Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
The elementary schools average 45.3/100 — 6.5 points above the state average, with 2 of 4 in the Strong band.
4 elementary schools span 13 points around an average of 45.3.
Ocean Grove Charter (52/100) holds the Strong band — 30.1% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 25.5%.
What these numbers can't see: class sizes, arts, teacher turnover, how a hallway feels at 8 a.m. Strong scores are the start of the question, not the answer.
The middle years
One middle school: San Lorenzo Valley Middle at 40/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.
One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.
San Lorenzo Valley Middle is the strongest option at 40/100 — 15.2% of its students exceed the state standard.
22.2% of students are chronically absent (state: 18.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.
The high school years
One high school: San Lorenzo Valley High at 65/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.
One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.
San Lorenzo Valley High (65/100) holds the Strong band — 27.9% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 27.9%.
26.4% of students are chronically absent (state: 23.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.
What it means for your family
Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Boulder Creek Elementary at 49/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
2 of the 6 ranked schools are charters — enrollment paths that don't depend on your address. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, those lotteries and applications are the levers worth the paperwork.
A band is a position, not a prophecy — 3 campuses here rank as On the Rise, their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.
The strongest-scoring run through the district:
Ocean Grove Charter 79th percentile · StrongScope Score 52/100San Lorenzo Valley Middle 58th percentile · SolidScope Score 40/100San Lorenzo Valley High 81st percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.
What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.