratings?

Those are private websites with their own rating methods. We don’t repeat their scores as fact. If you use them, read how each site builds its rating and compare it with the state’s Dashboard numbers above.

Is anything changing at WCCUSD?

Possibly, so check. On February 11, 2026, the WCCUSD board approved a plan to cut about $42 million from its budget for the 2026 to 2027 school year, including staff reductions and the closure and consolidation of some schools (Local News Matters, February 16, 2026). None of the reporting we found named a Hercules school, but ask the district what applies to your address before you buy.

Questions people also ask

Which school district is Hercules, CA in?

Mostly West Contra Costa Unified School District. The City of Hercules says the city sits on the border of two districts: most residents are in WCCUSD, and addresses on the border of Hercules and Rodeo are in John Swett Unified. Because of that split, verify the district for the exact street address with the district itself before you buy (City of Hercules, checked September 24, 2026).

What high school do Hercules students go to?

For most addresses in the WCCUSD part of town, the public high school in the city is Hercules High, 1900 Refugio Valley Road, grades 9 to 12, with 767 students on its 2025 Dashboard profile. Homes on the Rodeo border may be assigned to John Swett High in Crockett instead. Confirm the assignment with the district’s school locator and a phone call.

How do I check school boundaries for a Hercules home?

Type the full address into the WCCUSD School Locator at schoolsitelocator.com/apps/westcontracosta. It shows the assigned elementary, middle and high school and boundary maps. Then call the district to confirm, since boundaries and assignments can change. If the home is near Rodeo, also call John Swett Unified at (510) 245-4300.

Where can I see official test scores for Hercules schools?

Go to the California School Dashboard at caschooldashboard.org and search the school’s name. It shows English and math results, chronic absenteeism, suspension rates and, for high schools, graduation and college/career data. The latest version, the 2025 Dashboard, uses 2024 to 2025 school year data and was released by the California Department of Education in November 2025.

Your next step

Found a home you like? Send us the address. We’ll pull the district’s school assignment link and the Dashboard pages for you, so you can check them before you make an offer. Ask a Hercules agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.

More on Hercules: Living in Hercules, CA · How much does a house cost in Hercules right now? · Search homes for sale · What’s my home worth?

By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Hercules, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.

The Davis Team is a real estate team at eXp Realty of California, Inc., DRE #01878277. Bill Davis, DRE #01880656.

Sources

  • City of Hercules, Local Schools: herculesca.gov/our-city/local-schools (checked September 24, 2026)
  • California Department of Education, California School Directory, active public schools in Hercules: cde.ca.gov/schooldirectory (checked September 24, 2026)
  • California School Dashboard, 2025 (2024 to 2025 data), reports for Hanna Ranch Elementary, Lupine Hills Elementary, Ohlone Elementary, Hercules Middle, Hercules High, West Contra Costa Unified and the state: caschooldashboard.org (checked September 24, 2026)
  • California Department of Education, “2025 Dashboard Shows Gains for California Students,” news release, November 13, 2025: cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr25/yr25rel49.asp
  • West Contra Costa Unified School District, Frequently Asked Questions (School Locator) and Enrollment and Registration pages: wccusd.net (checked September 24, 2026)
  • WCCUSD School Locator: schoolsitelocator.com/apps/westcontracosta (checked September 24, 2026)
  • School websites: hannaranch.wccusd.net, lupinehills.wccusd.net, ohlone.wccusd.net, herculesmiddle.wccusd.net, herculeshigh.wccusd.net (checked September 24, 2026)
  • Local News Matters, “West Contra Costa school board pares $42M from budget, plans mergers and staff cuts,” February 16, 2026