Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
The elementary schools average 60.4/100 — 21.5 points above the state average, with 7 of 9 in the Strong band.
38 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 9 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.
Franklin Elementary (80/100) holds the Strong band — 57.7% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 41.1%. 2 schools classify as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.
38 points separate the top and bottom elementary schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.
The middle years
Consistently strong: all 3 middle schools land within 12 points of each other, averaging 54.4/100 — 15.9 points above the state average.
3 middle schools span 12 points around an average of 54.4.
Lincoln Middle (61/100) holds the Strong band — 42.1% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 32.8%.
Only 3 campuses at this level — one school's year moves every number in this chapter.
The high school years
The high schools sit at the state line (58.8 vs 54.0) — the 57-point school-to-school spread is where the choice lives.
57 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 3 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.
Santa Monica High (82/100) holds the Strong band — 46.3% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 29.2%. 1 school classifies as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.
33.6% 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.
What it means for your family
Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Franklin Elementary at 80/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
No charters or magnets among the ranked schools here, so the main lever is an intra-district transfer — California districts run them on their own windows and criteria. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, ask the district office for this year's dates.
A band is a position, not a prophecy — a school's number can move without your kid's experience moving with it. 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:
Franklin Elementary 98th percentile · StrongScope Score 80/100Lincoln Middle 89th percentile · StrongScope Score 61/100Santa Monica High 96th percentile · StrongScope Score 82/100
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.