Is Pauma Elementary a good school?

Pauma Elementary ranks in the bottom 2.0% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Pauma Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 256 students attended Pauma Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Pauma Elementary?

Students at Pauma Elementary are 75% Hispanic, 16% American Indian, 5% White, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Pauma Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pauma Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Valley Center High

Pauma Elementary

Summary:

Pauma Elementary is a public elementary school located in Pauma Valley, California, serving grades K-8 with a total enrollment of 256 students. The school is part of the Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District, which is ranked 1288 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pauma Elementary faces significant challenges, with consistently high chronic absenteeism rates reaching 53.1% in the 2022-2023 school year, well above the state average. Academically, the school's students perform below the district and state averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics, with only 17.45% of students proficient or better in ELA in 2023-2024, compared to 29.36% for the district and 47.04% for the state. The school's subgroups, such as female students, male students, Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and low socioeconomic status students, all rank in the bottom 10-20% of California elementary schools in their respective categories. Additionally, Pauma Elementary has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 76.95% in the 2022-2023 school year, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Compared to nearby schools in the Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District, such as Lilac and Valley Center Elementary, Pauma Elementary's academic performance and other key metrics lag significantly behind. These nearby schools, while still below the state averages, perform much better than Pauma Elementary across various measures. The combination of high poverty, high chronic absenteeism, and low academic achievement at Pauma Elementary suggests that the school may face significant challenges in terms of resources, staffing, and community engagement that could be impacting student outcomes.

Detail:

Public K-8

33158 Cole Grade Rd.
Pauma Valley, CA 92061-9578

(760) 742-3741

District: Valley Center-Pauma Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
5742^nd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,194

Students who attend Pauma Elementary usually attend:

High:

Valley Center High

Student/teacher ratio: 26.1

Number of students: 256

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

74.6%

American Indian:

16.4%

White:

5.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 77%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Pauma Elementary ranks worse than 98% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.5. (See more...)

Compare Details Pauma Elementary ranks worse than 84.1% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.07. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Pauma Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (74.6%), American Indian (16.4%), White (5.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 77% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pauma Elementary is 26.1, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Pauma Elementary employs 9.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pauma Elementary is $13,194, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pauma Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Pauma Elementary 5742^nd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Pauma Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks Pauma Elementary 2336^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Pauma Elementary in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

Valley Center-Pauma Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Valley Center-Pauma Unified 1288^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Pauma Elementary

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Pauma Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	10.84	4626^th	4809	3.8%
2005	21.08	3894^th	4822	19.2%
2006	23.24	3783^rd	4818	21.5%
2007	23.65	4029^th	5113	21.2%
2008	28.46	3710^th	5113	27.4%
2009	21.81	4292^nd	5193	17.4%
2010	17.84	4722^nd	5314	11.1%
2011	15.11	4947^th	5377	8.0%
2012	11.35	5148^th	5390	4.5%
2013	18.04	4870^th	5530	11.9%
2015	29.17	3770^th	5611	32.8%
2016	20.17	4602^nd	5614	18.0%
2017	16.31	5003^rd	5692	12.1%
2018	19.43	4728^th	5662	16.5%
2019	22.85	4556^th	5789	21.3%
2021	14.70	1297^th	1417	8.5%
2022	20.96	4758^th	5883	19.1%
2023	8.62	5774^th	5874	1.7%
2024	8.50	5742^nd	5862	2.0%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at Pauma Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	58.96	894^th	3246	72.5%
2019	48.82	1313^th	3275	59.9%
2021	26.84	536^th	602	11.0%
2022	57.73	856^th	3311	74.1%
2023	26.24	2800^th	3250	13.8%
2024	15.15	3156^th	3160	0.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Pauma Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	19.55	4513^th	5084	11.2%
2019	28.81	3951^st	5173	23.6%
2021	23.67	935^th	1110	15.8%
2022	27.36	4052^nd	5264	23.0%
2023	7.40	5344^th	5374	0.6%
2024	6.77	5484^th	5511	0.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Pauma Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	16.20	4829^th	5413	10.8%
2019	23.00	4385^th	5492	20.2%
2021	16.93	1129^th	1267	10.9%
2022	13.98	5275^th	5635	6.4%
2023	6.06	5609^th	5617	0.1%
2024	8.18	5535^th	5605	1.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Pauma Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	28.62	3803^rd	5431	30.0%
2019	21.30	4536^th	5510	17.7%
2021	12.83	1202^nd	1272	5.5%
2022	33.04	3543^rd	5663	37.4%
2023	13.13	5306^th	5650	6.1%
2024	12.68	5328^th	5636	5.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Pauma Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	30.54	3518^th	4830	27.2%
2019	33.03	3471^st	4963	30.1%
2022	33.28	3425^th	5084	32.6%
2023	8.78	5050^th	5098	0.9%
2024	10.77	4974^th	5102	2.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Pauma Elementary

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Rank History for all middle school students at Pauma Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	27.69	1249^th	1769	29.4%
2005	16.46	1541^st	1777	13.3%
2006	24.68	1377^th	1804	23.7%
2007	35.20	1246^th	1999	37.7%
2008	30.46	1418^th	2005	29.3%
2009	31.63	1430^th	2063	30.7%
2010	18.08	1895^th	2179	13.0%
2011	37.37	1432^nd	2236	36.0%
2012	26.74	1742^nd	2259	22.9%
2013	35.02	1564^th	2379	34.3%
2015	33.84	1503^rd	2477	39.3%
2016	19.24	2050^th	2497	17.9%
2017	16.08	2179^th	2508	13.1%
2019	19.17	2217^th	2715	18.3%
2022	11.99	2573^rd	2740	6.1%
2023	15.79	2473^rd	2802	11.7%
2024	18.07	2336^th	2777	15.9%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Pauma Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	13.21	2402^nd	2549	5.8%
2024	21.33	2123^rd	2575	17.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Pauma Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	34.66	1475^th	2383	38.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Pauma Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2001	22	1	0	174	90	n/a	n/a	0	287
2002	14	1	0	167	65	n/a	n/a	0	247
2003	14	1	0	167	65	n/a	n/a	0	247
2004	17	0	4	155	64	n/a	n/a	0	240
2005	17	0	4	182	50	n/a	n/a	0	253
2006	20	0	5	168	38	n/a	n/a	0	231
2007	39	0	6	181	44	n/a	n/a	1	271
2008	48	n/a	3	182	50	n/a	n/a	0	283
2009	38	0	3	184	55	0	0	0	280
2010	20	0	4	190	54	0	4	0	272
2011	7	0	2	195	48	2	5	0	259
2012	14	0	1	188	52	2	3	0	260
2013	22	1	0	211	52	0	7	0	293
2014	22	0	2	200	47	0	7	0	278
2015	15	0	1	232	39	0	10	0	297
2016	10	0	0	187	36	0	8	0	241
2017	15	1	0	170	30	0	13	0	229
2018	14	1	0	167	32	0	12	0	226
2019	12	0	0	166	34	0	11	0	223
2020	12	0	0	180	35	0	11	0	238
2021	5	0	0	147	29	0	12	0	193
2022	12	1	0	170	40	0	11	0	234
2023	14	1	0	191	42	0	8	0	256

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pauma Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	287	17.0	16.9	86.1
2002	247	20.0	12.4	85.4
2003	247	20.0	12.4	85.4
2004	240	16.7	14.4	79.2
2005	253	14.5	17.4	84.6
2006	231	14.5	15.9	79.7
2007	271	14.0	19.4	72.2
2008	283	14.0	20.2	82
2009	280	14.8	17.6	72.1
2010	272	16.0	17.0	77.9
2011	259	n/a	n/a	77.6
2012	260	12.4	20.8	n/a
2013	293	12.2	23.9	75.8
2014	278	10.6	26.1	82
2015	297	11.0	27.0	78.8
2016	241	12.0	20.0	81.3
2017	229	11.3	20.2	84.3
2018	226	10.4	21.7	82.3
2019	223	10.5	21.2	78.9
2020	238	n/a	n/a	81.5
2021	193	9.3	20.6	48.2
2022	234	10.6	22.0	73.5
2023	256	9.8	26.1	77

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Pauma Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	287	17.0	16.9	86.1
2002	247	20.0	12.4	85.4
2003	247	20.0	12.4	85.4
2004	240	16.7	14.4	79.2
2005	253	14.5	17.4	84.6
2006	231	14.5	15.9	79.7
2007	271	14.0	19.4	72.2
2008	283	14.0	20.2	82
2009	280	14.8	17.6	72.1
2010	272	16.0	17.0	77.9
2011	259	n/a	n/a	77.6
2012	260	12.4	20.8	n/a
2013	293	12.2	23.9	75.8
2014	278	10.6	26.1	82
2015	297	11.0	27.0	78.8
2016	241	12.0	20.0	81.3
2017	229	11.3	20.2	84.3
2018	226	10.4	21.7	82.3
2019	223	10.5	21.2	78.9
2020	238	n/a	n/a	81.5
2021	193	9.3	20.6	48.2
2022	234	10.6	22.0	73.5
2023	256	9.8	26.1	77

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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