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School Profile · San Ardo

San Ardo Elementary: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

San Ardo posts low test scores — and attendance holds near the state average — families haven't checked out. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

62428 Center Street, 93450 (opens in new tab)·San Ardo Union Elementary·San Ardo·Grades TK-8·76 students·95% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(831) 627-2520
Scope Score
30
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #4,815 statewide

San Ardo Elementary scores 30 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 16th 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 “13% proficient” and call it done. San Ardo deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Ardo, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
12.5%
State 21.3%
8.8pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
12.5%
State 42.7%
30.2pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
18.4%
State 17.9%
0.5pp above state avg
Suspension rate
2.6%
State 1.6%
0.9pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
23.7%
State 18.0%
5.7pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.

Where the path goes

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

Your other options

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic93.4%
White2.6%
Other4.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 94.7% (31pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
76
544 below CA avg (~620)
Transitional Kindergarten
3 TK students
4% of a 74-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
6 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$29,185
CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
23.7% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$47,678 – $93,345
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Disabilities+7.9pp
26.3% vs 18.4% overall · n=19

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

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.

Neighborhood Context
Median Home Value
$461K
$198K below CA median
Bachelor's+
7%
28pp below 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
10.3 years avg experience
7 teachers · 29% first-year
Teacher Credentials
65% fully credentialed
11.8% on intern/emergency permit

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 →

Frequently asked questions

Is San Ardo Elementary a good elementary school?
San Ardo Elementary has a Scope Score of 30 out of 100, placing it in the 16th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #4,815 statewide. 12.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 8.8 percentage points below 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 San Ardo Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 12.5% of students at San Ardo Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 0.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.5% 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. 24 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does San Ardo Elementary rank in California?
San Ardo Elementary ranks #4,815 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 16th 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 San Ardo Elementary?
18.4% of students at San Ardo Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. 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 San Ardo Elementary compare to other schools in San Ardo?
San Ardo Elementary scores 30/100 (16th 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 76 students. Use the schools in San Ardo page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

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%
12.5%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 41th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
12.5%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 27th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
18.4%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 49th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.6%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 42th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
23.7%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 54th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34
Grade 4128%0%50%42%8%−36
Grade 58
Grade 69
Grade 76
Grade 89
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34
Grade 41217%0%33%50%17%−25
Grade 58
Grade 69
Grade 76
Grade 89
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11170%6%35%59%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
San Ardo Elementary ←3012.5%12.5%2.6%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
14%30%'19'22'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #5467 → #5229 → #4903 → #4815
What we can't show
  • — Growth data isn't available — the state needs matched grades across years to compute it.
  • — Subgroup results are suppressed for small student counts (fewer than 15 tested), following CDE privacy rules.
  • — 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