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Linscott Charter · Watsonville

Linscott Charter: The score trails the state median. The trajectory doesn't.

Linscott Charter still trails on raw proficiency — and it's climbing faster than most schools anywhere near it — and that holds when you follow the same students across grades.

220 Elm Street, 95076 (opens in new tab)·Pajaro Valley Unified·Watsonville·Grades K-8·258 students·66% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(831) 728-6301·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4045
% Exceeded11%21%
% Met+35%43%
Growth+7.2-2.9
Absence17.7%17.9%
Suspension0.6%1.6%
Scope Score
40
📈 On the Rise · Developing
ranked #3,176 statewide · #4 of 19 in Pajaro Valley Unified

Linscott Charter scores 40 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 45th 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 →

📈 On the Rise — Ask how many years the improvement has held, not just the latest one — one strong cohort and a real turnaround can look identical in a single year of data.

Most rating sites would stop at “35% proficient” and call it done. Linscott Charter deserves a closer read. The school sits in Watsonville, where three in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Linscott Charter's low-income kids hit 51.3% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

As a charter, Linscott Charter enrolls by application rather than address. That changes how you get in, but it doesn't change the score.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Has stayed near the 45th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathYellow(Declined Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 35% of students meet the standard today, above the 31% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 341%28%32%43%37%
Grade 433%37%32%23%46%
Grade 547%60%43%46%50%
Grade 657%79%77%80%68%
Grade 742%50%72%50%73%
Grade 845%55%41%66%50%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 332%31%39%50%30%
Grade 410%23%18%20%18%
Grade 523%24%40%21%31%
Grade 640%62%63%43%54%
Grade 745%30%52%37%40%
Grade 846%27%21%48%30%

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.

33%
63%
Grade 3 · 37% proficient
32%
14%
54%
Grade 4 · 46% proficient
10%
40%
50%
Grade 5 · 50% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 6.3pp across grades; the floor rises 13.0pp. 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.

51.3%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Linscott Charter's most underrated number

51.3% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.

Linscott Charter low-income: 51.3%State low-income: 38.2%

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
11.2%
State 21.3%
10.1pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+7.2pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
35.3%
State 42.7%
7.3pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
17.7%
State 17.9%
0.3pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.6%
State 1.6%
1.0pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed — new curriculum, new principal, new program. Momentum has a cause, and a visit will find it.

  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • 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 Linscott Charter in Watsonville, 51.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 19.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Linscott Charter outperforms its district average for low-income students by 31.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (51.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 3.1 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 115 students tested.

All students at this school: 44% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 44%, district —, state 43%44%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 40%, district 17%, state 32%40% · −4 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 41%, district 16%, state 32%41% · −3 vs school
MaleMale: this school 47%, district 21%, state 42%47% · +2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 42%, district 23%, state 44%42% · −3 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 41%, district 5%, state 11%41% · −3 vs school

7 of 13 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.

Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 2.0pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +6.2pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 17.7%, district 25.6%, state 17.9%17.7% · −0.3pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.6%, district —, state 1.6%0.6% · −1.0pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly twice the rate of Grades 7–8 students (27.3% vs 11.3%). Chronic absence here concentrates in the earliest grades — worth asking how the school works with new families on attendance.

Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–615.4%
Grades 7–811.3%
TK/K27.3%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Linscott CharterCharter
40/100
This school

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 32:1, district 22:132:1
Teaching staff9 teachers
Avg. experience7.7 years
Fully credentialed90%
First-year teachers22%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$58,520 – $109,309
Principal salary$122,944 – $142,021
Superintendent salary$268,536

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $23,166, CA average $14,815$23,166 · spent at this school
District current expense · FY 2024–25$24,632 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
Instruction56%
Instruction support17%
Student services13%
Administration4%
Buildings & maintenance8%
Other1%

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$15,608 per pupil
2019$15,165 per pupil
2018$15,343 per pupil
2017$13,924 per pupil
2016$12,975 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic84.1%
District 84.6% · CA 56.1%
White10.8%
District 12.4% · CA 19.9%
Other4.7%
District 2.2% · CA 9.0%
Asian0.4%
District 0.5% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 65.9% (2pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$91K · CA $85K
Median home value$809K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+18% · CA 35%
ZIP population82,806
Median age36 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 258 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California elementary school (≈480).

On the state's science test (CAST), 20% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Linscott Charter a good elementary school?

Linscott Charter has a Scope Score of 40 out of 100, placing it in the 45th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,176 statewide. 11.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 10.1 percentage points below 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 Linscott Charter's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 35.3% of students at Linscott Charter met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 11.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 11.2% 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. 169 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Linscott Charter rank in California?

Linscott Charter ranks #3,176 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 45th 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 Linscott Charter getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Linscott Charter increases by 7.2 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. 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 Linscott Charter?

17.7% of students at Linscott Charter are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.6%, 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 Linscott Charter compare to other schools in Watsonville?

Linscott Charter scores 40/100 (45th 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 258 students. Use the schools in Watsonville page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Linscott Charter serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Linscott Charter in Watsonville, 51.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 19.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Linscott Charter outperforms its district average for low-income students by 31.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (51.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 3.1 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 115 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

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%
11.2%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 40th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+7.2pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 55th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
35.3%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 44th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
17.7%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 50th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.6%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 59th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3274%33%26%37%37%−6
Grade 42832%14%21%32%46%+2
Grade 53010%40%30%20%50%+2
Grade 62825%43%25%7%68%+21
Grade 73017%57%20%7%73%+26
Grade 83013%37%47%3%50%+4
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3277%22%30%41%30%−16
Grade 4284%14%54%29%18%−24
Grade 52910%21%34%34%31%−4
Grade 62832%21%21%25%54%+19
Grade 73010%30%30%30%40%+6
Grade 8307%23%20%50%30%−2
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11597%14%76%3%

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
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged11551.3%+31+13
Hispanic/Latino14351.0%+30+12
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Linscott Charter ←4011.2%35.3%+7.20.6%
Watsonville Prep0.4 mi3312.6%34.5%−0.91.9%
Landmark Elementary1.5 mi312.6%11.6%+7.63.5%
H. A. Hyde Elementary1.5 mi294.4%14.5%−0.51.6%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193838#340612.4%31.0%4.9%2.2%-1.3pp
20224671#164416.3%33.8%16.1%0.8%+12.8pp
20234461#225813.2%34.1%14.6%0.0%+6.0pp
20244354#262317.1%34.0%10.6%0.2%-12.5pp
20254045#317611.2%35.3%17.7%0.6%+7.2pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female3.9%17.5%+13.6pp
Male5.6%17.6%+12.0pp
Hispanic/Latino4.7%16.3%+11.6pp
Students with Disabilities5.4%16.2%+10.8pp
English Learners1.9%15.9%+14.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged5.4%18.5%+13.1pp
All Students4.7%17.6%+12.9pp
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