Schools
5
listed public schools. We score three elementary, one middle and one high.
School district · Santa Barbara County
Carpinteria Unified schools
Carpinteria Unified’s 3 public elementary schools have Scope Scores from 70 to 85. Its middle school has a Scope Score of 75. Its high school has a Scope Score of 74.
75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state.
Students
1,924
in the October 2024–25 enrollment count.
Spending
$22,506
per student in 2024–25. The typical California district spent $20,491.
The path
What is the path through the district?
Carpinteria Unified has three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school that we score.
Elementary · 3 schools
- Summerland ElementaryScope Score 85
- CanalinoScope Score 77
- AlisoScope Score 70
Middle · grades 6–8
Carpinteria Middle
Scope Score 75
Solid · 50th percentile
High · grades 9–12
Carpinteria Senior High
Scope Score 74
Developing · 44th percentile
Each score compares a school with California schools at its own level. The levels are not one ranking. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
Elementary schools
Which elementary schools in Carpinteria Unified score highest?
Summerland Elementary is highest, with a Scope Score of 85. That is higher than 86 in 100 California elementary schools we score.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Summerland Elementary
Summerland · Grades K–5 · 51 students
383329% below the standard
Scope Score 85Strong · 86th percentile
Rank 2
Canalino Elementary
Carpinteria · Grades K–5 · 471 students
222751% below the standard
Scope Score 77Solid · 59th percentile
Rank 3
Aliso Elementary
Carpinteria · Grades K–5 · 315 students
162460% below the standard
Scope Score 70Needs Support · 21st percentile
The average elementary school in Carpinteria Unified had 12 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100.
Each score compares a school with the 5,726 California elementary schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days. Each figure is an average of school rates. Each school counts once.
Middle schools
Where does the middle school we score in Carpinteria Unified stand?
Carpinteria Middle has a Scope Score of 75. That is higher than 50 in 100 California middle schools we score. It is the only public middle school we score in Carpinteria Unified.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Carpinteria Middle
Carpinteria · Grades 6–8 · 437 students
152263% below the standard
Scope Score 75Solid · 50th percentile
Each score compares a school with the 2,529 California middle schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026.
High schools
Where does the high school we score in Carpinteria Unified stand?
Carpinteria Senior High has a Scope Score of 74. That is higher than 44 in 100 California high schools we score. It is the only public high school we score in Carpinteria Unified.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Carpinteria Senior High
Carpinteria · Grades 9–12 · 593 students
172360% below the standard
Scope Score 74Developing · 44th percentile
Each score compares a school with the 1,498 California high schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2025. The state called the top two levels Exceeded and Met in spring 2025.
Against California
How does the district compare with California?
12 in 100 students at the average elementary school here were chronically absent. The California figure is 17 in 100.
Students who miss a lot of school
Average elementary school, students in 100
Carpinteria Unified12 in 100
California17 in 100
Students from low-income families
Qualify for free or reduced-price meals
Carpinteria Unified67%
California63%
Spending per student
Day-to-day spending, 2024–25
Carpinteria Unified$22,506
Typical district$20,491
English learners who moved up a level
On the state’s English test (ELPAC)
Carpinteria Unified45%
California47%
Absence: averages of school rates, each elementary school counted once, 2025–26. Meals: 1,274 of 1,912 students, 2024–25, summed from the state’s meal counts for every school listed under the district, charters included. Spending: day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, 2024–25. The typical district is the middle one when California districts are put in order. English learners: From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 45% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (96 of 214 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent. Source: California Department of Education, English learner progress files.
The district
Where does Carpinteria Unified’s money go?
About 51 cents of every Carpinteria Unified dollar went to classroom instruction.
$22,506
spent per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491.
Every dollar, by what it paid for
51¢13¢11¢10¢10¢5¢
- Instruction51%
- Student services13%
- Administration11%
- Buildings & maintenance10%
- Instruction support10%
- Other5%
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $8.6 million into 26 funded actions in 5 goals. That is 20% of its $43.3 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts. The district reports what it spent in a later plan.
Spending is day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education, 2024–25. It covers the whole district, including central administration. Shares are rounded so they add up to 100. Planned amounts are from the yearly spending plan (LCAP) as posted to the California School Dashboard.
State records
Who attends, and is the state giving extra help?
1,924 students were enrolled in the October 2024–25 count. The state is giving Carpinteria Unified extra help in 2026, the second year after it qualified on the 2025 Dashboard.
Who goes to the district’s schools
- Hispanic or Latino 72%
- White 24%
- Other or not reported 4%
Is the state giving the district extra help?
The state is giving Carpinteria Unified extra help in 2026, the second year after it qualified on the 2025 Dashboard.
State results from the 2026 California School Dashboard. Source: District help (CDE).Common questions
What do parents ask about this district?
Are the public schools in Carpinteria Unified good?
Carpinteria Unified’s 3 public elementary schools have Scope Scores from 70 to 85. Of those, 1 is Strong, 1 is Solid and 1 is Needs Support. Carpinteria Unified has one public middle school we score. Carpinteria Middle has a Scope Score of 75. It is Solid, at the 50th percentile. Carpinteria Unified has one public high school we score. Carpinteria Senior High has a Scope Score of 74. It is Developing, at the 44th percentile. 75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How we score schools.
Which public schools in Carpinteria Unified rank highest?
Summerland Elementary is the highest elementary school, with a Scope Score of 85. It is Strong, at the 86th percentile. Carpinteria Middle is the only middle school we score here. It has a Scope Score of 75. It is Solid, at the 50th percentile. Carpinteria Senior High is the only high school we score here. It has a Scope Score of 74. It is Developing, at the 44th percentile. Each score compares a school with the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.
How does chronic absence in Carpinteria Unified compare with California?
The average elementary school in Carpinteria Unified had 12 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days. Each figure is an average of school rates. Each school counts once.
How much does Carpinteria Unified spend per student?
Carpinteria Unified spent $22,506 per student in the 2024–25 school year. That’s close to the typical California district, which spent $20,491. About 51 cents of every Carpinteria Unified dollar went to classroom instruction. Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from its annual financial report to the California Department of Education. The district’s spending, by function.
What is in Carpinteria Unified’s 2026–27 spending plan?
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $8.6 million into 26 funded actions in 5 goals. That is 20% of its $43.3 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $6.8 million, 80% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.
Does living in the Carpinteria Unified district decide which school my child attends?
Not by itself. Attendance boundaries, programs, transfers and space all matter. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
Where do these results come from?
The test results are from California’s state tests (CAASPP). They are from spring 2026 for elementary and middle schools. The results are from spring 2025 for high schools. Chronic-absence rates are for 2025–26. The California Department of Education publishes both. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.
Next
Which places nearby can you look at next?
Schools in Summerland
Every public school with a Summerland address.
Compare schoolsSee the same numbers for each school.
Open the mapSee these schools on the map.
Cities in the district
Districts nearby
Sources and methodology
This page lists the public schools governed and funded by Carpinteria Unified, with the district’s spending and state records.
Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2025–26 elementary and middle school; 2024–25 high school
Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s own calculations from these state files.
State tests are the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), springs 2025 and 2026.
Download these schools (CSV) Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.