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School Profile · Pacific Grove

Monterey Bay Charter: The score is strong. The trajectory is stronger.

Monterey Bay Charter pairs 53% proficiency with gains that hold up when the same students are tracked two years apart — the rare school that posts both.

1004 David Avenue, 93950 (opens in new tab)·Monterey County Office of Education·Pacific Grove·Grades K-8·475 students·31% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(831) 655-4638·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
49
🚀 Growth Engine · Developing
ranked #1,788 statewide · #1 of 3 in Monterey County Office of Education

Monterey Bay Charter scores 49 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 69th 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 →

Most rating sites would stop at “53% proficient” and call it done. Monterey Bay Charter deserves a closer read. The school sits in Pacific Grove, where one in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 54.6% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide.

As a charter, Monterey Bay Charter enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.

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.

16%
27%
57%
Grade 3 · 43% proficient
21%
44%
35%
Grade 4 · 65% proficient
37%
37%
26%
Grade 5 · 74% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 20.4pp across grades; the floor rises 30.6pp. 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.

54.6%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Monterey Bay Charter's most underrated number

54.6% 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.

Monterey Bay Charter low-income: 54.6%State low-income: 38.2%

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
23.0%
State 21.3%
1.7pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
53.2%
State 42.7%
10.6pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+21.9pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
19.8%
State 17.9%
1.9pp above state avg
Suspension rate
1.5%
State 1.6%
0.1pp 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.

Where the path goes

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

Estimated K-12 Path
Elementary
Monterey Bay Charter
49
This school

Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

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.

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic26.9%
White54.7%
Asian2.5%
Black0.6%
Other15.2%
GenderFemale 51.6%Male 48.4%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 31.2% (33pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
475
145 below CA avg (~620)
Transitional Kindergarten
TK status unconfirmed
No TK enrollment is on file with the state for this school — that isn't the same as “no TK.” Confirm directly with the district.
Student-Teacher Ratio
28:1
7 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$47,089
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$58,298 – $123,910
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Monterey Bay Charter in Pacific Grove, 54.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 19.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Monterey Bay Charter outperforms its district average for low-income students by 35.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (31.0% Math proficient); White students (68.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 13.5 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 76 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Math · Low-Income−18.3pp
29.0% vs 47.3% overall · n=52
3 more gaps by subject
ELA · Low-Income−13.5pp
50.8% vs 64.3% overall · n=52
ELA Exceeded · Low-Income−13.5pp
9.7% vs 23.2% overall · n=52
Math Exceeded · Low-Income−14.0pp
7.9% vs 21.9% overall · n=52

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

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income87 tested
ELA 54.6%·Math 31.0%· +35.2pp vs district
White167 tested
ELA 68.9%·Math 53.3%
Hispanic66 tested
ELA 56.1%·Math 34.8%· +36.4pp 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 42%Support 57%Other 0%

Source: NCES F-33 (2016–2017) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$106K
$21K above CA median
Median Home Value
$1.19M
$531K above CA median
Bachelor's+
60%
25pp 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
6.7 years avg experience
17 teachers · 6% first-year · 24% second-year
Teacher Credentials
74% 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%
23.0%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 52th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
53.2%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 58th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
+21.9pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 64th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
19.8%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 47th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.5%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 51th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34916%27%33%24%43%−1
Grade 44321%44%14%21%65%+20
Grade 54937%37%14%12%73%+26
Grade 64821%48%25%6%69%+22
Grade 74929%47%14%10%76%+28
Grade 85016%44%20%20%60%+14
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35012%30%36%22%42%−4
Grade 44411%30%41%18%41%−1
Grade 54941%14%20%24%55%+20
Grade 64831%29%25%15%60%+25
Grade 75024%36%16%24%60%+26
Grade 85112%14%45%29%25%−7
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1110019%28%45%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
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged7654.6%+35+16
White16768.9%+7
Hispanic/Latino6656.1%+36+17
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Monterey Bay Charter ←4923.0%53.2%+21.91.5%
Robert Down Elementary1.1 mi6843.5%72.0%−6.20.8%
Big Sur Charter1.8 mi6637.3%68.0%0.6%
Forest Grove Elementary0.4 mi5632.5%56.6%+10.90.9%
California average4321.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
43%49%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #2450 → #2384 → #2544 → #1861 → #1788
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=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

Frequently asked questions

Is Monterey Bay Charter a good elementary school?
Monterey Bay Charter has a Scope Score of 49 out of 100, placing it in the 69th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,788 statewide. 23.0% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 21.3%. 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 Monterey Bay Charter's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 53.2% of students at Monterey Bay Charter met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 23.0% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 30.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 23.0% 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. 284 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Monterey Bay Charter rank in California?
Monterey Bay Charter ranks #1,788 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 69th 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 Monterey Bay Charter getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Monterey Bay Charter increases by 21.9 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 Monterey Bay Charter?
19.8% of students at Monterey Bay Charter are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 1.5%, 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 Monterey Bay Charter compare to other schools in Pacific Grove?
Monterey Bay Charter scores 49/100 (69th 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 475 students. Use the schools in Pacific Grove page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Monterey Bay Charter serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Monterey Bay Charter in Pacific Grove, 54.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 19.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Monterey Bay Charter outperforms its district average for low-income students by 35.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (31.0% Math proficient); White students (68.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 13.5 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 76 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.