Public school · Lompoc Unified

Buena Vista Elementary — Rating & test scores

100 Aldebaran Avenue, Lompoc · 498 students · Grades TK–6

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Campus map · © OpenStreetMap

Drawn from OpenStreetMap. Volunteers map it, so a new building may be missing. Buildings with no mapped height are drawn one storey high.

A picture of the campus, not an attendance boundary or a rating.

Schools maintain a closed campus policy. For students’ safety, visitors may enter a campus only with the school’s official permission; this drawing implies no permission to enter.

Scope Score 77

SolidScope Score · 59th percentile. Higher than 59 in 100 of the 5,726 California public elementary schools we score.

75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How the score is built

Near California in English (reading and writing), below in math, grades 3–5, spring 2026: 51% and 34% scored Proficient or Advanced, against 46% and 42%.

Source for this line
Source
California’s state tests (CAASPP), California Department of Education, spring 2026
Students
all students tested in grades 3–5: 218 in English, 216 in math
Comparison
California: CDE’s grade 3, 4 and 5 rows for the whole state combined, weighted by students tested (our calculation; 1,208,894 in English and 1,211,701 in math tested).

This rating covers grades 3–5. Buena Vista Elementary teaches TK–6.

Overview

Is Buena Vista a good elementary school?

Solid. Buena Vista is higher than most California elementary schools on English test results, progress in English and attendance. Buena Vista is lower than most on math test results and progress in math.

Test results, spring 2026

English, Proficient or Advanced6451%
Math, Proficient or Advanced4434%
English, Advanced6224%
Math, Advanced4012%

Progress in a year, 2025

English55+4 pts
Math17−9 pts

Showing up, 2025–26

Attendance5813 in 100
Buena Vista’s place among California elementary schools, out of 100Lompoc Unified’s other elementary schoolsBar colour, from the lowest quarter of schools to the highest

One more thing to know

In grades 3–5, spring 2026, 12% of students tested in math scored Advanced, against 21% across California. Advanced is the top of the state’s four levels.

Each bar is Buena Vista’s place among 5,726 California public elementary schools we score. Our calculation from California Department of Education records, updated October 15, 2026.

How to read these bars, and their sources

A place counts the schools out of 100 with a lower figure. The dashed line is the middle. Test results are from spring 2026, grades 3–5. Progress is the state’s measure of how the same students’ scores changed against the score it expected, 2025. Attendance counts students who missed 10% or more of school days; fewer is better, so a higher place means fewer such students.

Source for the sentence
California’s state tests (CAASPP), California Department of Education, spring 2026. All students tested in grades 3–5. California: CDE’s grade 3, 4 and 5 rows for the whole state combined, weighted by students tested (our calculation; 1,211,701 in math tested).

In its own words

What does Buena Vista say about itself?

We haven’t read Buena Vista’s website yet. Until we do, the school’s own site is the best place to hear it in its own words.

Open buenavistaelementary.lusd.org (opens in a new tab)

Progress

Did students here score higher than students who started at the same place?

In English, about the same. In math, lower. In 2025, students here in grades 4–6 scored 4 points higher in English than California students who had the same score the year before. The state calls that Average. In math, they scored 9 points lower, which the state calls Moderate.

English

+4

points higher than California students who had the same score a year earlier. The state calls it Average, the third of its five growth levels.

By student group · students counted

Hispanic or Latino85+6 points
Low-income750 points
White71−4 points
Students with disabilities39−7 points
English learners12+10 points

Math

−9

points lower than California students who had the same score a year earlier. The state calls it Moderate, the second of its five growth levels.

By student group · students counted

Hispanic or Latino83−10 points
Low-income72−11 points
White68−7 points
Students with disabilities39−12 points
English learners12−4 points

Grades 4–6, 2025, 176 students in English, 171 in math with scores in both years. Faded rows have fewer than 40 students. It describes results, not causes. Source: California Department of Education, growth model.

How the state’s growth measure works

The state calls this comparison an expected score. It sets one for each student from that student’s own score the year before.

California uses each student’s English and math scores from the year before to set an expected score, based on how students with similar earlier scores did across the state. Zero would mean students here scored as expected. In English they scored 4 points above that expected score, and in math 9 points below it. Unlike the growth in our Scope Score, it follows the same students from one year to the next.

The state sorts every school’s growth result into five growth levels, from Minimal to Exceptional.

Here, as at most schools, the state’s figure blends the two most recent years, so it moves more slowly than one year’s scores.

Our Scope Score measures growth another way. It compares the latest grade 5 scores here with the school’s grade 3 scores two years earlier (partly different children), then places that change among California schools at the same level. The state’s measure counts only students who took California’s test the year before, so the two can point different ways.

SchoolScope elementary standardized cohort gain: approximately 71st percentile on a calibrated reference scale, not an empirical school rank. This score compares school-level grade groups across English and math, not matched students in California's separate growth model.

Nearby

How does it compare with schools nearby?

1 of the 7 elementary schools nearby have a higher Scope Score than Buena Vista. Each school is compared with every California elementary school.

Scope Score

8 elementary schools within 4.8 miles, highest score first. Under each name is how the school takes students.

  1. Manzanita Public CharterCharter · its own lotteryScope Score 7760th
  2. Buena VistaScope Score 7759th
  3. Los Berros Visual and Performing Arts AcademyNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 7548th
  4. CrestviewNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 7337th
  5. La Honda STEAM AcademyNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 6913th
  6. La CanadaNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 677th
  7. Leonora FillmoreNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 664th
  8. Clarence RuthNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 663rd
Lompoc UnifiedCharter

A charter school takes applications from any family and holds a lottery when it has more applicants than seats.

Scope Score from California Department of Education state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, grades 3–5. Distance is a straight line from this campus and is not an attendance boundary. See these schools on the map

Scores and family income

Further right, more students are from low-income families. Higher up, more students scored Proficient or Advanced in English.

25%50%0%25%50%75%100%

5 of 8 schools are named on the chart. Point at a dot or tap it to read any school.

English results: California Department of Education state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, grades 3–5. Low-income is the share of students who qualified for free or reduced-price meals, 2024–25. The chart compares results, not causes.

Schools like it

How does Buena Vista compare with schools like it?

Buena Vista’s Scope Score is 77. 619 California elementary schools, counting Buena Vista, have a similar share of students from low-income families. Their typical score is 80. Buena Vista’s result is higher than 192 of them.

The five schools with the highest results of the 619

  1. Students from low-income families: 41%

    Scope Score 97Strong · 99th percentile

  2. Students from low-income families: 36%

    Scope Score 97Strong · 99th percentile

  3. Students from low-income families: 36%

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

  4. Students from low-income families: 41%

    Scope Score 95Strong · 98th percentile

  5. Students from low-income families: 38%

    Scope Score 95Strong · 98th percentile

619 California public elementary schools where 35% to 47% of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. The chart compares results, not causes. Our calculation from California Department of Education records, spring 2026.

How the group is chosen

The group is every California public elementary school we score where 35% to 47% of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. That is within 6 points of Buena Vista’s share. The count includes Buena Vista. Typical means the median: half are higher and half are lower. Schools differ in more than family income, and no score is changed for it. Our calculation from California Department of Education records: state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, and school meal eligibility, 2024–25.

Over time

Have results changed?

Results in both subjects were similar to 2025. English went from 49% to 51% and math from 37% to 34%.

Share at the state’s top two test levels, 2017 to 2026

Grades 3–5. Point at a year, tap it or use the arrow keys to read its figures.

English

No comparable testsNo tests25%50%75%2017201820192022202320242025202643%58%51%Buena VistaBuena Vista46%CaliforniaCalifornia32%Lompoc UnifiedDistrict

Math

No comparable testsNo tests25%50%75%2017201820192022202320242025202628%39%42%CaliforniaCalifornia34%Buena VistaBuena Vista22%Lompoc UnifiedDistrict

The lines break where a year has no comparable state test results. Each spring tests a different group of students. Lompoc Unified’s line combines its 10 elementary schools we score (our calculation). Faint lines are its other schools. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

Each year’s results

The top two levels were called Met or Exceeded before 2026 and are called Proficient or Advanced now. Lompoc Unified’s figure weights each school by the students it tested.

English, grades 3–5: share at the top two levels
SpringBuena VistaLompoc UnifiedCaliforniaTested here
201758%43%45%273
201853%44%49%246
201956%44%50%256
202252%34%45%198
202346%32%44%194
202445%34%45%195
202549%33%46%202
202651%32%46%218
Math, grades 3–5: share at the top two levels
SpringBuena VistaLompoc UnifiedCaliforniaTested here
201739%28%40%273
201838%29%42%247
201946%33%44%255
202240%23%38%198
202338%25%40%194
202448%24%41%195
202537%24%41%198
202634%22%42%216

Tests

How did students here do on state tests?

Above California in English; below it in math.

English

51%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

25242724
Lompoc Unified32%California46%

Math

34%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

33332212
Lompoc Unified22%California42%
MinimalDeveloping levelProficientAdvanced

In grades 3–5, spring 2026, 51% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and 34% in math, against 46% and 42% across California.

The state published these results on October 15, 2026. What changed across California. Spring 2026, grades 3–5 combined. From spring 2026, the state calls its top two levels “Proficient or Advanced” (formerly “Met or Exceeded”). Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

How does math compare with English?

In grades 3–5, spring 2026, math trails English by 17 percentage points in the share who scored Proficient or Advanced, against 4 points across California. The grades 3–5 cards above give each subject’s share.

How does grade 6 do?

Above California in English; near it in math. In grade 6, spring 2026, 53% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and 37% in math, against 48% and 37% across California.

English

53%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

18292726
Lompoc Unified38%California48%

Math

37%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

31321819
Lompoc Unified26%California37%
Results for each grade, spring 2026

What each level means: California's level descriptions.

English

English, grades 3–5: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 3Grade 4Grade 5
Proficient or Advanced49%47%57%
Advanced23%26%24%
Proficient26%21%33%
Developing level26%19%28%
Minimal25%34%15%
Tested697772
California44%46%49%
Difference+5+1+8
English, grade 6: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 6
Proficient or Advanced53%
Advanced26%
Proficient27%
Developing level29%
Minimal18%
Tested62
California48%
Difference+5

California is CDE’s statewide English row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

Math

Math, grades 3–5: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 3Grade 4Grade 5
Proficient or Advanced57%26%22%
Advanced24%6%7%
Proficient33%20%15%
Developing level24%39%34%
Minimal19%35%44%
Tested677772
California47%42%37%
Difference+10−16−15
Math, grade 6: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 6
Proficient or Advanced37%
Advanced19%
Proficient18%
Developing level32%
Minimal31%
Tested62
California37%
Difference0

California is CDE’s statewide math row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

A grade the school doesn't teach has no row. “Suppressed” marks a result CDE blanks because fewer than 11 students tested (CDE’s reporting rule); “none tested” marks a grade CDE lists with no students tested; “not on file” marks a result missing from the records we hold. None of them means zero.

All four test levels, with the number of students tested
Share of students tested at each level, spring 2026. The state’s test levels Advanced, Proficient, the Developing level (formerly Nearly met) and Minimal.
StudentsAdvancedProficientDeveloping levelMinimalTested
English, grades 3–5 · This school24%27%24%25%218
English, grades 3–5 · California24%22%21%33%1,208,894
English, grades 3–5 · Lompoc Unified14%18%23%45%2,021
Math, grades 3–5 · This school12%22%33%33%216
Math, grades 3–5 · California21%21%25%33%1,211,701
Math, grades 3–5 · Lompoc Unified7%15%27%51%2,022
English, grade 6 · This school26%27%29%18%62
English, grade 6 · California20%28%24%28%415,439
English, grade 6 · Lompoc Unified12%26%25%37%710
Math, grade 6 · This school19%18%32%31%62
Math, grade 6 · California21%16%25%38%415,904
Math, grade 6 · Lompoc Unified12%14%23%51%714

Spring 2026, grades 3–5 combined: 218 tested in English, 216 tested in math. California combines the state’s results for the same grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

Who goes here

Who goes here?

Hispanic or Latino students are the largest group here, at 47% of students. 72 of 537 students missed 10% or more of school days.

Missing school, 2025–26

13in 100

students were chronically absent. That means they missed 10% or more of school days (72 of 537 students).

At the average Lompoc Unified elementary school: 20 in 100. At the average California elementary school: 17 in 100.

Suspensions: 0.2% of students were suspended at least once (1 of 544). Average California elementary school 1.6%.

Students, 2024–25

498

students in grades TK–6.

Hispanic or Latino 47%White 42%Two or more races 6%

Family income

41%

of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25, 203 of 498. California: 63%.

Teachers, 2024–25

28

teachers, with 15 years of experience on average.

4% were in their first year.

92% of teaching positions had the right credential, 2021–22.

English learners

56%

of English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top, spring 2025 to spring 2026 (9 of 16 students).

Lompoc Unified: 44%. California: 47%.

It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent. Sources: California Department of Education and the California School Dashboard. Each tile names its year.

Full student mix, 2025–26
StudentsHere
Hispanic or Latino47%
White42%
Two or more races6%
Asian—
Black or African American—
Filipino—
American Indian or Alaska Native—
Pacific Islander—
Not reported—
Where these figures come from

Attendance and suspensions: California Department of Education, 2025–26. Student mix: the students the state’s attendance file counts, 2025–26; a dash means our records hold no count. English learner progress: California School Dashboard, 2026 . Student count: California Department of Education enrollment, 2024–25. Teachers: California Department of Education staffing files, 2024–25.

Teaching credentials: California’s School Accountability Report Card, 2024–25, measured in 2021–22: 23.7 of 25.7 full-time teaching positions. It counts positions, not individual teachers.

Student groups

How do kids like mine do here?

White students here scored well above the same group across Lompoc Unified.

This schoolThe same group, California
  • White112 tested51%California 54%
  • Hispanic or Latino136 tested24%California 30%
  • Low-income100 tested24%California 30%
  • Students with disabilities41 tested7%California 14%

51% of White students scored Proficient or Advanced in math (grades 3–6, spring 2026), against 38% for the same group across Lompoc Unified. Every group’s English results are in the table below.

Share who scored Proficient or Advanced, grades 3–6 math, spring 2026. Each group is compared with the same group in the same grades. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

Every group’s results, with the district

Low-income is the state’s “socioeconomically disadvantaged” group.

Proficient or Advancedgrades 3–6 · spring 2026
Group and subjectHerevs Lompoc Unifiedvs California
Low-income · 101 tested in English, 100 in math
English44%+1826%+836%
Math24%+816%−630%
Hispanic or Latino · 138 tested in English, 136 in math
English42%+1527%+537%
Math24%+717%−630%
White · 112 tested
English63%+1548%+360%
Math51%+1338%−354%
Students with disabilities · 41 tested · grades 4–6 only
English22%+157%+517%
Math7%+34%−714%

Each gap is to the same group, grades and subject: in Lompoc Unified, and across California. No group that is behind across California does 10 or more points better here.

No published rate here for Asian, Black or African American, Filipino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, homeless and military-family students, students of two or more races, English learners and foster youth. That can reflect privacy rules or small numbers; it isn’t evidence of a gap. This table covers groups by income, race or ethnicity, language and disability; girls and boys aren’t split out.

Family and staff answers

What would families and staff tell you?

Families can answer a short set of questions about Buena Vista. These are not star ratings or reviews.

  1. Family answers show once 20 families have answered.Until then this page shows how many have answered.
  2. The questions are about the school, never a person.No question asks about a named teacher or staff member.
  3. Answers are never part of the Scope Score.They sit beside the state’s records and do not change a school’s score.

Families

No family answers yet

0 of 20 needed before answers show

  • Does the school tell you how your child is doing, in a way you understand, before report cards arrive?Usually · Sometimes · Rarely
  • When you contact the school with a question, do you hear back within two school days?Usually · Sometimes · Rarely · Haven’t contacted them
  • Can you get school information in the language you read best?Yes · Mostly · No
  • And 4 more questions.

Answer the family questionsResponder en españolHow family answers work

Staff

Staff can’t answer for this school yet

We don’t check staff emails for Lompoc Unified yet. Tell us your district’s email domain and we’ll work on adding it.

Ask us to add your district

The school day

What is the school day like?

Buena Vista has transitional kindergarten (TK). Our records do not hold school hours or before- and after-school care yet. Ask the office.

Transitional kindergarten (TK), 2025–26

43

TK students in 2025–26.

TK is California’s free public program for four-year-olds.

TK count: California Department of Education, Census Day enrollment, 2025–26. Find TK schools near you

Money

Where does the money go?

$17,374 for each student in 2024–25. California’s elementary schools spent $20,288 for each student. Lompoc Unified’s plan for 2026–27 covers $45 million.

$17,374

for each student at this school, 2024–25
Spent at the school
$11,506
The school’s share of district office costs
$5,868
Of the total, from federal funds
$796
  • Buena Vista$17,374
  • Lompoc Unified elementary schools$17,543
  • California elementary schools$20,288

The district and California figures combine their elementary schools, weighted by enrollment (our calculation, 5,053 California schools). Spending does not show how well money is used. Source: California Department of Education, per-school spending report, 2024–25. Funding records ↓

Lompoc Unified’s yearly plan

$45million

in the district’s plan for 2026–27

$28million

planned for services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth

This is the district’s plan. It is not this school’s own budget. The plan has 4 goals. The district’s page lists each one. The plan covers $45 million of $185 million in total budgeted spending. Source: Lompoc Unified Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), 2026–27. Read the district’s plan →

The neighborhood

What is the area around Buena Vista like?

These figures are for everyone who lives in ZIP code 93436. They are not figures for the families at Buena Vista.

Typical household income in a year

$80,097

Typical means half are higher and half are lower. The ZIP code is the school’s address, not its attendance area. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024, ZIP code area 93436.

Typical home value
$504,000
People who live in this ZIP code
55,820
Typical age
36.5 years
Adults 25 and older with a four-year college degree
18%

What you can do

Who can act on Buena Vista’s results?

Lompoc Unified’s board decides Buena Vista’s plan.

How to take part

  1. Watch the board’s agenda: the hearing is posted at least 72 hours ahead.
  2. Send written comments on the actions and spending the plan proposes.
  3. Raise questions through the district’s parent advisory committee; the superintendent must answer its comments in writing.
  4. Read the midyear report, due by February 28.

State support

The state hasn’t placed Buena Vista in a support program. Federal designation under the Every Student Succeeds Act, 2025–26. Source 

Extra state help for the district

The state is giving Lompoc Unified extra help in 2026. It qualified on the 2025 California School Dashboard. The county office must help the district for at least three years, including a review of its yearly plan.

Extra help for Lompoc Unified: CDE’s assistance status file for the 2025 California School Dashboard. Source 

Reading screening in kindergarten through grade 2

California law requires schools to screen kindergartners through second graders for reading difficulties every year, with some exceptions. You get notice at least 15 days before, results within 45 days, and can opt out in writing.

Kindergartners can’t be screened before the 91st school day; transitional kindergarten isn’t covered.

If screening shows your child may be at risk for reading difficulties, the school must provide supports. That result isn’t a diagnosis, and screening can’t be used to delay a special-education evaluation.

Ask how many K–2 students screening found at risk last year, and how many got extra reading help.

California Education Code § 53008. Source 

Questions to ask

What should I ask, and when?

Bring these 4 questions to Buena Vista. Confirm anything about applying with the school itself.

On a tour

  1. What changes for a student who falls behind in math?9 points lower in math than California students who had the same score the year before, grades 4–6, 2025 (171 students)
  2. What are the school-day hours and after-school care options?

At the office

  1. What time does the day start and end, and is any day shorter?
  2. Is there care before or after school, and what does it cost?

Getting in

What comes after Buena Vista, and how do I get in?

Ask Lompoc Unified which school serves your address.

  1. Elementary · this school
    Buena Vista Elementary
    Grades TK–6Scope Score 77Solid · 59th percentile
  2. Middle
    Vandenberg Middle
    Scope Score 74Developing · 43rd percentile · 2026Its zone mostly overlaps this school’s zone on a historical federal map (2015–16)
  3. High
    Cabrillo High
    Scope Score 75Developing · 49th percentile · 2025Inferred through another school · underlying source period unavailable; not a direct feeder

These links come from past records and from distance. Confirm your child’s school with the district. Each school’s standing compares it with California schools at its own level. Explore schools on the map

All recorded links and nearby alternatives

Middle-school links

  • Vandenberg Middle

    Its zone mostly overlaps this school’s zone on a historical federal map (2015–16)

    Scope Score 74 · Developing · 43rd percentile · middle · 2026

    100% historical overlap of origin attendance-zone area · not a share of students

High-school links

  • Cabrillo High

    Inferred through another school · underlying source period unavailable; not a direct feeder

    Scope Score 75 · Developing · 49th percentile · high · 2025

Links do not guarantee placement. Charter, magnet, transfer and other admission routes can differ. Each school’s percentile compares it with California schools at its own level (continuation and alternative schools only with their own kind); the stages are not one ranking. Older zone links come from the federal School Attendance Boundary Survey (NCES SABS).

Where the path ends: Cabrillo High
Cabrillo HighScope Score 75 · Developing · 49th percentile · 2025estimated path

An inferred path through a middle-school overlap points to Cabrillo High. UC records 7 enrollees from Cabrillo High for fall 2025. The AP Course Audit lists 12 AP courses its teachers are authorized to teach in 2025–26. Those figures come from dated records. If a child starting here today later attended Cabrillo High, that would be around 2036, and a school can change a lot in 10 years. By the state’s 2023 count, 79% of the students who finished high school at Cabrillo High enrolled in college within 12 months, UC or not.

7 UC enrollees (fall 2025) · 12 authorized AP courses (AP Course Audit 2025–26) → full record on Cabrillo High's page
Source: UC & College Board AP Course Ledger

Where it is

Where is Buena Vista?

Address
100 Aldebaran Avenue, Lompoc 93436Get directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Administrator
Madalyn AndersonAs the state’s school directory lists it, last updated August 19, 2025.

A school’s place on the map is its address in the state directory. It does not show which homes the school serves. See nearby schools on the map

Short answers to 7 common questions

How do I get in?

Ask Lompoc Unified which school serves your address. See the details ↓

Is Buena Vista a good elementary school?

Buena Vista Elementary has a Scope Score of 77. It scored higher than 59 in 100 of California’s 5,726 scored public elementary schools (Solid, 59th percentile, spring 2026). See the details ↓

How often do students miss school or get suspended?

In 2025–26, 13 in 100 students missed 10% or more of school days, against 20 in 100 at the average Lompoc Unified elementary school. 0.2% of students (1 of 544) were suspended at least once in 2025–26, against 1.6% at the average California elementary school. See the details ↓

Did students here score higher than students who started at the same place?

In English, about the same. In math, lower. In 2025, students here in grades 4–6 scored 4 points higher in English than California students who had the same score the year before. The state calls that Average. In math, they scored 9 points lower, which the state calls Moderate.

  • Included in this measure: 176 students in English, 171 in math

See the details ↓

How do kids like mine do here?

In spring 2026, 44% of low-income students in grades 3–6 at Buena Vista Elementary in Lompoc scored Proficient or Advanced in English, against 36% for the same group across California. See the details ↓

Where does it lead?

In the 2015–16 federal attendance-boundary survey, most of Buena Vista Elementary's attendance area fell inside the attendance area of Vandenberg Middle. Boundaries come from the U.S. Department of Education’s School Attendance Boundary Survey, a 2015-16 collection and the most recent national one — they are approximate and may since have changed. A boundary doesn’t guarantee placement; confirm your address with the district.

  • Vandenberg Middle: Scope Score 74, Developing, 43rd percentile among California’s regular public and charter middle schools, 2026 results

See the details ↓

What should I ask on a visit?

The questions drawn from this page are under Questions to ask, ready to copy. See the details ↓

The full record

Source records

This page is built from 12 sets of records from public data sources. Every figure keeps its source, grades, year and count.

Data updated

October 15, 2026

Record sets on this page
12
Sources
California Department of EducationU.S. Census Bureau
State test years
2017–2026

Results

Students

Money and staff

Place, downloads and method

Score factorssource values, index and weights · 2025–26 · ranked #2,316 of 5,726 California elementary schools we score · #2 of 10 in Lompoc Unified
Score factors, 2025–26
FactorSchoolIndexWeight
Advancedaverage of English and math18%4742%
Proficient or Advancedaverage of English and math43%5023%
5th graders in 2026 against 3rd graders in 2024 (partly different children)+80 scale-score pts5820%
Chronically absent13 in 100555%
Suspension rate0.2% (1 of 544)615%
English learners: top level15%485%

Index is where the school's value sits among the California elementary schools we score, from 0 to 100, where 50 is their average; it is not a percentile. School values are from 2025–26. Chronic absence and suspension are CDE's all-students school rates; the score uses an adjusted version of each that pulls small schools toward the average, so their index can sit nearer 50 than the rate suggests. Growth is the change between the school's earlier and later grade-level groups, in scale-score points; it does not follow the same students.

Scope Score by year2018–19 to 2025–26 · each year’s inputs, and the score for each year we could verify

Scope Score

School yearScope ScorePercentileRankComparison group
2025–267759#2316California elementary schools · 5,726 schools · current formula

2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25 have records on file but no Scope Score we could verify against that year’s source files, so no score is shown for them.

School yearChronic absenceSuspensionGrade gap (points)
2018–197 in 1000.5% (3 of 634)−11
2021–22not on filenot on file−25
2022–23not on filenot on file−17
2023–2411 in 1001.8% (10 of 547)−10
2024–2514 in 1000.6% (3 of 521)−8
2025–2613 in 1000.2% (1 of 544)−13

Chronic absence and suspension are CDE’s all-students school rates for each year.

Grade gap: the same year’s grade 3 and grade 5 results, side by side. They are different children, so the gap describes one year, not any child’s progress. The Scope Score’s growth measure is a different comparison, shown in Score factors above (how it’s built).
No 2019–20 or 2020–21 records in this SchoolScope series
Every tested year2017–2026 · rates, tested counts, and each grade

English and math by test year · all tested grades

Year · subjectStudents with scoresTop levelTop two levels
2026 · English28025%51%
2026 · Math27814%35%
2025 · English26027%51%
2025 · Math25614%38%
2024 · English28222%44%
2024 · Math28215%40%
2023 · English26818%47%
2023 · Math26815%37%
2022 · English28124%52%
2022 · Math28114%41%
2019 · English33329%56%
2019 · Math33218%44%
2018 · English35125%56%
2018 · Math35218%40%
2017 · English35225%57%
2017 · Math35112%36%

Each year names its school year end (2026 = 2025–26). “Students with scores” counts each subject on its own, so don’t add the English and math counts together. A dash is unavailable, not zero.

Earlier years · grade and subject

Year · grade · subjectStudents with scoresMet or exceeded
2025 · Grade 3 · English7551%
2025 · Grade 4 · English6751%
2025 · Grade 5 · English6045%
2025 · Grade 6 · English5857%
2025 · Grade 3 · Math7645%
2025 · Grade 4 · Math6731%
2025 · Grade 5 · Math5535%
2025 · Grade 6 · Math5838%
2024 · Grade 3 · English7338%
2024 · Grade 4 · English6349%
2024 · Grade 5 · English5949%
2024 · Grade 6 · English8740%
2024 · Grade 3 · Math7356%
2024 · Grade 4 · Math6359%
2024 · Grade 5 · Math5925%
2024 · Grade 6 · Math8724%
2023 · Grade 3 · English5939%
2023 · Grade 4 · English5553%
2023 · Grade 5 · English8046%
2023 · Grade 6 · English7450%
2023 · Grade 3 · Math5959%
2023 · Grade 4 · Math5542%
2023 · Grade 5 · Math8019%
2023 · Grade 6 · Math7435%
2022 · Grade 3 · English4753%
2022 · Grade 4 · English8058%
2022 · Grade 5 · English7145%
2022 · Grade 6 · English8352%
2022 · Grade 3 · Math4764%
2022 · Grade 4 · Math7943%
2022 · Grade 5 · Math7222%
2022 · Grade 6 · Math8343%
2019 · Grade 3 · English9260%
2019 · Grade 4 · English9553%
2019 · Grade 5 · English6957%
2019 · Grade 6 · English7756%
2019 · Grade 3 · Math9159%
2019 · Grade 4 · Math9538%
2019 · Grade 5 · Math6941%
2019 · Grade 6 · Math7736%
2018 · Grade 3 · English9652%
2018 · Grade 4 · English7161%
2018 · Grade 5 · English7948%
2018 · Grade 6 · English10562%
2018 · Grade 3 · Math9745%
2018 · Grade 4 · Math7141%
2018 · Grade 5 · Math7925%
2018 · Grade 6 · Math10545%
2017 · Grade 3 · English7952%
2017 · Grade 4 · English8554%
2017 · Grade 5 · English10966%
2017 · Grade 6 · English7953%
2017 · Grade 3 · Math7954%
2017 · Grade 4 · Math8529%
2017 · Grade 5 · Math10936%
2017 · Grade 6 · Math7826%

Current 2025–26 grade results are under Academic achievement, in Results for each grade. “Students with scores” counts the students tested in that grade, subject and year. A missing result is not zero, and each year’s row is a different group of children.

Science (CAST)schoolwide · spring 2026
Science (CAST)TestedAdvancedProficientDeveloping levelMinimal
Schoolwide7210%28%49%14%

CAST is tested in grades 5 and 8, then once in grade 10, 11, or 12. This row is the school's all-student aggregate. Not part of the Scope Score.

Student groups: test resultsEnglish · spring 2026 · against the same group in the district and California
Group · EnglishTestedProficient or Advancedvs districtvs California
Low-income10144%+18+8
Hispanic or Latino13842%+15+5
White11263%+15+3
Student groups: the state’s growth measureCalifornia School Dashboard 2025 · points above or below what the state expected · shown, not part of the score
GroupEnglishnCDE categoryMathnCDE category
All students+4176Average−9171Moderate
English-only students+2160not categorized−10156not categorized
Hispanic or Latino+685Accelerated−1083Moderate
Low-income075Average−1172Moderate
White−471Average−768Moderate
Students with disabilities−739Moderate−1239Moderate
English learners+1012Accelerated−412Average
Two or more races+1011Accelerated−411Average

CDE reports scale-score points against the state’s expected score — not a percentage or percentile. The table keeps the group records SchoolScope imported for this school, including rows below our narrative display threshold. Muted rows have fewer than 30 students with a valid growth score. SchoolScope uses that threshold for the shorter narrative view; the reported values stay visible here. “Not categorized” means this imported CDE row has a growth value without a performance category. At least one estimate here is a CDE weighted estimate; that describes how CDE combines years, not a year-over-year trend. A group absent from this table has no imported record shown here. Its absence alone does not establish its size or performance. CDE growth covers grades 4–8; here that is grades 4–6. SchoolScope does not use these CDE figures in its Scope Score.

Growth recordsthe state’s student-by-student measure, and grade 5 against the same school’s grade 3 two years earlier, partly different children · two different measures

Grade 5 in 2026 against grade 3 in 2024 · English

English · 2024 · Grade 3
21%
exceeded standard · 38% met or exceeded
CDE CAASPP 2024 · 73 English test records with scores
English · 2026 · Grade 5
24%
Advanced · 57% Proficient or Advanced
CDE CAASPP 2026 · 72 English test records with scores

Minimum rounded subject-mean records with scores at the endpoints: 72 (school-grade cohort proxy).

These paired percentages describe English results for grade groups at this school in two years. The groups are not matched students. SchoolScope's scored growth measure uses a different school-level scale-score proxy across English and math; California's matched-student model is a separate measure.

California growth model · points vs expected

State model · English+4 pts vs expected

matched students, grades 4–6

CDE California growth model · 2025 Dashboard

Weighted school estimate; assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25

All students, grades 4–6

176 students

CDE growth category: Average

California growth model, English: +4 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Average, against SchoolScope's +2-point median for California elementary school records.

State model · math−9 pts vs expected

matched students, grades 4–6

CDE California growth model · 2025 Dashboard

Weighted school estimate; assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25

All students, grades 4–6

171 students

CDE growth category: Moderate

California growth model, math: −9 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Moderate, against SchoolScope's +2-point median for California elementary school records.

Source notes. CDE reports scale-score points against the state’s expected score for matched students, never a percentage. Among SchoolScope's retained California elementary school records, the median English estimate is +2 and the middle half fall between −5 and +9 scale-score points — the spread is wide, so read the figure against it, not its sign alone. CDE's 2025 Dashboard weighted school estimate uses assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25; adjacent reporting editions should not be read as independent annual changes. The CDE measure covers grades 4–8; here that is grades 4–6, and it is not part of the Scope Score.

Attendance and suspensionsState records · this school and each student group · 2018–19 and 2025–26

CDE’s all-students school rates for 2024–25 and 2025–26; the change is the difference between the two rates as printed.

Year-over-year school rates
Chronic absenteeism2024–25 · 14 in 100 → 2025–26 · 13 in 100 · −1 in 100
Suspension rate2024–25 · 0.6% (3 of 521) → 2025–26 · 0.2% (1 of 544) · −0.4 percentage points
Group2018–192025–26Change
Female6 in 10014 in 100+8 in 100
Male8 in 10013 in 100+5 in 100
Asian0 of 11——
Black or African American2 of 15——
Hispanic or Latino8 in 10016 in 100+8 in 100
Two or more races7 of 613 of 34—
White5 in 10012 in 100+7 in 100
Students with disabilities8 of 6317 of 97—
English learners1 of 385 of 24—
Homeless1 of 267 of 18—
Low-income11 in 10021 in 100+10 in 100
All students7 in 10013 in 100+6 in 100

Two reported school years only; no intervening-year result is implied. Where fewer than 100 students were counted, the cell shows the count and no change is printed. Source: CDE school-level chronic absenteeism by student group.

Fundingschool and district spending, from state and federal finance records · each row names its fiscal year and measure

Per-pupil spending

District · current expense$13,651 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · fall district membership: 9,231 pupils

California · selected district mean$14,491 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · SchoolScope’s unweighted mean across 818 selected California district finance records

School-level federal expenditures$343 per pupil

CDE ESSA · school-attributed per-pupil record · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 498

Central federal expenditures attributed here$453 per pupil

CDE ESSA · central expenditures attributed to this school · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 498

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,864 per ADA

CDE SACS Current Expense of Education · district fiscal year ending 2025 · average daily attendance denominator

These figures are not directly comparable: school ESSA attributed spending and NCES district current expense use different measures and populations. Their fiscal years are labeled above.

How the California mean was selected

SchoolScope starts with its selected California finance records, not every NCES California district. For FY 2020–21, it calculates an unweighted mean of NCES F-33 current expense per pupil. District records contribute once, regardless of enrollment. The calculation keeps records with positive per-pupil current expense, enrollment over 100, CCD agency type 1, and a recorded district name; it excludes names ending in County Office of Education, Department of Education, or Superintendent of Schools. This is a SchoolScope calculation, not a state-published spending average.

Selected General Fund operating costs · FY 2024–⁠25 · SchoolScope calculation
Instruction 60%Instruction support 11%Student services 12%Administration 6%Buildings & maintenance 9%Other 2%
The arithmetic behind these shares · FY 2024–25
GroupDollarsShare, to two decimalsPrinted
Instruction$92,180,02659.80%60%
Instruction support$17,644,68811.45%11%
Student services$18,482,64511.99%12%
Administration$9,893,8806.42%6%
Buildings & maintenance$13,665,3908.87%9%
Other$2,282,1661.48%2%
Total$154,148,794100.00%100%

These shares are our arithmetic: each group’s dollars divided by the $154,148,794 total of the groups shown, rounded to whole percents by largest remainder so they add up to 100. Dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar, so they can differ from the total by a dollar. SchoolScope groups district-level CDE SACS UserGL actuals from Fund 01, using operating objects 1000–5999 and excluding retiree benefits, food and community services, facilities acquisition, other outgo, and nonagency goals. These shares use that filtered total; they do not exactly break down CDE's official current expense per ADA above. The school-level ESSA figure uses a separate source.

NCES F-33 district fiscal-year history, 2017–⁠2021; latest district record shown: 2021
2021$13,651 per pupil
2020$11,944 per pupil
2019$12,456 per pupil
2018$10,801 per pupil
2017$10,324 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

Staffing recordsstate teacher credential-and-placement and district salary records · each for its own year

Additional workforce records

Properly assigned intern credential holders0.0%

CDE 2024–25 SARC, Teacher Preparation and Placement table; measured school year 2021–22. Share of reported school teaching-position full-time equivalents assigned to properly assigned intern credential holders. A reported 0.0% is shown; unavailable rates are omitted. This is a position share, not a count of current teachers or of emergency permits.

The surrounding ZIP codeCensus Bureau survey, 2020–2024 · ZIP 93436 · not the school’s students
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · 2020–2024 · ZIP 93436 area
MeasureEstimate
Median household income$80,097
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)18%
ZIP-area population55,820
Median age36.5 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Median household income covers the past 12 months and is reported in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. Bachelor's degree or higher uses adults age 25 and over as its population. A dash is unavailable, not zero; a reported zero remains zero. ZIP-area figures do not establish the school's attendance area or describe its enrolled students. These figures are not part of the Scope Score. See all schools in ZIP code 93436 →

Downloads, embed and methodologyCSV · embed code · sources · corrections

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Data sources: public data sources, including the California Department of Education · state tests (CAASPP) 2025–26 · Scope Score from 2025–26 results, compared across 5,726 elementary schools · attendance and suspensions by student group from 2018–19 and 2025–26 · district finance for the year each row names · Census survey (ACS) 2020–2024 · Data updated October 15, 2026

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