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Monte Vista · Simi Valley

Monte Vista: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Monte Vista posts 37% meeting the standard and 8.6% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

1220 Fourth Street, 93065 (opens in new tab)·Simi Valley Unified·Simi Valley·Grades K-12·371 students·45% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(805) 579-6326·Website
Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.
2022–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3545
% Exceeded9%21%
% Met+37%43%
Growth-2.9
Absence28.0%17.9%
Suspension0.9%1.6%
Scope Score
35
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #4,089 statewide · #15 of 19 in Simi Valley Unified

Monte Vista scores 35 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 29th 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 →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

Most rating sites would stop at “37% proficient” and call it done. Monte Vista deserves a closer read. The school sits in Simi Valley, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 36.4% of English learners reached the top ELPAC level, versus 18.0% statewide.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Slipped from the 45th to the 29th percentile since 2022.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)
ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 350%33%
Grade 437%45%
Grade 535%38%46%
Grade 638%40%
Grade 744%45%41%44%45%
Grade 846%42%33%33%28%
Grade 1133%41%48%38%38%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 513%23%18%
Grade 633%10%
Grade 724%26%13%40%16%
Grade 813%10%10%13%17%
Grade 112%12%14%14%7%

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
8.6%
State 21.3%
12.7pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
36.6%
State 42.7%
6.1pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
28.0%
State 17.9%
10.1pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.9%
State 1.6%
0.8pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
36.4%
State 18.0%
18.4pp 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.

  • Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
  • 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 Monte Vista in Simi Valley, 26.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Monte Vista trails its district average for low-income students by 12.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (31.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 20.6 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 53 students tested.

All students at this school: 26% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 26%, district —, state 43%26%
FemaleFemale: this school 21%, district 43%, state 44%21% · −5 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 22%, district 31%, state 32%22% · −4 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 18%, district 32%, state 32%18% · −8 vs school
MaleMale: this school 31%, district 44%, state 42%31% · +5 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 16%, district 50%, state 56%16% · −11 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.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 28.0%, district 19.5%, state 17.9%28.0% · +10.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.9%, district —, state 1.6%0.9% · −0.8pp vs state

Grades 9–12 students miss school at roughly three times the rate of Grades 4–6 students (48.5% vs 7.5%). Chronic absence here concentrates in the upper grades.

Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–67.5%
Grades 7–822.0%
Grades 9–1248.5%

Where the path goes

Monte Vista serves grades K-12 — students can complete their entire K-12 education here, with no school-to-school transitions.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 19:1, district 23:119:1
Teaching staff28 teachers
Avg. experience17.6 years
Fully credentialed35%
First-year teachers4%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$56,887 – $115,704
Principal salary$148,925 – $170,414
Superintendent salary$297,494

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $14,295, CA average $14,815$14,295 · spent at this school

These measure different things: this figure is spending attributed to this campus, while district-wide figures also include central administration, districtwide programs, and the state's pension contributions made on the district's behalf — costs that never get assigned to a single school. The district number runs higher at nearly every school, not just this one.

Federal share$318 per student

$318 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,900 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
Instruction57%
Instruction support14%
Student services11%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance10%
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$12,276 per pupil
2019$11,727 per pupil
2018$11,607 per pupil
2017$10,765 per pupil
2016$10,354 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic45.0%
District 45.4% · CA 56.1%
White43.9%
District 38.8% · CA 19.9%
Other7.3%
District 7.0% · CA 9.0%
Asian1.9%
District 7.2% · CA 10.2%
Black1.9%
District 1.6% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 45.3% (19pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$121K · CA $85K
Median home value$829K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+40% · CA 35%
ZIP population73,534
Median age42 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 19% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Monte Vista a good elementary school?

Monte Vista has a Scope Score of 35 out of 100, placing it in the 29th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #4,089 statewide. 8.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 12.7 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 Monte Vista's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 36.6% of students at Monte Vista met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 8.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 28.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 8.6% 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. 35 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Monte Vista rank in California?

Monte Vista ranks #4,089 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 29th 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.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Monte Vista?

28.0% of students at Monte Vista are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.9%, 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 Monte Vista compare to other schools in Simi Valley?

Monte Vista scores 35/100 (29th 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 371 students. Use the schools in Simi Valley page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Monte Vista serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Monte Vista in Simi Valley, 26.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Monte Vista trails its district average for low-income students by 12.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (31.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 20.6 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 53 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%
8.6%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 38th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
36.6%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 45th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
28.0%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 34th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.9%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 56th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
36.4%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 65th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35
Grade 41118%27%45%9%45%+1
Grade 5138%38%38%15%46%−2
Grade 6200%40%30%30%40%−7
Grade 72010%35%5%50%45%−3
Grade 8297%21%21%52%28%−18
Grade 114516%22%20%42%38%−9
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35
Grade 410
Grade 5110%18%55%27%18%−17
Grade 6200%10%30%60%10%−25
Grade 7195%11%32%53%16%−18
Grade 82914%3%10%72%17%−15
Grade 11437%0%7%86%7%−16
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111035%15%70%11%

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 Disadvantaged5326.4%−12−12
Hispanic/Latino4431.8%−6−7
White2429.2%−28−33
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Monte Vista ←358.6%36.6%0.9%
Vista Elementary2.1 mi7046.3%75.3%−10.60.7%
Hollow Hills Elementary1 mi5840.3%68.9%+0.43.1%
Crestview Elementary1.8 mi5021.9%53.7%−7.60.9%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20223445#317613.3%28.9%41.7%0.0%-9.9pp
20232615#48803.9%30.8%38.7%0.2%
20243224#43648.3%33.3%25.1%1.2%
20253529#40898.6%36.6%28.0%0.9%
What we can't show
  • — Growth data isn't available — the state needs matched grades across years to compute it.
  • — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 12 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female54.9%36.6%-18.3pp
Male49.1%36.7%-12.4pp
Hispanic/Latino62.2%40.2%-22.0pp
Two or More Races50.0%35.5%-14.5pp
Students with Disabilities55.2%30.3%-24.9pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged55.5%40.9%-14.6pp
All Students52.6%36.6%-16.0pp
Black/African American27.3%
English Learners44.1%
Homeless57.7%
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