Elementary Schools in Santa Maria, California: 25 schools. Average score 9.5 points below the state. Here is what that number does — and doesn't — tell you.
Santa Maria, California has 25 ranked elementary schools with an average Scope Score of 29.4/100 — 9.5 points below the state average of 38.9. The highest-scoring school is Joe Nightingale Elementary at 55/100, where 32.4% of students exceed the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment. Santa Maria schools average 11.0% exceeded standard (state: 21.4%) — this exceeded-vs-met distinction shows how many students go beyond the standard rather than only meeting it. Of 25 schools, 6 with stronger cohort gains stand out for their performance profiles. Chronic absenteeism averages 11.9% (below the state average of 17.9%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
Start with your child’s school level
The overview describes elementary schools. The lists below separate elementary, middle and high schools, so each school’s standing stays within its own comparison group. Open a profile to see the underlying results, student support and questions to ask on a visit.
Every school in Santa Maria
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP · levels never mixed
Elementary Schools (25)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Nightingale Elementary Orcutt Union Elementary | 32.4% | 82nd percentile · StrongScope Score 55/100 |
| 2 | Pine Grove Elementary Orcutt Union Elementary | 25.3% | 75th percentile · StrongScope Score 49/100 |
| 3 | Family Partnership Charter Blochman Union Elementary | 22.6% | 69th percentile · SolidScope Score 45/100 |
| 4 | Benjamin Foxen Elementary Blochman Union Elementary | 28.6% | 62nd percentile · SolidScope Score 41/100 |
| 5 | Bill Libbon Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 9.4% | 59th percentile · SolidScope Score 40/100 |
| 6 | Trivium Charter Blochman Union Elementary | 14.8% | 55th percentile · SolidScope Score 38/100 |
| 7 | Alice Shaw Elementary Orcutt Union Elementary | 11.5% | 45th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 34/100 |
| 8 | Ralph Dunlap Elementary Orcutt Union Elementary | 13.3% | 43rd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 33/100 |
| 9 | Ontiveros (Juan Pacifico) Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 16.2% | 43rd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 33/100 |
| 10 | Sanchez (David J.) Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 8.6% | 38th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 31/100 |
| 11 | Patterson Road Elementary Orcutt Union Elementary | 12.9% | 36th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 30/100 |
| 12 | Arellanes (Don Juan Bautista) Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 8.2% | 34th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 29/100 |
| 13 | Liberty Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 5.1% | 29th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 28/100 |
| 14 | Miller (Isaac) Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 5.7% | 26th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 27/100 |
| 15 | Oakley (Calvin C.) Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 4.8% | 24th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 26/100 |
| 16 | Fairlawn Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 5.7% | 21st percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 25/100 |
| 17 | Bruce (Robert) Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 4.3% | 19th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 24/100 |
| 18 | Bonita Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 1.6% | 17th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 23/100 |
| 19 | Rice (William) Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 4.8% | 11th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 21/100 |
| 20 | Alvin Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 5.9% | 10th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 20/100 |
| 21 | Battles (Washington) Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 4.7% | 10th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 20/100 |
| 22 | Jiménez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 9.2% | 7th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 18/100 |
| 23 | Taylor (Ida Redmond) Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 6.8% | 5th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 17/100 |
| 24 | Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 8.1% | 4th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 15/100 |
| 25 | Adam (William Laird) Elementary Santa Maria-Bonita | 4.2% | 3rd percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 14/100 |
Middle Schools (1)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orcutt School for Independent Study Orcutt Union Elementary | 3.6% | 13th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 21/100 |
High Schools (4)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ernest Righetti High Santa Maria Joint Union High | 17.0% | 46th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 52/100 |
| 2 | Santa Maria High Santa Maria Joint Union High | 8.8% | 30th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 47/100 |
| 3 | Pioneer Valley High Santa Maria Joint Union High | 11.1% | 29th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 47/100 |
| 4 | Delta High Santa Maria Joint Union High continuation high school | 0.5% | 80th percentile · StrongWithin its own school classScope Score 29/100 |
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Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology
Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.
Elementary school patterns in Santa Maria
Findings within the 25 school records shown. A school may appear in more than one count; these are not slices of a total. No finding does not imply no potential. Definitions and limits →
Private Schools in Santa Maria
Private schools don't participate in California's standardized testing (CAASPP) and cannot be scored or ranked. Showing enrollment, student-teacher ratio, and affiliation where available.
Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how school zones and enrollment boundaries affect access. Full methodology