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Watsonville Prep · Watsonville

Watsonville Prep: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Watsonville Prep 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.

407 Main Street 2nd Floor, 95076 (opens in new tab)·SBE - Watsonville Prep·Watsonville·Grades TK-8·488 students·77% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(831) 274-3222·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
2023–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3345
% Exceeded13%21%
% Met+35%43%
Growth-0.9-2.9
Absence18.4%17.9%
Suspension1.9%1.6%
Scope Score
33
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #4,338 statewide

Watsonville Prep scores 33 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 24th 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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “35% proficient” and call it done. Watsonville Prep deserves a closer read. The school sits in Watsonville, where three in four 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.

As a charter, Watsonville Prep enrolls by application rather than address. That changes how you get in, but it doesn't change the score.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Slipped from the 52nd to the 24th percentile since 2023.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)
ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade2022202320242025
Grade 337%38%50%32%
Grade 436%31%43%41%
Grade 5—46%42%37%
Grade 6——58%42%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade2022202320242025
Grade 339%38%38%37%
Grade 438%34%35%31%
Grade 5—29%40%30%
Grade 6——49%34%

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.

25%
68%
Grade 3 · 32% proficient
22%
19%
59%
Grade 4 · 41% proficient
10%
27%
63%
Grade 5 · 37% proficient

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
12.6%
State 21.3%
8.7pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-0.9pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
34.5%
State 42.7%
8.1pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
18.4%
State 17.9%
0.5pp above state avg
Suspension rate
1.9%
State 1.6%
0.3pp 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.

  • 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 Watsonville Prep in Watsonville, 40.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Watsonville Prep outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (40.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 22.8 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 220 students tested.

All students at this school: 37% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 37%, district —, state 43%37%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 36%, district 36%, state 32%36% · −1 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 35%, district 35%, state 32%35% · −2 vs school
MaleMale: this school 37%, district 37%, state 42%37% · +0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 36%, district 36%, state 44%36% · −0 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 19%, district 19%, state 11%19% · −18 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 5%, district 5%, state 15%5% · −32 vs school

5 of 12 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.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 3.4pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +3.4pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 18.4%, district 18.4%, state 17.9%18.4% · +0.5pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.9%, district —, state 1.6%1.9% · +0.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–616.8%
Grades 7–822.6%
TK/K22.5%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 24:1, district 24:124:1
Teaching staff22 teachers
Avg. experience2.0 years
Fully credentialed59%
First-year teachers41%
Intern / emergency permit5.9%

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $23,379, CA average $14,815$23,379 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,437 per student

$1,437 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

53% of district spending reaches instruction — CA average is 56%.

district detail, 2019–2020 — the newest published
2020$17,014 per pupil
2019$15,548 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic96.3%
District 96.3% · CA 56.1%
Other1.4%
District 1.4% · CA 9.0%
Asian1.2%
District 1.2% · CA 10.2%
White1.0%
District 1.0% · CA 19.9%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 77.0% (13pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$91K · CA $85K
Median home value$809K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+18% · CA 35%
ZIP population82,806
Median age36 years

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

Worth Knowing

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 22% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Watsonville Prep a good elementary school?

Watsonville Prep has a Scope Score of 33 out of 100, placing it in the 24th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #4,338 statewide. 12.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 8.7 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 Watsonville Prep's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 34.5% of students at Watsonville Prep met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 21.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.6% 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. 342 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Watsonville Prep rank in California?

Watsonville Prep ranks #4,338 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 24th 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 Watsonville Prep getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Watsonville Prep decreases by 0.9 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 Watsonville Prep?

18.4% of students at Watsonville Prep are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 1.9%, 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 Watsonville Prep compare to other schools in Watsonville?

Watsonville Prep scores 33/100 (24th 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 488 students. Use the schools in Watsonville page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Watsonville Prep serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Watsonville Prep in Watsonville, 40.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Watsonville Prep outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (40.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 22.8 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 220 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

All schools in Watsonville →

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

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

How to get into a charter school in LA →
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%
12.6%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 42th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-0.9pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 37th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
34.5%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 44th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
18.4%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 49th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.9%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 48th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3577%25%28%40%32%−12
Grade 45422%19%24%35%41%−4
Grade 56010%27%25%38%37%−11
Grade 65016%26%20%38%42%−5
Grade 75812%45%21%22%57%+9
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35716%21%25%39%37%−9
Grade 4547%24%44%24%31%−10
Grade 56013%17%33%37%30%−5
Grade 65012%22%20%46%34%−1
Grade 75817%12%28%43%29%−5
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11605%17%52%27%

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 Disadvantaged22040.0%+0+2
Hispanic/Latino27340.7%+0+2
English Learners11318.6%+0+8
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Watsonville Prep ←—3312.6%34.5%−0.91.9%
Linscott Charter0.4 mi4011.2%35.3%+7.20.6%
Landmark Elementary1.1 mi312.6%11.6%+7.63.5%
Ohlone Elementary2.8 mi304.3%13.8%+3.40.6%
California average—4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20234052#273714.3%36.0%24.6%1.0%-1.1pp
20244354#266517.2%41.4%23.4%1.7%-3.3pp
20253324#433812.6%34.5%18.4%1.9%-0.9pp
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
Female—17.1%—
Male—19.7%—
Hispanic/Latino—18.7%—
Students with Disabilities—16.9%—
English Learners—13.4%—
Homeless—30.8%—
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged—21.3%—
All Students—18.4%—
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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