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Happy Valley Elementary · Santa Cruz

Happy Valley Elementary: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Happy Valley posts 80% meeting the standard, and 41.0% going well past it. Most kids here keep up. Fewer get pushed further. Ask the school what it does for a child who already finds the work easy.

3125 Branciforte Drive, 95065 (opens in new tab)·Happy Valley Elementary·Santa Cruz·Grades TK-6·106 students·8% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(831) 429-1456·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5845
% Exceeded41%21%
% Met+80%43%
Growth-0.4-2.9
Absence18.5%17.9%
Suspension1.1%1.6%
Scope Score
58
🏫 Solid Base · Solid
ranked #1,211 statewide

Happy Valley Elementary scores 58 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 79th 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 →

🏫 Solid Base — Ask what the school does for a kid who's already meeting the standard with room to spare — steady proficiency across the board doesn't tell you whether the strongest kids are being pushed further.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “80% proficient” and call it done. Happy Valley deserves a closer read. It sits at the 79th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

The headline number: 80.4% of students met or exceeded the standard, versus 42.7% statewide.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Slipped from the 92nd to the 79th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathGreen(Increased)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 80% meet the standard today, versus 84% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 394%100%100%82%78%
Grade 476%82%85%71%61%
Grade 588%83%94%86%93%
Grade 691%79%—91%93%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 394%95%88%88%94%
Grade 476%53%70%82%78%
Grade 575%50%63%59%79%
Grade 664%53%—73%80%

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
41.0%
State 21.3%
19.7pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-0.4pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
80.4%
State 42.7%
37.8pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
18.5%
State 17.9%
0.6pp above state avg
Suspension rate
1.1%
State 1.6%
0.6pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Happy Valley Elementary in Santa Cruz, 82.1% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 82.1% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Happy Valley Elementary outperforms its district average for white students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (89.3% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 28 students tested.

All students at this school: 82% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 82%, district —, state 43%82%
WhiteWhite: this school 86%, district 86%, state 56%86% · +4 vs school
MaleMale: this school 86%, district 86%, state 42%86% · +5 vs school

6 of 9 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 18.5%, district 18.5%, state 17.9%18.5% · +0.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.1%, district —, state 1.6%1.1% · −0.6pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–617.4%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 18:1, district 18:118:1
Teaching staff10 teachers
Avg. experience13.9 years
Fully credentialed92%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$49,418 – $109,366
Principal salary$0 – $0
Superintendent salary$174,768

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,080, CA average $14,815$19,080 · spent at this school
Federal share$490 per student

$490 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$21,031 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction63%
Instruction support16%
Student services3%
Administration12%
Buildings & maintenance7%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$13,933 per pupil
2019$13,345 per pupil
2018$13,463 per pupil
2017$12,217 per pupil
2016$11,352 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White77.4%
District 77.4% · CA 19.9%
Other14.2%
District 14.2% · CA 9.0%
Hispanic7.5%
District 7.5% · CA 56.1%
Asian0.9%
District 0.9% · CA 10.2%
GenderFemale 50.0%Male 49.1%Non-binary 0.9%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 7.5% (56pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$153K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.23M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+53% · CA 35%
ZIP population7,997
Median age44 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

At 106 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California elementary school (≈480).

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 64% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Happy Valley Elementary a good elementary school?

Happy Valley Elementary has a Scope Score of 58 out of 100, placing it in the 79th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,211 statewide. 41.0% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 19.7 percentage points above the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Happy Valley Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 80.4% of students at Happy Valley Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 41.0% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 39.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 41.0% 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. 100 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Happy Valley Elementary rank in California?

Happy Valley Elementary ranks #1,211 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 79th 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 Happy Valley Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Happy Valley Elementary decreases by 0.4 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 Happy Valley Elementary?

18.5% of students at Happy Valley Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 1.1%, 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 Happy Valley Elementary compare to other schools in Santa Cruz?

Happy Valley Elementary scores 58/100 (79th 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 106 students. Use the schools in Santa Cruz page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Happy Valley Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Happy Valley Elementary in Santa Cruz, 82.1% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 82.1% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Happy Valley Elementary outperforms its district average for white students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (89.3% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 28 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.

Your other options

All schools in Santa Cruz →

Private alternatives nearby

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

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 · 38%
41.0%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 69th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-0.4pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 34th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
80.4%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 79th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
18.5%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 49th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.1%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 55th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 31872%6%6%17%78%+34
Grade 41839%22%22%17%61%+16
Grade 51429%64%7%0%93%+45
Grade 61540%53%7%0%93%+47
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 31867%28%6%0%94%+49
Grade 41811%67%17%6%78%+36
Grade 51429%50%14%7%79%+43
Grade 61547%33%13%7%80%+45
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111436%29%36%0%

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
White2882.1%+0+20
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Happy Valley Elementary ←—5841.0%80.4%−0.41.1%
Main Street Elementary2.9 mi5426.3%51.0%+5.40.4%
De Laveaga Elementary2.3 mi5325.5%51.7%+0.20.1%
Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary1.6 mi5220.1%43.1%+2.40.6%
California average—4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20197292#45165.2%84.0%4.9%0.1%-13.2pp
20224873#155143.9%77.2%27.9%0.1%-30.7pp
20236891#50554.6%83.1%33.6%0.9%-15.6pp
20245982#106049.1%78.2%18.9%0.3%-12.6pp
20255879#121141.0%80.4%18.5%1.1%-0.4pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female3.6%28.3%+24.7pp
Male5.3%9.4%+4.1pp
Two or More Races5.3%14.3%+9.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged0.0%——
All Students4.4%18.7%+14.3pp
Students with Disabilities—0.0%—
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction

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