Santa Barbara Unified: Santa Barbara Unified schools score within 0.2 points of the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 10.2 points.
Santa Barbara Unified has 21 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 45.0/100 — within 0.2 points of the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is La Colina Junior High at 68/100, where 34.6% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $14,447 per student (below the state average of $14,815). Chronic absenteeism averages 22.5%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Developing 45.6/100 | 12 | 22.3% | 16.5% |
| Middle | Developing 48.5/100 | 4 | 21.3% | 20.3% |
| High | Developing 40.9/100 | 5 | 16.0% | 38.7% |
Santa Barbara Unified's middle schools average 48.5/100 — 5.9 points above the state average.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Santa Barbara Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Santa Barbara Unified has 21 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 45.0/100 — within 0.2 points of the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: Santa Barbara Unified's middle schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 48.5.
District-wide elementary growth averages -10.2pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.
Score range of 56.3 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 22.5%, 4.6pp above the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 2.4%, near the state average of 1.6%.
La Colina Junior High leads the district at 68 with 34.6% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Santa Barbara Unified
Hidden gems: 1 school in Santa Barbara Unified is classified as On the Rise — 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 Barbara Unified spends $14,447 per student in current expenditures — $367 below 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
Every school in Santa Barbara Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (12)
Santa Barbara Unified has 12 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 45.6 — within 0.8 points of the state average of 44.8.
Growth averages -10.2pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Adelante Charter with a Scope Score of 67 and 26.0% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adelante Charter Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 26.0% | Solid 67/100 |
| 2 | Peabody Charter Santa Barbara Unified Strong All-Around | 41.8% | Solid 59/100 |
| 3 | Washington Elementary Santa Barbara Unified Culture First | 37.8% | Solid 53/100 |
| 4 | Franklin Elementary Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 20.6% | Solid 52/100 |
| 5 | Santa Barbara Charter Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 23.6% | Developing 46/100 |
| 6 | Harding University Partnership Santa Barbara Unified Culture First | 27.0% | Developing 45/100 |
| 7 | Adams Elementary Santa Barbara Unified Culture First | 23.7% | Developing 45/100 |
| 8 | Santa Barbara Community Academy Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 9.3% | Developing 45/100 |
| 9 | Monroe Elementary Santa Barbara Unified On the Rise | 14.9% | Developing 45/100 |
| 10 | Roosevelt Elementary Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 29.6% | Developing 40/100 |
| 11 | Cleveland Elementary Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 10.0% | Needs Support 26/100 |
| 12 | McKinley Elementary Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 3.0% | Needs Support 25/100 |
Middle Schools (4)
Santa Barbara Unified has 4 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 48.5 — 5.9 points above the state average of 42.6.
The highest-scoring middle school is La Colina Junior High with a Scope Score of 68 and 34.6% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Colina Junior High Santa Barbara Unified Strong All-Around | 34.6% | Solid 68/100 |
| 2 | Goleta Valley Junior High Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 27.2% | Solid 55/100 |
| 3 | La Cumbre Junior High Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 13.1% | Developing 42/100 |
| 4 | Santa Barbara Junior High Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 10.1% | Needs Support 30/100 |
High Schools (5)
Santa Barbara Unified has 5 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 40.9 — 2.8 points below the state average of 43.7.
The highest-scoring high school is Dos Pueblos Senior High with a Scope Score of 61 and 33.8% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dos Pueblos Senior High Santa Barbara Unified Strong All-Around | 33.8% | Solid 61/100 |
| 2 | San Marcos Senior High Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 23.6% | Solid 55/100 |
| 3 | Santa Barbara Senior High Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 9.5% | Developing 45/100 |
| 4 | Alta Vista Alternative High Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 13.2% | Developing 32/100 |
| 5 | La Cuesta Continuation High Santa Barbara Unified Building Momentum | 0.0% | Needs Support 12/100 |
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.
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