Is Santa Margarita Elementary a good school?

Santa Margarita Elementary ranks 1657 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Santa Margarita Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 284 students attended Santa Margarita Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Santa Margarita Elementary?

Students at Santa Margarita Elementary are 72% White, 17% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Santa Margarita Elementary attend?

Students who attend Santa Margarita Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Atascadero Middle High : Atascadero High

Santa Margarita Elementary

Summary:

Santa Margarita Elementary is a public K-5 school in the Atascadero Unified School District, serving 267 students in the town of Santa Margarita, California. The school has consistently ranked in the top 30% of California elementary schools over the past several years, with a current ranking of 1657 out of 5,862 schools for the 2023-2024 school year and a 4 out of 5 star rating from SchoolDigger.

Santa Margarita Elementary outperforms both the Atascadero Unified School District and the state of California in proficiency rates for Smarter Balanced Assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics across multiple grade levels. In 2023-2024, the school had 53.85% of students proficient or better in ELA and 51.92% proficient or better in Math, compared to 48.3% and 36.54% for the district, and 47.04% and 35.54% for the state, respectively. The school's performance is particularly strong in 3rd grade ELA and Math, with proficiency rates of 65.12% and 62.79%. Additionally, Santa Margarita Elementary performs well across different student subgroups, ranking in the top 20% of California elementary schools for female students in ELA and the top 30% for low socioeconomic status students.

When compared to nearby schools, Santa Margarita Elementary outperforms other Atascadero Unified schools, such as San Benito Elementary and Creston Elementary, in both ELA and Math proficiency. However, when compared to schools in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District, such as C.L. Smith, Sinsheimer, and Hawthorne Elementary, the San Luis Coastal schools generally have higher proficiency rates across the board. The school's recent increase in chronic absenteeism, from 6.1% in 2017-2018 to 20.7% in 2022-2023, is an area of concern that the school should address.

Detail:

Public K-5

22070 H St.
Santa Margarita, CA 93453-0380

(805) 438-5633

District: Atascadero Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1657^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,075

Students who attend Santa Margarita Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Atascadero Middle
High:	Atascadero High

Student/teacher ratio: 24.4

Number of students: 284

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.8%

Hispanic:

17.3%

Two or more races:

8.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 37%

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Compare Santa Margarita Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Santa Margarita Elementary ranks better than 71.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 3^rd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Atascadero Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 68.5. (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 Racial makeup is: White (71.8%), Hispanic (17.3%), two or more races (8.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 37% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Atascadero Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Santa Margarita Elementary is 24.4. 3 elementary schools in the Atascadero Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Santa Margarita Elementary employs 11.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Santa Margarita Elementary is $9,075. 5 elementary schools in the Atascadero Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Santa Margarita Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Margarita Elementary 1657^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Santa Margarita Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Atascadero Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Atascadero Unified 570^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Santa Margarita Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Santa Margarita Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	69.27	1329^th	4809	72.4%
2005	83.93	774^th	4822	83.9%
2006	74.18	1170^th	4818	75.7%
2007	64.41	1621^st	5113	68.3%
2008	60.62	1819^th	5113	64.4%
2009	56.97	2077^th	5193	60.0%
2010	43.90	2930^th	5314	44.9%
2011	52.24	2461^st	5377	54.2%
2012	48.87	2688^th	5390	50.1%
2013	58.40	2215^th	5530	59.9%
2015	81.42	1063^rd	5611	81.1%
2016	76.23	1268^th	5614	77.4%
2017	65.72	1769^th	5692	68.9%
2018	59.91	2046^th	5662	63.9%
2019	68.94	1650^th	5789	71.5%
2022	77.43	1312^th	5883	77.7%
2023	75.57	1349^th	5874	77.0%
2024	68.50	1657^th	5862	71.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Santa Margarita Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	66.71	1361^st	5084	73.2%
2019	65.94	1413^th	5173	72.7%
2023	64.91	1479^th	5374	72.5%
2024	60.15	1774^th	5511	67.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Santa Margarita Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	64.58	1771^st	5413	67.3%
2019	71.73	1420^th	5492	74.1%
2022	79.62	1127^th	5635	80.0%
2023	83.68	947^th	5617	83.1%
2024	80.50	1073^rd	5605	80.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Santa Margarita Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	55.24	2157^th	5431	60.3%
2019	63.04	1821^st	5510	67.0%
2022	71.94	1439^th	5663	74.6%
2023	66.79	1650^th	5650	70.8%
2024	58.61	2046^th	5636	63.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Santa Margarita Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	40.49	1807^th	2737	34.0%
2019	45.67	1682^nd	2834	40.6%
2022	62.51	1059^th	2726	61.2%
2023	56.20	1253^rd	2662	52.9%
2024	47.65	1490^th	2647	43.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White 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 Santa Margarita Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	433	4	0	20	11	n/a	n/a	468
1989	409	2	2	24	14	n/a	n/a	451
1990	438	0	7	27	16	n/a	n/a	488
1991	413	0	5	34	10	n/a	n/a	462
1992	403	6	7	22	6	n/a	n/a	444
1993	386	3	4	26	4	n/a	n/a	423
1994	407	0	2	32	1	n/a	n/a	442
1995	429	1	2	44	1	n/a	n/a	477
1996	429	1	2	44	1	n/a	n/a	477
1997	416	3	1	36	1	n/a	n/a	457
1998	393	3	2	39	1	n/a	n/a	438
1999	362	2	4	34	0	n/a	n/a	402
2000	345	6	3	41	2	n/a	n/a	397
2001	333	6	2	48	2	n/a	n/a	391
2002	298	5	4	54	3	n/a	n/a	364
2003	298	5	4	54	3	n/a	n/a	364
2004	255	8	2	46	4	n/a	n/a	315
2005	235	4	0	53	4	n/a	n/a	296
2006	242	4	0	44	3	n/a	n/a	293
2007	233	3	1	40	4	n/a	n/a	281
2008	245	6	2	38	7	n/a	n/a	298
2009	246	6	4	33	9	0	0	298
2010	210	2	5	54	2	0	19	292
2011	203	0	5	55	4	1	15	283
2012	201	4	4	47	5	1	11	273
2013	209	4	6	41	3	1	8	272
2014	213	4	5	38	3	0	4	267
2015	219	3	4	44	2	0	8	280
2016	215	1	7	54	0	0	15	292
2017	216	0	3	53	0	0	12	284
2018	201	0	7	45	3	0	11	267
2019	215	0	7	36	3	0	10	271
2020	202	0	7	42	4	0	15	270
2021	156	0	8	39	2	0	16	221
2022	172	0	6	47	4	0	15	244
2023	191	0	6	45	4	0	21	267
2024	204	0	5	49	3	0	23	284

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 Santa Margarita Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	468	20.7	22.6	n/a
1989	451	17.7	25.4	n/a
1990	488	20.5	23.8	n/a
1991	462	21.0	22.0	n/a
1992	444	21.3	20.8	16.2
1993	423	17.0	24.9	3.5
1994	442	16.5	26.8	3.2
1995	477	20.0	23.9	17.8
1996	477	20.0	23.9	17.8
1997	457	19.0	24.1	21.9
1998	438	22.8	19.2	22.1
1999	402	22.0	18.3	17.4
2000	397	19.0	20.9	19.1
2001	391	19.6	19.9	19.7
2002	364	19.4	18.8	23.9
2003	364	19.4	18.8	23.9
2004	315	17.0	18.5	21.9
2005	296	15.7	18.9	27.7
2006	293	15.4	19.0	23.5
2007	281	15.6	18.0	33.1
2008	298	18.6	16.0	29.5
2009	298	14.8	17.4	27.2
2010	292	13.0	22.4	29.8
2011	283	n/a	n/a	35.3
2012	273	11.0	24.8	n/a
2013	272	11.2	24.1	34.9
2014	267	9.0	29.6	25.8
2015	280	10.0	28.0	20.7
2016	292	10.0	29.2	24
2017	284	11.0	25.8	20.8
2018	267	10.0	26.7	27.7
2019	271	9.0	30.1	26.9
2020	270	n/a	n/a	28.5
2021	221	9.0	24.5	19.9
2022	244	10.0	24.4	30.3
2023	267	11.2	23.8	38.2
2024	284	11.6	24.4	37

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 Santa Margarita Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	468	20.7	22.6	n/a
1989	451	17.7	25.4	n/a
1990	488	20.5	23.8	n/a
1991	462	21.0	22.0	n/a
1992	444	21.3	20.8	16.2
1993	423	17.0	24.9	3.5
1994	442	16.5	26.8	3.2
1995	477	20.0	23.9	17.8
1996	477	20.0	23.9	17.8
1997	457	19.0	24.1	21.9
1998	438	22.8	19.2	22.1
1999	402	22.0	18.3	17.4
2000	397	19.0	20.9	19.1
2001	391	19.6	19.9	19.7
2002	364	19.4	18.8	23.9
2003	364	19.4	18.8	23.9
2004	315	17.0	18.5	21.9
2005	296	15.7	18.9	27.7
2006	293	15.4	19.0	23.5
2007	281	15.6	18.0	33.1
2008	298	18.6	16.0	29.5
2009	298	14.8	17.4	27.2
2010	292	13.0	22.4	29.8
2011	283	n/a	n/a	35.3
2012	273	11.0	24.8	n/a
2013	272	11.2	24.1	34.9
2014	267	9.0	29.6	25.8
2015	280	10.0	28.0	20.7
2016	292	10.0	29.2	24
2017	284	11.0	25.8	20.8
2018	267	10.0	26.7	27.7
2019	271	9.0	30.1	26.9
2020	270	n/a	n/a	28.5
2021	221	9.0	24.5	19.9
2022	244	10.0	24.4	30.3
2023	267	11.2	23.8	38.2
2024	284	11.6	24.4	37

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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