Santa Monica-Malibu Unified: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified elementary schools lead at 63.6. A 60.9-point spread across all schools shows this is a district of contrasts.
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified has 15 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 60.2/100 — 15.4 points above the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Franklin Elementary at 83/100, where 57.7% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $17,123 per student (above the state average of $14,815). 2 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 18.4%, near the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Solid 63.6/100 | 9 | 41.1% | 14.2% |
| Middle | Solid 57.1/100 | 3 | 32.8% | 15.5% |
| High | Solid 53.2/100 | 3 | 29.2% | 33.6% |
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified's elementary schools average 63.6/100 — 18.7 points above the state average.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Santa Monica-Malibu Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified has 15 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 60.2/100 — 15.4 points above the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified's elementary schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 63.6.
District-wide elementary growth averages +2.0pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — schools are making incremental gains.
Score range of 60.9 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 18.4%, 0.4pp near the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 1.5%, near the state average of 1.6%.
Franklin Elementary leads the district at 83 with 57.7% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
Hidden gems: 3 schools in Santa Monica-Malibu Unified are classified as Growth Engine (2) or 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 Monica-Malibu Unified spends $17,123 per student in current expenditures — $2,309 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
Every school in Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (9)
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified has 9 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 63.6 — 18.7 points above the state average of 44.8. 3 of 9 elementary schools score above 70.
Grade-to-grade growth averages +2.0pp — schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Franklin Elementary with a Scope Score of 83 and 57.7% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franklin Elementary Santa Monica-Malibu Unified High Ceiling | 57.7% | Strong 83/100 |
| 2 | Edison Elementary Santa Monica-Malibu Unified High Ceiling | 50.4% | Strong 80/100 |
| 3 | Roosevelt Elementary Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Strong All-Around | 47.4% | Strong 72/100 |
| 4 | Grant Elementary Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Solid Base | 46.0% | Solid 65/100 |
| 5 | Webster Elementary Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Growth Engine | 43.1% | Solid 63/100 |
| 6 | McKinley Elementary Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Building Momentum | 36.4% | Solid 60/100 |
| 7 | Santa Monica Alternative (K-8) Santa Monica-Malibu Unified On the Rise | 31.4% | Solid 54/100 |
| 8 | Will Rogers Elementary Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Growth Engine | 25.0% | Developing 48/100 |
| 9 | Malibu Elementary Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Solid Base | 32.3% | Developing 47/100 |
Middle Schools (3)
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified has 3 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 57.1 — 14.5 points above the state average of 42.6.
Growth averages -5.2pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring middle school is Lincoln Middle with a Scope Score of 63 and 42.1% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln Middle Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Solid Base | 42.1% | Solid 63/100 |
| 2 | Malibu Middle Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Building Momentum | 28.1% | Solid 56/100 |
| 3 | John Adams Middle Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Building Momentum | 28.2% | Solid 53/100 |
High Schools (3)
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified has 3 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 53.2 — 9.5 points above the state average of 43.7. 1 of 3 high schools score above 70.
The highest-scoring high school is Santa Monica High with a Scope Score of 74 and 46.3% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Monica High Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Strong All-Around | 46.3% | Strong 74/100 |
| 2 | Malibu High Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Building Momentum | 29.4% | Solid 64/100 |
| 3 | Olympic High (Continuation) Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Building Momentum | 11.9% | Needs Support 22/100 |
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