Is Ballard Elementary a good school?

Yes. Ballard Elementary ranks in the top 9.7% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Ballard Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 118 students attended Ballard Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Ballard Elementary?

Students at Ballard Elementary are 76% White, 14% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Ballard Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ballard Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Santa Ynez Valley Union High

Ballard Elementary

Summary:

Ballard Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school located in Solvang, California, serving grades K-6 with a total enrollment of 118 students. The school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, with exceptional academic achievement, low chronic absenteeism, and a relatively low-poverty student population.

Ballard Elementary's students excel academically, with a significantly higher percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics compared to the state average. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 77.05% of Ballard Elementary students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 47.04%. The school's performance is particularly strong in 4th grade ELA, where 100% of students were proficient or better, compared to the state average of 43.9%. Ballard Elementary also maintains a low chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 1.5% to 11.6% over the past 5 years, significantly lower than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, Ballard Elementary significantly outperforms Los Berros Visual and Performing Arts Academy, which is part of the lower-ranked Lompoc Unified School District. However, Ballard Elementary's performance is more comparable to the higher-performing nearby schools, such as Los Olivos Elementary and Santa Ynez Elementary, which are also part of well-ranked districts.

Detail:

Public K-6

2425 School St.
Solvang, CA 93463-9709

(805) 688-4812

District: Ballard Elementary

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

Students who attend Ballard Elementary usually attend:

High:

Santa Ynez Valley Union High

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 118

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.3%

Hispanic:

13.6%

Two or more races:

8.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 10.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Ballard Elementary ranks better than 90.3% of elementary schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 92.04. (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 (76.3%), Hispanic (13.6%), two or more races (8.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 10.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ballard Elementary is 16.8. (See more...)

Compare Ballard Elementary employs 7 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ballard Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Ballard Elementary 567^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Ballard Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Male students:

White students:

Ballard Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Ballard Elementary 106^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Ballard Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Ballard Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	94.15	273^rd	4809	94.3%
2005	95.71	178^th	4822	96.3%
2006	98.46	26^th	4818	99.5%
2007	90.90	472^nd	5113	90.8%
2008	96.62	96^th	5113	98.1%
2009	83.89	800^th	5193	84.6%
2010	91.47	362^nd	5314	93.2%
2011	95.02	128^th	5377	97.6%
2012	94.71	107^th	5390	98.0%
2013	95.37	90^th	5530	98.4%
2015	97.31	163^rd	5611	97.1%
2016	97.38	116^th	5614	97.9%
2017	94.21	380^th	5692	93.3%
2018	95.09	279^th	5662	95.1%
2019	96.47	183^rd	5789	96.8%
2022	89.33	727^th	5883	87.6%
2023	97.33	161^st	5874	97.3%
2024	92.04	567^th	5862	90.3%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Ballard Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	99.27	1^st	5492	100.0%
2022	99.34	3^rd	5635	99.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Ballard Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	90.13	566^th	5431	89.6%
2022	91.37	549^th	5663	90.3%
2023	95.03	307^th	5650	94.6%
2024	93.33	398^th	5636	92.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Ballard Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	82.69	350^th	2737	87.2%
2019	88.51	135^th	2834	95.2%
2022	77.84	532^nd	2726	80.5%
2023	88.87	136^th	2662	94.9%
2024	74.17	659^th	2647	75.1%

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 Ballard Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	56	0	0	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	63
1989	53	0	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	59
1990	58	0	0	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	65
1991	69	0	0	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	77
1992	74	0	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	78
1993	80	0	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	86
1994	102	0	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	110
1995	126	1	0	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	136
1996	126	1	0	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	136
1997	110	1	0	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	119
1998	109	0	0	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	121
1999	124	0	0	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	134
2000	132	0	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	141
2001	136	0	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	141
2002	122	2	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	128
2003	122	2	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	128
2004	123	2	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	130
2005	124	1	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	131
2006	112	0	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	117
2007	100	0	0	8	3	n/a	n/a	1	112
2008	98	n/a	n/a	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	108
2009	97	1	0	6	2	0	2	0	108
2010	104	0	0	6	1	0	4	0	115
2011	105	0	0	6	1	0	6	0	118
2012	99	1	0	9	0	0	4	0	113
2013	100	1	0	9	0	0	7	0	117
2014	84	2	2	16	0	0	0	0	104
2015	112	1	3	15	1	0	0	0	132
2016	105	1	2	16	0	0	0	0	124
2017	105	1	3	18	0	0	2	0	129
2018	103	3	1	22	0	0	2	0	131
2019	99	1	1	23	0	0	8	0	132
2020	105	3	1	27	0	0	7	0	143
2021	100	2	1	20	0	0	5	0	128
2022	100	0	1	23	0	0	5	0	129
2023	90	0	2	16	0	0	10	0	118

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 Ballard Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	63	3.7	17.0	n/a
1989	59	4.0	14.7	n/a
1990	65	4.0	16.2	n/a
1991	77	3.7	20.8	n/a
1992	78	3.8	20.5	2.6
1993	86	5.0	17.2	0
1994	110	5.0	22.0	0
1995	136	5.0	27.2	2.2
1996	136	5.0	27.2	2.2
1997	119	6.0	19.8	1.7
1998	121	6.0	20.2	2.5
1999	134	6.0	22.3	3.7
2000	141	7.0	20.1	3.5
2001	141	7.0	20.1	2.8
2002	128	7.0	18.3	0
2003	128	7.0	18.3	0
2004	130	7.0	18.6	0.8
2005	131	6.0	21.8	0
2006	117	6.0	19.5	0
2007	112	6.5	17.2	0
2008	108	8.0	13.5	0
2009	108	8.0	12.0	1.9
2010	115	8.0	14.3	0.9
2011	118	n/a	n/a	2.5
2012	113	7.0	16.1	2.7
2013	117	7.5	15.6	0
2014	104	7.0	14.8	0
2015	132	7.0	18.8	2.3
2016	124	7.0	17.7	2.4
2017	129	7.0	18.4	3.1
2018	131	7.0	18.7	7.6
2019	132	7.0	18.8	4.5
2020	143	n/a	n/a	7.7
2021	128	7.0	18.2	7.8
2022	129	7.0	18.4	7.8
2023	118	7.0	16.8	10.2

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 Ballard Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	63	3.7	17.0	n/a
1989	59	4.0	14.7	n/a
1990	65	4.0	16.2	n/a
1991	77	3.7	20.8	n/a
1992	78	3.8	20.5	2.6
1993	86	5.0	17.2	0
1994	110	5.0	22.0	0
1995	136	5.0	27.2	2.2
1996	136	5.0	27.2	2.2
1997	119	6.0	19.8	1.7
1998	121	6.0	20.2	2.5
1999	134	6.0	22.3	3.7
2000	141	7.0	20.1	3.5
2001	141	7.0	20.1	2.8
2002	128	7.0	18.3	0
2003	128	7.0	18.3	0
2004	130	7.0	18.6	0.8
2005	131	6.0	21.8	0
2006	117	6.0	19.5	0
2007	112	6.5	17.2	0
2008	108	8.0	13.5	0
2009	108	8.0	12.0	1.9
2010	115	8.0	14.3	0.9
2011	118	n/a	n/a	2.5
2012	113	7.0	16.1	2.7
2013	117	7.5	15.6	0
2014	104	7.0	14.8	0
2015	132	7.0	18.8	2.3
2016	124	7.0	17.7	2.4
2017	129	7.0	18.4	3.1
2018	131	7.0	18.7	7.6
2019	132	7.0	18.8	4.5
2020	143	n/a	n/a	7.7
2021	128	7.0	18.2	7.8
2022	129	7.0	18.4	7.8
2023	118	7.0	16.8	10.2

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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