Best Public Schools in Solvang, CA

Summary:

The city of Solvang, California is home to 4 schools, including 2 elementary schools and 2 high schools. The data reveals a mixed picture of school performance in the area, with some standout performers and others struggling to meet key metrics.

Ballard Elementary is the top-performing school in the area, consistently ranking among the best in the state. It boasts excellent test scores, low chronic absenteeism, and a small percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. In contrast, Refugio High struggles with alarmingly low graduation rates, high dropout rates, and extremely high chronic absenteeism. The two high schools in the area, Santa Ynez Valley Union High and Refugio High, have vastly different outcomes despite being in the same district.

The elementary schools in Solvang, Solvang Elementary and Ballard Elementary, appear to be performing well overall, outpacing the state averages in key metrics. This suggests the elementary education system in the area is strong and setting students up for success. However, the stark contrast between the performance of Ballard Elementary and Refugio High is noteworthy and warrants further investigation to understand the underlying factors driving these differences.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)					Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)								Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)								% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	% Completely Immunized KG	% Varicella KG	Total
Santa Ynez Valley Union High	Public	9-12	2975 Mission Dr.	Solvang	93463	Santa Barbara County	Santa Ynez Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 688-6487	847	46	18.6	24.4%	376 (44.4%)	4 (0.5%)	412 (48.6%)	4 (0.5%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.0%)	56.4	708^th of 2323 public high schools	69.5%		75.3	408^th of 2348 public high schools	82.6%	300			34.8	6.3	32.7							46.5	46.5							29.5	29.5			$13,766
Refugio High	Public	9-12	2975 Mission Dr.	Solvang	93463	Santa Barbara County	Santa Ynez Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 688-6487	6	1	6.2		0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																								$16,936
Solvang Elementary	Public	K-8	565 Atterdag Rd.	Solvang	93463	Santa Barbara County	Solvang Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 688-4810	593	32	18.4	38.6%	224 (37.8%)	2 (0.3%)	320 (54.0%)	5 (0.8%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.4%)	56.4	2213^th of 5862 public elementary schools	62.2%		46.2	2741^st of 5874 public elementary schools	53.3%	528	35.3	50.0			43.2	36.9	39.3	60.0	55.4	75.4	68.3		56.2	31.3	38.6	35.3	63.1	60.9	68.3		50.1	96.3	96.3
Ballard Elementary	Public	K-6	2425 School St.	Solvang	93463	Santa Barbara County	Ballard Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 688-4812	118	7	16.8	10.2%	90 (76.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (13.6%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (8.5%)	92	567^th of 5862 public elementary schools	90.3%		97.3	161^st of 5874 public elementary schools	97.3%	406	68.8				68.8	72.7	100.0	62.5					77.1	68.2	85.7	68.8					72.1

Cities Near Solvang

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Santa Ynez	1.95 mi	4	207^th
Los Olivos	2.3 mi	2	181^st
Buellton	4.31 mi	3	385^th
Gaviota	10.72 mi	1
Los Alamos	11.86 mi	1	600^th

See the top CA California cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.