Santa Ana Unified
Santa Ana Unified has 50 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 35.5/100 — 8.3 points below the California state average of 43.8. The highest-scoring school is Middle College High at 67/100, where 43.9% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $15,998 per student (above the state average of $14,815). Chronic absenteeism averages 18.7%, near the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Developing 33.1/100 | 35 | 9.4% | 15.9% |
| Middle | Developing 30.1/100 | 6 | 8.3% | 15.5% |
| High | Developing 48.6/100 | 9 | 13.1% | 32.0% |
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Santa Ana Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Strongest level: Santa Ana Unified's high schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 48.6.
Growth story: District-wide elementary growth averages +1.6pp (state avg: -3.0pp), suggesting schools are making incremental gains.
Consistency: Score range of 49.5 points — showing significant variation between schools.
Absenteeism: District chronic absenteeism averages 18.7%, 0.6pp near the state average of 18.1%.
Suspensions: District suspension rate averages 2.7%, near the state average of 1.7%.
Top school: Middle College High leads the district at 67 with 43.9% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Santa Ana Unified
Hidden gems: 14 schools in Santa Ana Unified are classified as On the Rise (14) — 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
District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data
District Funding
Santa Ana Unified spends $15,998 per student in current expenditures — $1,184 above the state average of $14,815.
Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020
Teacher compensation
CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25
Elementary Schools (35)
Santa Ana Unified has 35 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 33.1 — 10.7 points below the state average of 43.8.
District-wide growth averages +1.6pp, suggesting schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.
The highest-scoring elementary school is John Muir Fundamental Elementary with a Scope Score of 52 and 28.9% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Muir Fundamental Elementary Santa Ana Unified Culture First | 28.9% | Solid 52/100 |
| 2 | Greenville Fundamental Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 19.5% | Developing 44/100 |
| 3 | Jim Thorpe Fundamental Santa Ana Unified Culture First | 19.1% | Developing 42/100 |
| 4 | Santiago Elementary Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 14.4% | Developing 41/100 |
| 5 | Adams Elementary Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 11.7% | Developing 41/100 |
| 6 | Wilson Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 13.0% | Developing 41/100 |
| 7 | Andrew Jackson Elementary Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 11.6% | Developing 40/100 |
| 8 | Advanced Learning Academy Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 16.0% | Developing 39/100 |
| 9 | Fremont Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 13.1% | Developing 39/100 |
| 10 | Monte Vista Elementary Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 8.2% | Developing 36/100 |
| 11 | Jefferson Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 11.5% | Developing 35/100 |
| 12 | George Washington Carver Elementary Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 8.6% | Developing 35/100 |
| 13 | Martin Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 10.7% | Developing 35/100 |
| 14 | Madison Elementary Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 11.0% | Developing 34/100 |
| 15 | John F. Kennedy Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 8.9% | Developing 33/100 |
| 16 | Diamond Elementary Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 6.1% | Developing 33/100 |
| 17 | Heroes Elementary Santa Ana Unified Culture First | 8.1% | Developing 33/100 |
| 18 | Garfield Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 10.3% | Developing 32/100 |
| 19 | Carl Harvey Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 6.3% | Developing 32/100 |
| 20 | Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 3.6% | Developing 31/100 |
| 21 | Wallace R. Davis Elementary Santa Ana Unified Culture First | 13.7% | Developing 31/100 |
| 22 | Martin R. Heninger Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 8.4% | Developing 31/100 |
| 23 | Washington Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 7.6% | Developing 30/100 |
| 24 | Thomas A. Edison Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 6.7% | Needs Support 30/100 |
| 25 | Roosevelt Walker Academy Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 6.8% | Needs Support 30/100 |
| 26 | Abraham Lincoln Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 4.8% | Needs Support 29/100 |
| 27 | Sierra Preparatory Academy Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 9.7% | Needs Support 28/100 |
| 28 | Manuel Esqueda Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 8.7% | Needs Support 27/100 |
| 29 | McFadden Institute of Technology Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 2.8% | Needs Support 27/100 |
| 30 | Lowell Elementary Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 3.5% | Needs Support 27/100 |
| 31 | Monroe Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 2.8% | Needs Support 26/100 |
| 32 | Pio Pico Elementary Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 2.9% | Needs Support 25/100 |
| 33 | Taft Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 3.7% | Needs Support 23/100 |
| 34 | Franklin Elementary Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 4.4% | Needs Support 23/100 |
| 35 | Romero-Cruz Academy Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 1.8% | Needs Support 21/100 |
Middle Schools (6)
Santa Ana Unified has 6 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 30.1 — 10.3 points below the state average of 40.5.
District-wide growth averages +1.7pp, suggesting schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.
The highest-scoring middle school is Douglas MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate with a Scope Score of 45 and 16.1% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Douglas MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 16.1% | Developing 45/100 |
| 2 | Gonzalo Felicitas Mendez Fundamental Intermediate Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 15.2% | Developing 45/100 |
| 3 | Raymond A. Villa Fundamental Intermediate Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 4.7% | Needs Support 25/100 |
| 4 | Julia C. Lathrop Intermediate Santa Ana Unified On the Rise | 5.3% | Needs Support 24/100 |
| 5 | Gerald P. Carr Intermediate Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 6.3% | Needs Support 23/100 |
| 6 | Willard Intermediate Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 2.0% | Needs Support 18/100 |
High Schools (9)
Santa Ana Unified has 9 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 48.6 — 1.1 points near the state average of 47.5.
The highest-scoring high school is Middle College High with a Scope Score of 67 and 43.9% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle College High Santa Ana Unified Strong All-Around | 43.9% | Solid 67/100 |
| 2 | Hector G. Godinez Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 21.0% | Solid 64/100 |
| 3 | Segerstrom High Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 19.9% | Solid 63/100 |
| 4 | Saddleback High Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 5.6% | Solid 51/100 |
| 5 | Valley High Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 10.1% | Solid 50/100 |
| 6 | Santa Ana High Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 7.1% | Developing 49/100 |
| 7 | Century High Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 8.2% | Developing 46/100 |
| 8 | Cesar E. Chavez High Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 0.7% | Needs Support 25/100 |
| 9 | Lorin Griset Academy Santa Ana Unified Building Momentum | 1.0% | Needs Support 20/100 |
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 Santa Ana Unified
- Class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality
- Quality of arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs
- Teacher experience, turnover, and professional development
- Campus safety, bullying climate, and social-emotional support
- Parent and community engagement levels
- Quality of special education and gifted programs
- How resources are distributed across schools within the district
Scope Scores measure academic performance and school climate using public data. They are one lens among many. Full methodology