Schools
4
listed public schools. We score three high.
School district · Santa Barbara County
Santa Maria Joint Union High schools
Santa Maria Joint Union High’s 3 public high schools have Scope Scores from 68 to 75.
75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state.
Students
8,930
in the October 2024–25 enrollment count.
Spending
$21,560
per student in 2024–25. The typical California district spent $20,491.
The path
What is the path through the district?
Santa Maria Joint Union High has three high schools that we score.
Elementary and middle school
Run by other districts
Our records do not name those districts. Ask Santa Maria Joint Union High which elementary districts serve its addresses.
High · 3 schools
- Ernest RighettiScope Score 75
- Pioneer ValleyScope Score 72
- Santa Maria HighScope Score 68
Each score compares a school with California schools at its own level. The levels are not one ranking.
High schools
Which high schools in the Santa Maria Joint Union High district score highest?
Ernest Righetti High is highest, with a Scope Score of 75. That is higher than 48 in 100 California high schools we score.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Ernest Righetti High
Grades 9–12 · 2,416 students
172558% below the standard
Scope Score 75Developing · 48th percentile
Rank 2
Pioneer Valley High
Grades 9–12 · 3,080 students
2564% below the standard
Scope Score 72Developing · 33rd percentile
Rank 3
Santa Maria High
Grades 9–12 · 3,143 students
2170% below the standard
Scope Score 68Needs Support · 15th percentile
The average high school in the Santa Maria Joint Union High district had 19 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California high school we score had 22 in 100.
1 high school not ranked statewide
It is compared only with other continuation schools, so it is listed apart.
- Delta HighContinuation high school
Each score compares a school with the 1,498 California high schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2025. The state called the top two levels Exceeded and Met in spring 2025. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days. Each figure is an average of school rates. Each school counts once.
Against California
How does the district compare with California?
19 in 100 students at the average high school here were chronically absent. The California figure is 22 in 100.
Students who miss a lot of school
Average high school, students in 100
Santa Maria Joint Union High19 in 100
California22 in 100
Students from low-income families
Qualify for free or reduced-price meals
Santa Maria Joint Union High69%
California63%
Spending per student
Day-to-day spending, 2024–25
Santa Maria Joint Union High$21,560
Typical district$20,491
English learners who moved up a level
On the state’s English test (ELPAC)
Santa Maria Joint Union High38%
California47%
Absence: averages of school rates, each high school counted once, 2025–26. Meals: 6,175 of 8,930 students, 2024–25, summed from the state’s meal counts for every school listed under the district, charters included. Spending: day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, 2024–25. The typical district is the middle one when California districts are put in order. English learners: From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 38% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (476 of 1,269 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent. Source: California Department of Education, English learner progress files.
The district
Where does Santa Maria Joint Union High’s money go?
About 50 cents of every Santa Maria Joint Union High dollar went to classroom instruction.
$21,560
spent per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491.
Every dollar, by what it paid for
50¢16¢13¢12¢6¢
- Instruction50%
- Instruction support16%
- Buildings & maintenance13%
- Student services12%
- Administration6%
- Other3%
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $39.9 million into 48 funded actions in 5 goals. That is 21% of its $189.9 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts. The district reports what it spent in a later plan.
Spending is day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education, 2024–25. It covers the whole district, including central administration. Shares are rounded so they add up to 100. Planned amounts are from the yearly spending plan (LCAP) as posted to the California School Dashboard.
State records
Who attends, and is the state giving extra help?
8,930 students were enrolled in the October 2024–25 count. Santa Maria Joint Union High isn’t getting extra state help in 2026, only the standard support every district gets.
Who goes to the district’s schools
- Hispanic or Latino 90%
- White 6%
- Other or not reported 4%
Is the state giving the district extra help?
Santa Maria Joint Union High isn’t getting extra state help in 2026, only the standard support every district gets.
State results from the 2026 California School Dashboard. Source: District help (CDE).Common questions
What do parents ask about this district?
Are the public schools in the Santa Maria Joint Union High district good?
Santa Maria Joint Union High’s 3 public high schools have Scope Scores from 68 to 75. Of those, 2 are Developing and 1 is Needs Support. 75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How we score schools.
Which public schools in the Santa Maria Joint Union High district rank highest?
Ernest Righetti High is the highest high school, with a Scope Score of 75. It is Developing, at the 48th percentile. Each score compares a school with the California high schools we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.
How does chronic absence in the Santa Maria Joint Union High district compare with California?
The average high school in the Santa Maria Joint Union High district had 19 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California high school we score had 22 in 100. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days. Each figure is an average of school rates. Each school counts once.
How much does the Santa Maria Joint Union High district spend per student?
The Santa Maria Joint Union High district spent $21,560 per student in the 2024–25 school year. That’s close to the typical California district, which spent $20,491. About 50 cents of every Santa Maria Joint Union High dollar went to classroom instruction. Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from its annual financial report to the California Department of Education. The district’s spending, by function.
What is in the Santa Maria Joint Union High district’s 2026–27 spending plan?
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $39.9 million into 48 funded actions in 5 goals. That is 21% of its $189.9 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $16.9 million, 42% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.
Does living in the Santa Maria Joint Union High district decide which school my child attends?
Not by itself. Attendance boundaries, programs, transfers and space all matter. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
Where do these results come from?
The test results are from California’s state tests (CAASPP), spring 2025. Chronic-absence rates are for 2025–26. The California Department of Education publishes both. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.
Next
Which places nearby can you look at next?
Sources and methodology
This page lists the public schools governed and funded by the Santa Maria Joint Union High district, with the district’s spending and state records.
Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024–25
Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s own calculations from these state files.
State tests are the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), spring 2025.
Download these schools (CSV) Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.