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School Profile · Santa Barbara

Foothill Elementary: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

Foothill posts 48.5% exceeding the standard — versus 21.3% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.

711 Ribera Drive, 93111 (opens in new tab)·Goleta Union Elementary·Santa Barbara·Grades TK-6·413 students·18% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(805) 681-1268
Scope Score
73
🌱 Building Momentum · Strong
ranked #403 statewide · #2 of 9 in Goleta Union Elementary

Foothill Elementary scores 73 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 93rd percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

Most rating sites would stop at “71% proficient” and call it done. Foothill deserves a closer read. It sits at the 93rd percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

The headline number: 48.5% of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 21.3%.

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

59%
20%
21%
Grade 3 · 79% proficient
42%
17%
41%
Grade 4 · 59% proficient
63%
16%
21%
Grade 5 · 79% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 3.5pp across grades; the proficiency floor barely moves. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
48.5%
State 21.3%
27.2pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
71.5%
State 42.7%
28.8pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-6.0pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
7.0%
State 17.9%
11.0pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.1%
State 1.6%
1.5pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
34.6%
State 18.0%
16.6pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

Your other options

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic26.9%
White50.6%
Asian6.0%
Black0.5%
Other16.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 17.7% (46pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
413
Near CA avg (~480)
Transitional Kindergarten
27 TK students
7% of a 405-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
22:1
1 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$19,759
District avg: $17,775 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
34.6% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$63,313 – $129,787
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Foothill Elementary in Santa Barbara, 81.3% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 81.1% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Foothill Elementary outperforms its district average for white students by 0.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (77.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (54.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 20.7 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 107 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Low-Income+6.1pp
13.1% vs 7.0% overall · n=84
Math · Hispanic−20.9pp
48.8% vs 69.6% overall · n=36
3 more gaps by subject
ELA · Hispanic−20.7pp
54.4% vs 75.0% overall · n=36
ELA Exceeded · Hispanic−27.2pp
26.9% vs 54.1% overall · n=36
Math Exceeded · Hispanic−21.2pp
23.1% vs 44.4% overall · n=36

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
White107 tested
ELA 81.3%·Math 77.6%· +0.2pp vs district
Hispanic50 tested
ELA 54.0%·Math 46.0%· +11.8pp vs district

Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.

Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 64%Support 33%Other 3%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$144K
$59K above CA median
Median Home Value
$1.30M
$638K above CA median
Bachelor's+
57%
22pp above CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
15.9 years avg experience
19 teachers · 11% first-year
Teacher Credentials
100% fully credentialed

Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25

Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →

Frequently asked questions

Is Foothill Elementary a good elementary school?
Foothill Elementary has a Scope Score of 73 out of 100, placing it in the 93rd percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #403 statewide. 48.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 27.2 percentage points above the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Foothill Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 71.5% of students at Foothill Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 48.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 48.5% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 312 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Foothill Elementary rank in California?
Foothill Elementary ranks #403 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 93rd percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
Is Foothill Elementary getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Foothill Elementary decreases by 6.0 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the elementary Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Foothill Elementary?
7.0% of students at Foothill Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.1%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does Foothill Elementary compare to other schools in Santa Barbara?
Foothill Elementary scores 73/100 (93rd percentile) among California elementary schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 413 students. Use the schools in Santa Barbara page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Foothill Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Foothill Elementary in Santa Barbara, 81.3% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 81.1% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Foothill Elementary outperforms its district average for white students by 0.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (77.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (54.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 20.7 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 107 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 43%
48.5%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 76th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
71.5%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 72th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
-6.0pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 61th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
7.0%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 68th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.1%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 62th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
34.6%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 73th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35459%20%13%7%80%+36
Grade 45942%17%31%10%59%+15
Grade 54363%16%16%5%79%+31
Grade 65753%30%9%9%82%+36
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35456%30%13%2%85%+39
Grade 46028%23%33%15%52%+10
Grade 54243%31%19%7%74%+39
Grade 65751%18%5%26%68%+33
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/114248%24%26%2%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
White10781.3%+0+20
Hispanic/Latino5054.0%+12+15
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Foothill Elementary ←7348.5%71.5%−6.00.1%
Mountain View Elementary1 mi7354.2%79.5%−16.30.7%
Kellogg Elementary1.2 mi6138.0%64.0%−13.50.5%
Vieja Valley Elementary2 mi5935.0%57.8%+11.20.2%
California average4321.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
72%73%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #452 → #386 → #279 → #376 → #403
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue