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San Luis Coastal Unified: San Luis Coastal Unified schools score 9.0 points above the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 3.7 points.

Above Average2024–25 data14 schools · avg 53.8/100

San Luis Coastal Unified has 14 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 53.8/100 — 9.0 points above the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter at 77/100, where 47.0% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $15,433 per student (above the state average of $14,815). 1 school shows positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 19.6%, near the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.

Avg Scope Score
53.8
State avg: 44.8
SchoolScope composite
Score Range
45.9
30.7 – 76.6
Avg Exceeded %
32.0%
State avg: 21.3%
Chronic Absenteeism
19.6%
State avg: 17.9%
Schools Ranked
14
With Scope Scores
Charter Schools
1
of 14 ranked
LevelAvg ScoreSchoolsExceededAbsent
ElementarySolid
54.6/100
1035.4%14.5%
MiddleSolid
52.0/100
130.5%24.4%
HighSolid
51.7/100
321.2%35.1%

San Luis Coastal Unified's elementary schools average 54.6/100 — 9.8 points above the state average with a −3.7pp declining trajectory.

K–12 pipeline

The typical school path in San Luis Coastal Unified, top-scoring shown first.

Elementary
54.6
avg score · 10 schools
+7 more elementary schools
Middle
52.0
avg score · 1 school
Los Osos Middle
Solid
52/100
High
51.7
avg score · 3 schools
Morro Bay High
Solid
62/100
Pacific Beach High
Developing
31/100

District Analysis

San Luis Coastal Unified has 14 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 53.8/100 — 9.0 points above the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Strongest level: San Luis Coastal Unified's elementary schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 54.6.

District-wide elementary growth averages -3.7pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.

Score range of 45.9 points — showing significant variation between schools.

District chronic absenteeism averages 19.6%, 1.7pp near the state average of 17.9%.

District suspension rate averages 2.2%, near the state average of 1.6%.

Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter leads the district at 77 with 47.0% exceeding standard.

How we score · Scope Score methodology

School archetypes in San Luis Coastal Unified

4 Solid Base2 Strong All-Around1 Culture First1 Growth Engine6 Building Momentum

Hidden gems: 1 school in San Luis Coastal Unified is classified as Growth Engine — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.

Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more

Student demographics

Hispanic
29.3%
White
57.0%
Asian
2.9%
Black
0.8%
Other
10.0%
Free/Reduced Lunch
42%
Economic need indicator · district avg

District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data

District Funding

San Luis Coastal Unified spends $15,433 per student in current expenditures — $618 above the state average of $14,815.

Per-Pupil Spending
$15,433
State avg: $14,815
District Enrollment
7,332
Students for funding calc
2016–2020 Trend
↑ 25.1%
$12,339 → $15,433
Spending Efficiency
3.49
Scope Score per $1K spent
Spending Breakdown
Instruction 57%Support 41%Other 2%
NCES F-33 Finance · District-level data — not school-specific

Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020

Teacher compensation

Salary Range
$58,311–$121,139
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
Teaching Staff
429
Full-time equivalent teachers

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25

For the data nerds

Every school in San Luis Coastal Unified

ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP

Elementary Schools (10)

San Luis Coastal Unified has 10 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 54.6 — 9.8 points above the state average of 44.8. 1 of 10 elementary schools score above 70.

Growth averages -3.7pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.

The highest-scoring elementary school is Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter with a Scope Score of 77 and 47.0% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter
San Luis Coastal Unified Strong All-Around
47.0%Strong
77/100
2C L Smith Elementary
San Luis Coastal Unified Building Momentum
36.2%Solid
59/100
3Monarch Grove Elementary
San Luis Coastal Unified Solid Base
39.4%Solid
58/100
4Los Ranchos Elementary
San Luis Coastal Unified Solid Base
43.5%Solid
56/100
5Pacheco Elementary
San Luis Coastal Unified Culture First
28.4%Solid
55/100
6Sinsheimer Elementary
San Luis Coastal Unified Solid Base
39.3%Solid
55/100
7Bishop's Peak Elementary
San Luis Coastal Unified Solid Base
38.0%Solid
54/100
8Baywood Elementary
San Luis Coastal Unified Growth Engine
25.9%Developing
47/100
9Del Mar Elementary
San Luis Coastal Unified Building Momentum
24.9%Developing
44/100
10Hawthorne Elementary
San Luis Coastal Unified Building Momentum
31.7%Developing
42/100

Middle Schools (1)

San Luis Coastal Unified has 1 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 52.0 — 9.4 points above the state average of 42.6.

Growth averages -9.4pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.

The highest-scoring middle school is Los Osos Middle with a Scope Score of 52 and 30.5% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Los Osos Middle
San Luis Coastal Unified Building Momentum
30.5%Solid
52/100

High Schools (3)

San Luis Coastal Unified has 3 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 51.7 — 7.9 points above the state average of 43.7.

The highest-scoring high school is Morro Bay High with a Scope Score of 62 and 25.8% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Morro Bay High
San Luis Coastal Unified Strong All-Around
25.8%Solid
62/100
2San Luis Obispo High
San Luis Coastal Unified Building Momentum
36.3%Solid
62/100
3Pacific Beach High
San Luis Coastal Unified Building Momentum
1.6%Developing
31/100
Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 14 schoolsMethodology · Explore all schools

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.

What Scope Scores can't tell you about San Luis Coastal Unified

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 resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology

Frequently asked questions

Is San Luis Coastal Unified a good school district?
San Luis Coastal Unified has 14 ranked schools averaging a Scope Score of 53.8/100, which is 9.0 points above the state average. 32.0% of students exceed the state standard on average. The Scope Score measures academic performance and school climate across seven dimensions. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What is the best school in San Luis Coastal Unified?
The highest-scoring school in San Luis Coastal Unified is Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter with a Scope Score of 77/100 and 47.0% exceeding standard. See methodology.
How much does San Luis Coastal Unified spend per student?
San Luis Coastal Unified spends $15,433 per student in current expenditures. The state average is $14,815. Spending data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data Fiscal Survey (F-33). Higher spending does not automatically mean better outcomes — the Scope Score measures what happens in the classroom regardless of budget.
What is the teacher salary range in San Luis Coastal Unified?
Teacher salaries in San Luis Coastal Unified range from $58,311–$121,139 based on the district's salary schedule (CDE Form J-90). The California statewide median teacher salary is approximately $98,000.
What does the Scope Score measure?
The Scope Score is SchoolScope's proprietary composite rating (0–100) based on seven dimensions of publicly available California school data: the exceeded-vs-met standard split, overall proficiency, grade-level growth, chronic absenteeism, suspension rate, ELPAC English Learner proficiency, and baseline proficiency. Full methodology and weights.