Is Harold Ambuehl Elementary a good school?

Harold Ambuehl Elementary ranks 1565 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Harold Ambuehl Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 312 students attended Harold Ambuehl Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Harold Ambuehl Elementary?

Students at Harold Ambuehl Elementary are 54% White, 29% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Harold Ambuehl Elementary attend?

Students who attend Harold Ambuehl Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Marco Forster Middle High : San Juan Hills High

Harold Ambuehl Elementary

Summary:

Harold Ambuehl Elementary is a public elementary school in San Juan Capistrano, California, serving 308 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Capistrano Unified School District, which is ranked 204 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Harold Ambuehl Elementary consistently outperforms the state average in English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics assessments, its performance lags behind the district average, particularly in 4th and 5th grade test scores. The school also struggles with significantly lower proficiency rates in the CAST Science assessment compared to the district and state. Notably, the school has seen a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 10.2% in 2018-2019 to 34.9% in 2021-2022, which may be impacting academic performance. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch has increased from 28.52% in 2021-2022 to 40.58% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

Compared to nearby schools within the Capistrano Unified School District, such as Truman Benedict Elementary and Oso Grande Elementary, Harold Ambuehl Elementary consistently underperforms in test scores and overall school rankings. These nearby schools also have lower rates of chronic absenteeism and a smaller percentage of economically disadvantaged students, which may contribute to their stronger academic performance. The significant disparities in student subgroup performance at Harold Ambuehl Elementary, particularly the low performance of Hispanic and English Language Learner students, suggest the need for targeted interventions and support to address these challenges and improve educational outcomes for all students.

Detail:

Public K-5

28001 San Juan Creek Rd.
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-3321

(949) 661-0400

District: Capistrano Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1565^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,545

Students who attend Harold Ambuehl Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Marco Forster Middle
High:	San Juan Hills High

Student/teacher ratio: 20.8

Number of students: 312

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.5%

Hispanic:

29.5%

Two or more races:

11.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.3%

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Compare Harold Ambuehl Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Harold Ambuehl Elementary ranks better than 73.3% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 24^th among 34 ranked elementary schools in the Capistrano Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 70.66. (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 (54.5%), Hispanic (29.5%), two or more races (11.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 42.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Harold Ambuehl Elementary is 20.8, which is the 7^th best among 34 elementary schools in the Capistrano Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Harold Ambuehl Elementary employs 14.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Harold Ambuehl Elementary is $10,545, which is the 6^th highest among 34 elementary schools in the Capistrano Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Harold Ambuehl Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Harold Ambuehl Elementary 1565^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Harold Ambuehl Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Capistrano Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Capistrano Unified 204^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Harold Ambuehl Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Harold Ambuehl Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	73.76	1165^th	4809	75.8%
2005	82.09	848^th	4822	82.4%
2006	74.07	1174^th	4818	75.6%
2007	77.56	1068^th	5113	79.1%
2008	66.57	1557^th	5113	69.5%
2009	57.49	2053^rd	5193	60.5%
2010	56.81	2170^th	5314	59.2%
2011	69.02	1525^th	5377	71.6%
2012	60.88	1991^st	5390	63.1%
2013	59.38	2148^th	5530	61.2%
2015	68.39	1558^th	5611	72.2%
2016	67.40	1641^st	5614	70.8%
2017	52.40	2410^th	5692	57.7%
2018	63.23	1902^nd	5662	66.4%
2019	50.81	2555^th	5789	55.9%
2022	65.41	1800^th	5883	69.4%
2023	75.20	1367^th	5874	76.7%
2024	70.66	1565^th	5862	73.3%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Harold Ambuehl Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	65.63	659^th	3275	79.9%
2022	41.85	1691^st	3311	48.9%
2024	56.21	870^th	3160	72.5%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Harold Ambuehl Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	61.37	618^th	2420	74.5%
2024	54.28	847^th	2634	67.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Harold Ambuehl Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	39.71	3030^th	5084	40.4%
2019	23.42	4336^th	5173	16.2%
2022	29.69	3872^nd	5264	26.4%
2023	60.98	1690^th	5374	68.6%
2024	55.46	2035^th	5511	63.1%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Harold Ambuehl Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	50.50	168^th	364	53.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Harold Ambuehl Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	59.33	2011^th	5413	62.8%
2019	48.15	2600^th	5492	52.7%
2022	55.88	2105^th	5635	62.6%
2023	70.00	1491^st	5617	73.5%
2024	73.65	1327^th	5605	76.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Harold Ambuehl Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	58.20	762^nd	2585	70.5%
2022	50.08	810^th	2227	63.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Harold Ambuehl Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	64.89	1724^th	5431	68.3%
2019	52.36	2347^th	5510	57.4%
2022	68.62	1583^rd	5663	72.0%
2023	75.52	1281^st	5650	77.3%
2024	66.13	1695^th	5636	69.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Harold Ambuehl Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.09	2157^th	4830	55.3%
2019	43.28	2733^rd	4963	44.9%
2022	29.79	3714^th	5084	26.9%
2023	31.12	3621^st	5098	29.0%
2024	40.04	2959^th	5102	42.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Harold Ambuehl Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	54.15	1383^rd	2737	49.5%
2019	39.68	1869^th	2834	34.1%
2022	77.86	531^st	2726	80.5%
2023	85.73	226^th	2662	91.5%
2024	66.09	932^nd	2647	64.8%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, March 12, 2020

The school was very different prior to the new administration that came with the 2019/2020 school year. The principal and vice principal have made changes and to be honest, the whole vibe of the school is different. The community is scratching their heads as to why they removed our beloved Mr Bogle and gave us a principal and vice principal who lack the skills needed to create a warm and inviting elementary school community. We are hoping to find an alternative solution next year. We will not be back. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Harold Ambuehl Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	784	8	12	68	1	n/a	n/a	0	873
1989	792	5	11	51	1	n/a	n/a	0	860
1990	769	4	8	43	1	n/a	n/a	0	825
1991	763	3	10	57	0	n/a	n/a	0	833
1992	779	4	14	56	0	n/a	n/a	0	853
1993	815	3	22	56	0	n/a	n/a	0	896
1994	827	3	14	47	0	n/a	n/a	0	891
1995	862	3	15	75	0	n/a	n/a	0	955
1996	862	3	15	75	0	n/a	n/a	0	955
1997	782	3	15	81	0	n/a	n/a	0	881
1998	719	2	17	98	0	n/a	n/a	0	836
1999	765	1	24	109	6	n/a	n/a	0	905
2000	678	1	25	137	13	n/a	n/a	0	854
2001	610	3	19	125	10	n/a	n/a	12	779
2002	544	0	19	112	8	n/a	n/a	44	727
2003	544	0	19	112	8	n/a	n/a	44	727
2004	477	0	18	103	8	n/a	n/a	59	665
2005	449	1	14	96	6	n/a	n/a	61	627
2006	409	1	11	101	3	n/a	n/a	69	594
2007	372	2	11	105	5	n/a	n/a	63	558
2008	338	2	8	106	4	n/a	n/a	0	458
2009	332	3	14	126	4	0	72	0	551
2010	352	2	15	173	1	0	11	0	554
2011	312	4	10	160	0	0	14	0	500
2012	273	3	7	152	1	0	8	0	444
2013	239	2	9	175	2	0	7	0	434
2014	211	1	8	181	1	0	13	0	415
2015	201	2	9	174	2	0	15	0	403
2016	218	2	4	174	2	1	15	0	416
2017	216	2	8	170	2	1	20	0	419
2018	193	3	7	154	1	1	18	0	377
2019	191	4	6	136	1	1	19	0	358
2020	192	4	10	118	1	0	26	0	351
2021	149	3	7	108	1	0	28	1	297
2022	146	0	8	109	1	0	34	0	298
2023	161	2	10	96	1	0	38	0	308
2024	170	3	8	92	2	0	37	0	312

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 Harold Ambuehl Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	873	32.0	27.2	n/a
1989	860	32.8	26.2	n/a
1990	825	30.8	26.7	n/a
1991	833	33.8	24.6	n/a
1992	853	34.3	24.8	8.1
1993	896	32.8	27.3	7.3
1994	891	34.0	26.2	7.6
1995	955	35.0	27.3	8.7
1996	955	35.0	27.3	8.7
1997	881	40.0	22.0	11.6
1998	836	39.0	21.4	11.1
1999	905	42.0	21.5	9.3
2000	854	40.0	21.4	10.3
2001	779	35.0	22.3	9.8
2002	727	33.0	22.0	18
2003	727	33.0	22.0	18
2004	665	29.0	22.9	12.9
2005	627	25.0	25.1	13.3
2006	594	26.7	22.2	13.3
2007	558	24.0	23.3	16.8
2008	458	24.0	19.1	19.9
2009	551	23.0	23.0	26.1
2010	554	20.0	27.7	29.4
2011	500	n/a	n/a	32
2012	444	13.9	31.9	n/a
2013	434	14.5	29.7	41.2
2014	415	13.0	31.9	37.3
2015	403	13.0	31.0	37
2016	416	14.0	29.7	35.8
2017	419	15.0	27.9	31.7
2018	377	14.0	26.9	37.7
2019	358	13.0	27.5	39.1
2020	351	n/a	n/a	34.2
2021	297	14.5	20.4	30.3
2022	298	15.0	19.8	28.5
2023	308	14.9	20.5	40.6
2024	312	14.9	20.8	42.3

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 Harold Ambuehl Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	873	32.0	27.2	n/a
1989	860	32.8	26.2	n/a
1990	825	30.8	26.7	n/a
1991	833	33.8	24.6	n/a
1992	853	34.3	24.8	8.1
1993	896	32.8	27.3	7.3
1994	891	34.0	26.2	7.6
1995	955	35.0	27.3	8.7
1996	955	35.0	27.3	8.7
1997	881	40.0	22.0	11.6
1998	836	39.0	21.4	11.1
1999	905	42.0	21.5	9.3
2000	854	40.0	21.4	10.3
2001	779	35.0	22.3	9.8
2002	727	33.0	22.0	18
2003	727	33.0	22.0	18
2004	665	29.0	22.9	12.9
2005	627	25.0	25.1	13.3
2006	594	26.7	22.2	13.3
2007	558	24.0	23.3	16.8
2008	458	24.0	19.1	19.9
2009	551	23.0	23.0	26.1
2010	554	20.0	27.7	29.4
2011	500	n/a	n/a	32
2012	444	13.9	31.9	n/a
2013	434	14.5	29.7	41.2
2014	415	13.0	31.9	37.3
2015	403	13.0	31.0	37
2016	416	14.0	29.7	35.8
2017	419	15.0	27.9	31.7
2018	377	14.0	26.9	37.7
2019	358	13.0	27.5	39.1
2020	351	n/a	n/a	34.2
2021	297	14.5	20.4	30.3
2022	298	15.0	19.8	28.5
2023	308	14.9	20.5	40.6
2024	312	14.9	20.8	42.3

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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