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Public school district · California

Santa Barbara Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

Compare elementary, middle, and high schools across Santa Barbara Unified—and look beyond a single district average.

Dos Pueblos Senior HighLa Colina Junior HighSan Marcos Senior HighAdelante CharterPeabody CharterGoleta Valley Junior HighWashington ElementarySanta Barbara Senior HighFranklin ElementarySanta Barbara CharterHarding University PartnershipAdams ElementaryRoosevelt ElementaryLa Cumbre Junior HighMonroe ElementaryAlta Vista Alternative HighSanta Barbara Community AcademySanta Barbara Junior HighCleveland ElementaryMcKinley ElementaryLa Cuesta Continuation HighSanta Barbara UnifiedN ↑
21 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary12 schools
avg 39.8/1006 Solid, 3 Strong, +3 more
Middle4 schools
avg 44.3/1002 Strong, 1 Solid, +1 more
High5 schools
avg 44.6/1002 Needs Support, 1 Strong, +2 more

Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.

Stage 1 of 3

The elementary years

36 points separate Adelante Charter (55) from McKinley Elementary (19) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

36 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 12 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.

The strength

Adelante Charter (55/100) holds the Strong band — 26.0% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 22.3%. 2 schools here meet the stronger cohort-gains threshold. These aggregate comparisons do not track individual children.

The catch

36 points separate the top and bottom elementary schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.

Adelante Charter
No highlighted pattern · Charter
82nd percentile · StrongScope Score 55/100
Peabody Charter
Solid Base · Charter
82nd percentile · StrongScope Score 55/100
Washington Elementary
No highlighted pattern
76th percentile · StrongScope Score 50/100

All 12 elementary schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 3

The middle years

40 points separate La Colina Junior High (65) from Santa Barbara Junior High (25) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

0100

40 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 4 middle schools — the average hides more than it tells.

The strength

La Colina Junior High (65/100) holds the Strong band — 34.6% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 21.3%.

The catch

1 of 4 middle schools sits in the Needs Support band — which campus you're zoned for carries real weight here.

La Colina Junior High
No highlighted pattern
91st percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
Goleta Valley Junior High
No highlighted pattern
79th percentile · StrongScope Score 51/100
La Cumbre Junior High
No highlighted pattern
51st percentile · SolidScope Score 37/100

All 4 middle schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 3 of 3

The high school years

54 points separate Dos Pueblos Senior High (67) from La Cuesta Continuation High (13) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

0100

54 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 5 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.

1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.

The strength

Dos Pueblos Senior High (67/100) holds the Strong band — 33.8% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 16.0%.

The catch

38.7% 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.

Dos Pueblos Senior High
No highlighted pattern
84th percentile · StrongScope Score 67/100
San Marcos Senior High
No highlighted pattern
70th percentile · SolidScope Score 60/100
Santa Barbara Senior High
No highlighted pattern
35th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 48/100

All 5 high schools, ranked, in the appendix →

What it means for your family

If you're choosing a neighborhood

Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Washington Elementary at 50/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.

If you already live here

3 of the 21 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.

If your kid is enrolled now

A band is a position, not a prophecy — 2 campuses here rank as Growth Engine, their aggregate cohort-change indices above the published threshold. 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:

Adelante Charter 82nd percentile · StrongScope Score 55/100La Colina Junior High 91st percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100Dos Pueblos Senior High 84th percentile · StrongScope Score 67/100

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.

Santa Barbara Unified has 21 public schools in this SchoolScope results directory. Compare schools by their primary reporting level below.

2024–25 CAASPP reporting · SchoolScope analysis. Directory coverage, not a complete inventory of every campus. Each school appears at its primary reporting level; K–8 and K–12 campuses can serve additional grades. Sources and methodology →

One district, three stages

The average changes with the journey.

Elementary schools

Explore elementary →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

12 comparable schools · average 39.8/100 · range 19.0–54.9

Middle schools

Explore middle →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

4 comparable schools · average 44.3/100 · range 24.6–64.8

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

4 comparable schools · average 52.5/100 · range 34.7–67.0

Explore Santa Barbara Unified by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
Santa Barbara Unifiedthis district43.2 / 10020Dos Pueblos Senior High—
Hope Elementary54.0 / 1003Monte Vista Elementary1.7 mi
Goleta Union Elementary53.3 / 1007Foothill Elementary5.0 mi

Averages blend every school level in a district and carry no score band. Compare a level at a time in the spreads above, then open the schools. Distances run between school-location centers.

Cities served

City pages include schools from other districts too. Check the district named on each school profile.

Patterns across the district

What patterns appear here?

Patterns worth exploring.

Choose a pattern to find matching schools in the lists below. Open a profile to see the underlying measures and questions to ask on a visit.

How patterns are defined →

A school can appear in more than one count. Findings describe reported results, not school quality or fit; available evidence differs by level.

Schools in Santa Barbara Unified

Browse by level, then compare the evidence behind each profile.

Map ↗

Elementary schools in Santa Barbara Unified · 12 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Adelante Charter
Santa Barbara Unified
26.0%82nd percentile · StrongScope Score 55/100
Peabody Charter
Santa Barbara Unified Solid Base
41.8%82nd percentile · StrongScope Score 55/100
Washington Elementary
Santa Barbara Unified
37.8%76th percentile · StrongScope Score 50/100
Franklin Elementary
Santa Barbara Unified Growth Engine
20.6%68th percentile · SolidScope Score 44/100
Santa Barbara Charter
Santa Barbara Unified
23.6%63rd percentile · SolidScope Score 42/100
Harding University Partnership
Santa Barbara Unified
27.0%62nd percentile · SolidScope Score 41/100

Middle schools in Santa Barbara Unified · 4 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
La Colina Junior High
Santa Barbara Unified
34.6%91st percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
Goleta Valley Junior High
Santa Barbara Unified
27.2%79th percentile · StrongScope Score 51/100
La Cumbre Junior High
Santa Barbara Unified
13.1%51st percentile · SolidScope Score 37/100
Santa Barbara Junior High
Santa Barbara Unified
10.1%23rd percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 25/100

High schools in Santa Barbara Unified · 5 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Dos Pueblos Senior High
Santa Barbara Unified
33.8%84th percentile · StrongScope Score 67/100
San Marcos Senior High
Santa Barbara Unified
23.6%70th percentile · SolidScope Score 60/100
Santa Barbara Senior High
Santa Barbara Unified
9.5%35th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 48/100
Alta Vista Alternative High
Santa Barbara Unified
13.2%7th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 35/100
La Cuesta Continuation High
Santa Barbara Unified continuation high school
0.0%10th percentile · Needs SupportWithin its own school classScope Score 13/100
Compare selected schools

Select two to four schools at the same level. Rankings and score bands compare each school with its own enrollment group.

District finance · FY 2024–25

Where the district's dollars go.

Santa Barbara Unified spent $21,939 per student in FY 2024–25 — close to the median California district ($20,491). About 56 cents of every dollar goes to classroom instruction.

Current expense per student

Current expense of education per unit of average daily attendance, from the district's annual SACS filing to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus. Spending is context, not a measure of school quality.

Share by function

  • Instruction56%
  • Instruction support15%
  • Student services12%
  • Administration6%
  • Buildings & maintenance10%
  • Other1%

Shares of the same current-expense total, by SACS function. Names are simplified from the filing's own categories.

The system behind the schools

The people behind the classrooms — district-grain context that never enters a school's score.

People
Teacher salary range$64,099–$121,627
Teaching staff663 · FTE
District enrollment13,188 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 68.0% · White 23.7% · Black 0.5% · Asian 1.6% · Other 6.1%
Free/reduced lunch64% · economic need indicator

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule 2024–25 · CDE enrollment (district averages)

See how the school years fit together.

Explore the next stage, then verify the schools available for your address.

These are browsing links, not a feeder path. Assignments vary by residence, program, permits, and available space.

Looking beyond Santa Barbara Unified?

Explore public, private, and early-learning options.

Know what you’re comparing.

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.

Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 21 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in Santa Barbara Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 21 public schools in Santa Barbara Unified with 2024–25 reporting records. This is directory coverage, not a complete campus inventory. Each school appears under its primary reporting level; a K–8 or K–12 campus may serve additional grades.
Which schools have the highest scores in Santa Barbara Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: Adelante Charter (55/100). Middle: La Colina Junior High (65/100). High: Dos Pueblos Senior High (67/100). These are separate level rankings, not a single cross-level league table. A score does not establish fit or enrollment eligibility. See the methodology.
Can I compare elementary, middle, and high schools directly?
Compare schools at the same level and within the same enrollment group. Scope Score formulas and available measures differ by level. The plots show comprehensive public schools separately for each level; individual profiles explain their comparison group.
Does living in Santa Barbara Unified guarantee a particular school?
A district outline does not establish assignment to an individual school. Attendance boundaries, programs, permits, and available space can affect enrollment. Confirm the requirements directly with the district.
What does a SchoolScope pattern mean?
Archetypes summarize patterns in publicly reported academic and school-climate measures. They describe reported results, not a school’s quality or a child’s fit. Open the school profile for reporting years, missing measures, and questions to ask. Read how the patterns are defined.
Where do these results come from?
The underlying public data comes from the California Department of Education, including CAASPP reporting for 2024–25. Scope Scores and archetypes are SchoolScope calculations, not official CDE ratings. View CDE data and SchoolScope’s methodology and limitations.