School district · Santa Cruz County

Scotts Valley Unified schools

Scotts Valley Unified’s 3 public elementary schools run from the 66th to the 88th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Elementary · 3 schools

from 66th to 88th · among 5,726 California elementary schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • Brook Knoll Elementary: 88th percentile, Strong
  • Vine Hill Elementary: 86th percentile, Strong
  • California Online Public Schools Monterey Bay: 66th percentile, Solid
0Needs Support
0Developing
1Solid
2Strong

One dot per school.

Middle and high school pictures

Middle · 2 schools

from 68th to 86th · among 2,529 California middle schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • Scotts Valley Middle: 86th percentile, Strong
  • California Online Public Schools Monterey Bay: 68th percentile, Solid
0Needs Support
0Developing
1Solid
1Strong

High · 2 schools

from 19th to 76th · among 1,498 California high schools we score · spring 2025 tests

  • Scotts Valley High: 76th percentile, Strong
  • California Online Public Schools Monterey Bay: 19th percentile, Needs Support
1Needs Support
0Developing
0Solid
1Strong

One dot per school. Each stage is placed only among California schools at its own level. 1 of the 5 ranked schools teaches all three levels, so it appears in more than one picture.

  • 5 ranked schools

Schools around Scotts Valley Unified

5 listed public schools with mapped locations.

Open full map →

Loading school locations…

Percentile among California schools at the same level

  • Strong75th+
  • Solid50–74th
  • Developing25–49th
  • Needs Supportbelow 25th
  • Not scored

The school lists on this page are also available without the map.

Elementary schools

Which elementary schools in Scotts Valley Unified score highest?

Brook Knoll Elementary is highest, at the 88th percentile.

That’s higher than 88 in 100 of the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in Scotts Valley Unified

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. What patterns mean

Context

The average elementary school in Scotts Valley Unified had 7 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once.

Middle schools

Which middle schools in Scotts Valley Unified score highest?

Scotts Valley Middle is highest, at the 86th percentile.

That’s higher than 86 in 100 of the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in Scotts Valley Unified

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level.

High schools

Which high schools in Scotts Valley Unified score highest?

Scotts Valley High is highest, at the 76th percentile.

That’s higher than 76 in 100 of the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests).

Highest in Scotts Valley Unified

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level.

The district

Where does Scotts Valley Unified’s money go, and what does it plan?

Scotts Valley Unified spent $16,584 per student in the 2024–25 school year.

The typical California district spent $20,491. About 62 cents of every Scotts Valley Unified dollar went to classroom instruction.

Spending by function

Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus.

Share by function, 2024–25

  • Instruction62%
  • Instruction support12%
  • Student services9%
  • Administration8%
  • Buildings & maintenance8%
  • Other1%

Shares of the same spending total, by the report’s spending categories, rounded so they add up to 100. Names are simplified from the report’s own categories.

What the district plans

$1.2 million

planned in its 2026–27 plan for 12 funded actions in 3 goals. That’s 4% of its $33.1 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts; the district reports what it spent in a later plan.

The plan in short

Source: the district’s yearly spending plan (Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, 92 pages), as posted to the California School Dashboard.

Where the money goes

Three actions take 76% of the money. The plan itself puts 80% of it toward staff.

  • Supplemental Programs to address student needs $646,815
  • Support for Multi-Lingual Learners Success $155,166
  • Textbook Adoption $140,000
  • 9 other actions
Reading, math and catch-up help

1 of the plan’s 12 funded actions names reading, math, catch-up help or English learners in its title.

Actions whose titles name math
  • Math $10,563

Largest of these

  • Focus on Math achievement and Training$10,563
For high-need students (English learners, low-income students and foster youth), what changed and what its goals measure
For high-need students

It plans $740,368 in extra services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth. For 2025–26, it planned $679,695 and estimates it spent $640,452, $39,243 (6%) less than planned (our arithmetic).

Ask: Why did estimated spending on these services come in $39,243 under the 2025–26 plan, and where does that money go in 2026–27?

What changed

The total is $275,370 (29%) higher than in the 2025–26 plan. The biggest change in dollars is Supplemental Programs to address student needs, which went from $375,171 to $646,815.

Largest cuts

  • Professional Development−⁠$10,216
  • Increased access to College & Career Readiness courses−⁠$9,841
  • Focus on Math achievement and Training−⁠$9,035

Largest increases

  • Supplemental Programs to address student needs+⁠$271,644
  • Focus on Climate, Culture & Counseling+⁠$25,362
  • Support for Multi-Lingual Learners Success+⁠$17,138

Ask: What did Professional Development pay for, and what changes now that the 2026–27 plan gives it $10,216 less?

What its goals measure

Read these state results for the district’s own schools as context for the goals they measure; results alone can’t show what the plan caused.

What its goals measure: state results, 2024–25 and 2025–26
Measure2024–252025–26Change
English, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 170%68%down 2 pts
Math, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 159%61%up 2 pts
Chronically absentCounted across all the district’s students, not averaged by schoolGoal 211 in 1007 in 1004 fewer in 100
Suspended at least onceGoal 22.0%2.2%up 0.2 pts

Goal 3 isn’t shown because it tracks other measures.

Figures from CDE’s state test, chronic absence and suspension files. Test figures cover every grade the district tests (California tests grades 3–8 and 11), so they differ from a profile’s rated grades. We combined the district’s schools ourselves, weighted by students and leaving out charter schools. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days.

The plan’s own titles and amounts
  • Supplemental Programs to address student needs · $646,815
  • Support for Multi-Lingual Learners Success · $155,166
  • Textbook Adoption · $140,000
The full plan3 goals, 13 measures and where the money goes

We calculate each action’s share of the plan by dividing its planned amount by the total of the plan’s funded actions ($1.2 million).

Where does the money go?

69% to Goal 1. Each box is one action, sized by its planned dollars and coloured by its change since last year’s plan. Tap a box to open its goal.

G1
G2
G3

Change since the 2025–26 plan, same title

  • fell 25% or more
  • fell 10–25%
  • fell 2–10%
  • within 2%
  • grew 2–10%
  • grew 10–25%
  • grew 25% or more
  • new or renamed title
  • not compared: unconfirmed, or repeated across goals

Every goal, in the plan’s order

Goal 1All students are provided a high-quality education with equitable access to standards-aligned instruction…$848,81869% of action budgets

“All students are provided a high-quality education with equitable access to standards-aligned instruction, rigorous programs and a multi-tiered system of support to accelerate learning” p. 17 ↗

5 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $576,095 (+⁠$272,723)

Largest funded actions

  1. Supplemental Programs to address student needs$646,815action 1.2 · p. 54 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $356,144 is state funding counted toward those services
  2. Support for Multi-Lingual Learners Success$155,166action 1.1 · p. 54 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  3. Assessment & Data Analysis$28,017action 1.4 · p. 54 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  4. Focus on Math achievement and Training$10,563action 1.3 · p. 54 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  5. Professional Development for Teachers$8,256action 1.5 · p. 54 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Supplemental Programs to address student needs+⁠$271,644$375,171 → $646,815 · p. 54 ↗
  2. Support for Multi-Lingual Learners Success+⁠$17,138$138,028 → $155,166 · p. 54 ↗
  3. Focus on Math achievement and Training−⁠$9,035$19,598 → $10,563 · p. 54 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

  • Assessment & Data Analysis · $35,282 → $28,017 · p. 54 ↗−⁠$7,265
  • Professional Development for Teachers · $8,016 → $8,256 · p. 54 ↗+⁠$240

How the plan measures it · 5 measures

None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 17 ↗.

Goal 2Ensure school and classroom environments provide Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) + and support for the Whole Child$142,78212% of action budgets

3 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $120,077 (+⁠$22,705) · p. 27 ↗

Largest funded actions

  1. Focus on Climate, Culture & Counseling$138,023action 2.1 · p. 54 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $117,260 is state funding counted toward those services
  2. Parent Engagement$3,958action 2.3 · p. 54 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  3. Focus on Truancy & Absenteeism$800action 2.2 · p. 54 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Focus on Climate, Culture & Counseling+⁠$25,362$112,661 → $138,023 · p. 54 ↗
  2. Parent Engagement−⁠$2,658$6,616 → $3,958 · p. 54 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

  • Focus on Truancy & Absenteeism · $800 → $800 · p. 54 ↗unchanged

How the plan measures it · 3 measures

None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 27 ↗.

Goal 3Foster globally-aware and future ready lifelong learners$242,43320% of action budgets

4 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $262,490 (−⁠$20,057) · p. 35 ↗

Largest funded actions

  1. Textbook Adoption$140,000action 3.3 · p. 55 ↗
  2. Increased access to College & Career Readiness courses$62,750action 3.2 · p. 55 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $43,280 is state funding counted toward those services
  3. Professional Development$22,483action 3.4 · p. 55 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $6,961 is state funding counted toward those services
  4. Course Alignment$17,200action 3.1 · p. 55 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Professional Development−⁠$10,216$32,699 → $22,483 · p. 55 ↗
  2. Increased access to College & Career Readiness courses−⁠$9,841$72,591 → $62,750 · p. 55 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

  • Textbook Adoption · $140,000 → $140,000 · p. 55 ↗unchanged
  • Course Alignment · $17,200 → $17,200 · p. 55 ↗unchanged

How the plan measures it · 5 measures

None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 35 ↗.

All amounts are planned. We read them from the PDF and added up each goal’s actions ourselves. Page links open the plan at that page.

Who goes to the district’s schools
Who attends

Student mix

2024–25 · October enrollment count, 2,566 students
1. White: 59%2. Hispanic or Latino: 22%3. Two or more races: 9%4. Asian: 7%5. Not reported: 1%6. Filipino: <1%7. Black or African American: <1%8. American Indian or Alaska Native: <1%9. Pacific Islander: <1%Student mix2024–25
  1. White59%
  2. Hispanic or Latino22%
  3. Two or more races9%
  4. Asian7%
  5. Not reported1%
  6. Filipino<1%
  7. Black or African American<1%
  8. American Indian or Alaska Native<1%
  9. Pacific Islander<1%
Shares use the district's own October enrollment counts from the CDE, including its charter schools.

Free or reduced-price meals

17%

Across California, 63% of students qualify.

2024–25 · 432 of 2,561 students qualify, summed from the CDE’s meal counts for every school it lists under the district, charters included. It comes from a different CDE file than the student mix, so the two totals differ.

The district’s state records

Is the state giving the district extra help?

Scotts Valley Unified isn’t getting extra state help in 2026, only the standard support every district gets.

How English learners moved up on the state’s English test

From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 65% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (20 of 31 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent.

Sources: District help (CDE) ↗ · English learner progress (CDE) ↗. State results from the 2026 California School Dashboard.

Which places nearby can you look at next?

Cities in the district

More places (5)

Districts nearby

Common questions

Which public schools in Scotts Valley Unified rank highest?

Elementary: Brook Knoll Elementary, 88th percentile (Strong). Middle: Scotts Valley Middle, 86th percentile (Strong). High: Scotts Valley High, 76th percentile (Strong). Each percentile is among the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.

Does living in the Scotts Valley Unified 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.
More questions (5)

Are the public schools in Scotts Valley Unified good?

Scotts Valley Unified’s 3 public elementary schools run from the 66th to the 88th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 2 Strong and 1 Solid. Scotts Valley Unified’s 2 public middle schools run from the 68th to the 86th percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 1 Strong and 1 Solid. Scotts Valley Unified’s 2 public high schools run from the 19th to the 76th percentile among the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests). By band: 1 Strong and 1 Needs Support. A percentile compares a school with California public schools at the same level that we score. How we score schools.

How does chronic absence in Scotts Valley Unified compare with California?

The average elementary school in Scotts Valley Unified had 7 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once. These are averages of school rates: each school counts once, whatever its size.

How much does Scotts Valley Unified spend per student?

Scotts Valley Unified spent $16,584 per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491. About 62 cents of every Scotts Valley Unified 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 Scotts Valley Unified’s 2026–27 spending plan?

The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $1.2 million into 12 funded actions in 3 goals, 4% of its $33.1 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $848,818, 69% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.

Where do these results come from?

California’s state tests (CAASPP): spring 2026 for elementary and middle schools, spring 2025 for high schools, and chronic-absence rates for 2025–26, published by the California Department of Education. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.

Sources and methodology

This page lists the public schools governed and funded by Scotts Valley Unified, with the district’s spending and state accountability records.

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2025–26 elementary and middle school; 2024–25 high school

Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s own calculations from these state files.

View CDE data ↗ (opens in a new tab)How Scope Scores work →

Download these schools (CSV)Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.