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Mission Elementary · Soledad

Mission Elementary: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Mission posts 40% meeting the standard and 7.1% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

36825 Foothill Road, 93960 (opens in new tab)·Mission Union Elementary·Soledad·Grades K-8·130 students·37% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(831) 678-3524·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3445
% Exceeded7%21%
% Met+40%43%
Growth-3.6-2.9
Absence10.0%17.9%
Suspension0.5%1.6%
Scope Score
34
🤝 Culture First · Developing
ranked #4,274 statewide

Mission Elementary scores 34 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 26th 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 →

🤝 Culture First — Ask whether the low absenteeism and suspension numbers come from what the school does or from the community it serves — both can produce the same numbers, and only a visit tells you which.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “40% proficient” and call it done. Mission deserves a closer read. The school sits in Soledad, where one in three students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Slipped from the 36th to the 26th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELARed(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 40% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 354%50%31%38%50%
Grade 4—31%46%33%36%
Grade 542%50%43%80%64%
Grade 623%54%53%31%87%
Grade 771%64%64%86%36%
Grade 869%63%—64%64%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 346%31%54%38%36%
Grade 4—15%38%47%36%
Grade 526%13%21%20%14%
Grade 615%25%20%8%20%
Grade 764%18%—50%36%
Grade 854%42%—27%36%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
7.1%
State 21.3%
14.2pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-3.6pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
39.5%
State 42.7%
3.2pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
10.0%
State 17.9%
7.9pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.5%
State 1.6%
1.2pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
11.8%
State 18.0%
6.2pp below 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.

  • Ask what changes between grade 3 and grade 5 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • 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 Mission Elementary in Soledad, 44.1% of hispanic students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 44.1% district-wide and 38.8% statewide. Mission Elementary outperforms its district average for hispanic students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Hispanic students (23.5% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 34 students tested.

All students at this school: 43% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 43%, district —, state 43%43%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 34%, district 34%, state 32%34% · −9 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 59%, district 59%, state 44%59% · +16 vs school

8 of 11 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 10.0%, district 10.0%, state 17.9%10.0% · −7.9pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.5%, district —, state 1.6%0.5% · −1.2pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–616.7%
Grades 7–83.4%
TK/K0.0%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 22:1, district 22:122:1
Teaching staff8 teachers
Avg. experience3.8 years
Fully credentialed88%
First-year teachers63%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$57,931 – $91,849
Principal salary$0 – $0
Superintendent salary$137,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,125, CA average $14,815$18,125 · spent at this school
Federal share$411 per student

$411 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,828 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
Instruction65%
Instruction support14%
Student services4%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance9%

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$12,333 per pupil
2019$12,328 per pupil
2018$11,481 per pupil
2017$11,092 per pupil
2016$9,960 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic71.5%
District 71.5% · CA 56.1%
White22.3%
District 22.3% · CA 19.9%
Asian3.1%
District 3.1% · CA 10.2%
Black1.5%
District 1.5% · CA 4.8%
Other1.5%
District 1.5% · CA 9.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 36.9% (27pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$96K · CA $85K
Median home value$595K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+7% · CA 35%
ZIP population27,471
Median age35 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 130 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California elementary school (≈480).

On the state's science test (CAST), 16% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Mission Elementary a good elementary school?

Mission Elementary has a Scope Score of 34 out of 100, placing it in the 26th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #4,274 statewide. 7.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 14.2 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 Mission Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 39.5% of students at Mission Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 7.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 32.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 7.1% 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. 78 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Mission Elementary rank in California?

Mission Elementary ranks #4,274 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 26th 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 Mission Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Mission Elementary decreases by 3.6 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 Mission Elementary?

10.0% of students at Mission 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 0.5%, 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 Mission Elementary compare to other schools in Soledad?

Mission Elementary scores 34/100 (26th 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 130 students. Use the schools in Soledad page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Mission Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Mission Elementary in Soledad, 44.1% of hispanic students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 44.1% district-wide and 38.8% statewide. Mission Elementary outperforms its district average for hispanic students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Hispanic students (23.5% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 34 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

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

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%
7.1%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 36th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-3.6pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 38th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
39.5%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 48th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
10.0%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 63th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.5%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 60th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
11.8%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 44th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 31421%29%14%36%50%+7
Grade 4110%36%18%45%36%−8
Grade 5147%57%14%21%64%+16
Grade 61527%60%7%7%87%+40
Grade 71421%14%21%43%36%−12
Grade 81136%27%36%0%64%+18
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3147%29%29%36%36%−10
Grade 4110%36%18%45%36%−5
Grade 5147%7%36%50%14%−21
Grade 6157%13%40%40%20%−15
Grade 7147%29%14%50%36%+2
Grade 81136%0%45%18%36%+4
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11254%12%76%8%

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
Hispanic/Latino3444.1%+0+5
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Mission Elementary ←—347.1%39.5%−3.60.5%
California average—4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193736#352915.0%42.1%4.4%0.1%-15.8pp
20222314#49167.5%31.6%16.7%1.5%-9.4pp
20233129#407514.9%38.9%24.3%0.1%-10.2pp
20244455#258212.0%42.8%16.3%0.4%+11.5pp
20253426#42747.1%39.5%10.0%0.5%-3.6pp
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
Female2.9%6.2%+3.3pp
Male4.9%7.7%+2.8pp
Hispanic/Latino3.8%8.5%+4.7pp
English Learners12.0%0.0%-12.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged7.3%7.8%+0.5pp
All Students3.8%6.9%+3.1pp
Students with Disabilities—10.5%—
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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