ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in
School Profile · Mendocino

Mendocino K-8: Low-income kids here outscore the state by 17 points. But one in four miss a month of school or more.

Mendocino K-8's strongest signal is real. Attendance is the number to ask about — and both belong on the same page.

44261 Little Lake Road, 95460 (opens in new tab)·Mendocino Unified·Mendocino·Grades TK-8·241 students·68% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(707) 937-0515
Scope Score
36
📈 On the Rise · Developing
ranked #3,177 statewide

Mendocino K-8 scores 36 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 39th percentile of 5,230 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

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

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “42% proficient” and call it done. Mendocino K-8 deserves a closer read. The school sits in Mendocino, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 54.9% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide.

The story this school is actually telling

The equalizer · low-income proficiency
54.9%

of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide.

↑ the number zip-code rankings hide
The catch · chronic absence
25.5%

of students miss a month or more of school, versus 18.1% statewide. High absence often tracks community stress — worth asking about on a tour.

↓ the part no ranking site shows you

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

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

13%
13%
74%
Grade 3 · 26% proficient
13%
37%
50%
Grade 4 · 50% proficient
17%
56%
27%
Grade 5 · 73% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 3.3pp across grades; the floor rises 45.5pp. 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.

54.9%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Mendocino K-8's most underrated number

54.9% 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.

Mendocino K-8 low-income: 54.9%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
12.4%
State 21.6%
9.2pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
42.4%
State 42.9%
0.5pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+7.2pp
State -3.0pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
25.5%
State 18.1%
7.3pp above state avg
Suspension rate
2.6%
State 1.7%
0.9pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
27.3%
State 18.0%
9.3pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school tracks and follows up on attendance. High absence often reflects community stress, not classroom quality — a visit will tell you which.

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Mendocino K-8
36/100
This school
▼
High School

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

Planning ahead? 2 licensed preschools near this school →

Your other options

All schools in Mendocino →

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic18.3%
White74.3%
Other7.5%
GenderFemale 44.8%Male 54.8%Non-binary 0.4%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
241
379 below CA avg (~620)
Transitional Kindergarten
3 TK students
1% of a 222-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Free/Reduced Lunch
68%
5pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
6 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$22,065
District avg: $23,828 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
27.3% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$45,006 – $94,441
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Mendocino K-8 in Mendocino, 54.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Mendocino K-8 trails its district average for low-income students by 0.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (35.3% Math proficient); White students (61.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 4.6 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 102 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Low-Income+6.5pp
32.0% vs 25.5% overall · n=175
Suspension · Hispanic+4.4pp
7.0% vs 2.6% overall · n=43
Math · Low-Income−6.9pp
35.0% vs 41.9% overall · n=89
1 more gap by subject
ELA · Low-Income−4.6pp
49.6% vs 54.2% overall · n=89

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

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income102 tested
ELA 54.9%·Math 35.3%· -0.2pp vs district
White125 tested
ELA 61.6%·Math 48.8%· -2.8pp 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 43%Support 32%Other 24%

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

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$74K
$11K below CA median
Median Home Value
$708K
$49K above CA median
Bachelor's+
46%
11pp 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
12.6 years avg experience
19 teachers · 5% second-year
Teacher Credentials
88% 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 →
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%
12.4%
↓ vs CA 21.6% · 41th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
42.4%
↓ vs CA 42.9% · 50th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
+7.2pp
↑ vs CA -3.0pp · 46th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
25.5%
↓ vs CA 18.1% · 38th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.6%
↓ vs CA 1.7% · 42th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
27.3%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 59th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 31513%13%47%27%27%−17
Grade 43013%37%13%37%50%+5
Grade 51817%56%6%22%72%+24
Grade 63614%33%19%33%47%+1
Grade 73531%40%6%23%71%+24
Grade 8329%47%28%16%56%+10
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3157%47%33%13%53%+8
Grade 43013%17%47%23%30%−12
Grade 51811%11%39%39%22%−13
Grade 63625%17%28%31%42%+7
Grade 73531%31%20%17%63%+29
Grade 83225%16%31%28%41%+8
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11508%34%48%10%

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 Disadvantaged10254.9%−0+17
White12561.6%−3−0
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Mendocino K-8 ←—3612.4%42.4%+7.22.6%
California average—4421.6%42.9%−3.01.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
46%36%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #2708 → #2662 → #2707 → #2478 → #3177
What we can't show
  • — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,230 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means

Frequently asked questions

Is Mendocino K-8 a good elementary school?
Mendocino K-8 has a Scope Score of 36 out of 100, placing it in the 39th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,177 statewide. 12.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 9.2 percentage points below the California average of 21.6%. 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 Mendocino K-8's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 42.4% of students at Mendocino K-8 met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 30.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.4% 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. 126 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Mendocino K-8 rank in California?
Mendocino K-8 ranks #3,177 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 39th 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 Mendocino K-8 getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Mendocino K-8 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 Mendocino K-8?
25.5% of students at Mendocino K-8 are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.1%. The suspension rate is 2.6%. 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 Mendocino K-8 compare to other schools in Mendocino?
Mendocino K-8 scores 36/100 (39th 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 241 students. Use the schools in Mendocino page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Mendocino K-8 serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Mendocino K-8 in Mendocino, 54.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Mendocino K-8 trails its district average for low-income students by 0.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (35.3% Math proficient); White students (61.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 4.6 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 102 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.
← Browse all schools