Is San Juan Elementary a good school?

San Juan Elementary ranks in the bottom 16.1% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend San Juan Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 697 students attended San Juan Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of San Juan Elementary?

Students at San Juan Elementary are 79% Hispanic, 16% White, 5% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of San Juan Elementary attend?

Students who attend San Juan Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Marco Forster Middle High : Capistrano Valley High

San Juan Elementary

Summary:

San Juan Elementary is a public elementary school in San Juan Capistrano, California, serving 697 students in grades K-5 and part of the Capistrano Unified School District. However, the school has seen a significant decline in its statewide ranking and rating in recent years, dropping from a rank of 2,322 out of 5,611 California elementary schools in 2014-2015 to a rank of 4,918 out of 5,862 in 2023-2024, with its SchoolDigger rating decreasing from 3 stars to only 1 star.

San Juan Elementary struggles with the performance of several student subgroups, particularly Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, who all rank in the bottom 20-25% of California elementary schools. In contrast, the school's White student population performs relatively better, ranking in the top 35-40%. Additionally, San Juan Elementary has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 5.1% in 2017-2018 to 31.2% in 2021-2022, well above the state and district averages. Across all grade levels and subject areas, the school's proficiency rates on standardized tests are significantly lower than the Capistrano Unified School District and the state of California averages.

When comparing San Juan Elementary to other nearby schools within the Capistrano Unified School District, it consistently underperforms its peers, such as John Malcom Elementary, Palisades Elementary, and Harold Ambuehl Elementary, which all have higher statewide rankings, lower chronic absenteeism rates, and significantly better academic proficiency rates. The only exception is Kinoshita Elementary, which also struggles with low performance and high chronic absenteeism, similar to San Juan Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-5

31642 El Camino Real
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-2616

(949) 493-4533

District: Capistrano Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
4918^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,610

Students who attend San Juan Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Marco Forster Middle
High:	Capistrano Valley High

Student/teacher ratio: 24.8

Number of students: 697

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

78.9%

White:

15.8%

Two or more races:

4.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.2%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare San Juan Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details San Juan Elementary ranks worse than 83.9% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks last among 34 ranked elementary schools in the Capistrano Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.23. (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: Hispanic (78.9%), White (15.8%), two or more races (4.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 73.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at San Juan Elementary is 24.8. 28 elementary schools in the Capistrano Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare San Juan Elementary employs 28 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at San Juan Elementary is $9,610. 19 elementary schools in the Capistrano Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

San Juan Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks San Juan Elementary 4918^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See San Juan 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 San Juan Elementary

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Rank History for all students at San Juan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	23.16	3691^st	4809	23.2%
2005	12.54	4486^th	4822	7.0%
2006	8.56	4692^nd	4818	2.6%
2007	12.27	4806^th	5113	6.0%
2008	9.37	4950^th	5113	3.2%
2009	14.11	4788^th	5193	7.8%
2010	23.37	4340^th	5314	18.3%
2011	47.52	2750^th	5377	48.9%
2012	55.38	2310^th	5390	57.1%
2013	46.69	2882^nd	5530	47.9%
2015	52.49	2322^nd	5611	58.6%
2016	47.99	2606^th	5614	53.6%
2017	40.74	3057^th	5692	46.3%
2018	41.63	3045^th	5662	46.2%
2019	37.09	3380^th	5789	41.6%
2022	43.80	2862^nd	5883	51.4%
2023	30.11	3879^th	5874	34.0%
2024	19.23	4918^th	5862	16.1%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at San Juan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	46.26	1435^th	3246	55.8%
2019	40.10	1777^th	3275	45.7%
2022	51.88	1104^th	3311	66.7%
2023	30.68	2481^st	3250	23.7%
2024	32.19	2401^st	3160	24.0%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at San Juan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.55	1230^th	2420	49.2%
2024	43.61	1182^nd	2634	55.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at San Juan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.87	3630^th	5084	28.6%
2019	27.76	4047^th	5173	21.8%
2022	39.08	3087^th	5264	41.4%
2023	26.77	4185^th	5374	22.1%
2024	15.06	5142^nd	5511	6.7%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at San Juan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	56.40	116^th	356	67.4%
2023	28.20	275^th	336	18.2%
2024	27.77	294^th	364	19.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at San Juan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	36.89	3285^th	5413	39.3%
2019	33.74	3515^th	5492	36.0%
2022	47.72	2538^th	5635	55.0%
2023	29.84	3778^th	5617	32.7%
2024	20.57	4651^st	5605	17.0%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at San Juan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	72.95	372^nd	2128	82.5%
2019	54.47	857^th	2585	66.8%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at San Juan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	20.33	109^th	130	16.2%
2023	9.53	130^th	140	7.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at San Juan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	45.88	2681^st	5431	50.6%
2019	40.10	3031^st	5510	45.0%
2022	39.05	3066^th	5663	45.9%
2023	30.88	3702^nd	5650	34.5%
2024	18.96	4813^th	5636	14.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at San Juan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	39.46	2900^th	4830	40.0%
2019	31.60	3583^rd	4963	27.8%
2022	42.44	2716^th	5084	46.6%
2023	26.58	3994^th	5098	21.7%
2024	19.07	4518^th	5102	11.4%

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

Rank History for White students at San Juan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	66.38	954^th	2737	65.1%
2019	71.02	779^th	2834	72.5%
2022	66.23	947^th	2726	65.3%
2023	55.66	1271^st	2662	52.3%
2024	40.39	1695^th	2647	36.0%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, September 27, 2018

My daughter is in 3rd grade and I am so impressed with her academics. This is an immersion school and they learn both English and Spanish. The dedication of the teachers and staff is amazing. Thank you! Close Quote

Enrollment information for San Juan Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	275	1	9	314	2	n/a	n/a	0	601
1989	355	5	16	421	2	n/a	n/a	0	799
1990	329	2	10	501	2	n/a	n/a	0	844
1991	333	2	5	682	5	n/a	n/a	0	1027
1992	268	2	2	751	8	n/a	n/a	0	1031
1993	216	3	9	848	10	n/a	n/a	0	1086
1994	179	8	8	912	5	n/a	n/a	0	1112
1995	65	4	2	892	4	n/a	n/a	0	967
1996	65	4	2	892	4	n/a	n/a	0	967
1997	44	4	6	987	4	n/a	n/a	0	1045
1998	31	3	4	1008	2	n/a	n/a	0	1048
1999	24	2	4	1084	5	n/a	n/a	0	1119
2000	20	0	4	1081	2	n/a	n/a	0	1107
2001	16	0	0	653	0	n/a	n/a	4	673
2002	12	4	5	684	2	n/a	n/a	2	709
2003	12	4	5	684	2	n/a	n/a	2	709
2004	5	0	2	625	0	n/a	n/a	0	632
2005	13	0	1	562	0	n/a	n/a	4	580
2006	30	3	1	575	0	n/a	n/a	14	623
2007	51	3	3	556	1	n/a	n/a	13	627
2008	80	4	7	544	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	635
2009	94	7	15	513	0	1	21	0	651
2010	125	6	18	510	1	3	3	0	666
2011	171	8	23	534	0	3	3	0	742
2012	174	5	21	514	0	3	4	0	721
2013	171	5	21	538	0	3	8	0	746
2014	164	4	16	552	0	3	15	0	754
2015	161	3	15	579	0	1	15	0	774
2016	170	4	11	595	0	0	17	0	797
2017	161	5	8	584	0	0	17	0	775
2018	163	2	7	587	0	1	19	0	779
2019	169	0	6	589	0	1	20	0	785
2020	165	1	4	575	0	1	28	0	774
2021	146	1	4	552	0	1	27	0	731
2022	126	0	3	523	0	1	28	0	681
2023	110	1	3	550	0	1	32	0	697

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 San Juan Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	601	24.0	25.0	n/a
1989	799	30.0	26.6	n/a
1990	844	33.0	25.5	n/a
1991	1027	39.0	26.3	n/a
1992	1031	39.6	26.0	69.6
1993	1086	40.0	27.2	79.3
1994	1112	43.0	25.9	89
1995	967	38.0	25.4	94.9
1996	967	38.0	25.4	94.9
1997	1045	43.0	24.3	94.9
1998	1048	47.0	22.3	94.9
1999	1119	51.0	21.9	94.1
2000	1107	55.0	20.1	74.5
2001	673	33.0	20.4	96.6
2002	709	33.0	21.5	99.9
2003	709	33.0	21.5	99.9
2004	632	29.0	21.8	91.8
2005	580	28.0	20.7	88.4
2006	623	28.0	22.3	84.4
2007	627	31.0	20.2	84.7
2008	635	34.0	18.7	81.9
2009	651	33.0	18.1	88
2010	666	30.0	22.2	70
2011	742	n/a	n/a	64.8
2012	721	27.8	25.8	n/a
2013	746	27.7	26.9	66
2014	754	26.0	29.0	65.1
2015	774	27.0	28.6	65.6
2016	797	29.0	27.4	64.5
2017	775	28.0	27.6	65.8
2018	779	28.0	27.8	66.9
2019	785	29.0	27.0	65
2020	774	n/a	n/a	68.9
2021	731	25.1	29.0	64.7
2022	681	28.0	24.3	63.4
2023	697	28.0	24.8	73.2

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 San Juan Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	601	24.0	25.0	n/a
1989	799	30.0	26.6	n/a
1990	844	33.0	25.5	n/a
1991	1027	39.0	26.3	n/a
1992	1031	39.6	26.0	69.6
1993	1086	40.0	27.2	79.3
1994	1112	43.0	25.9	89
1995	967	38.0	25.4	94.9
1996	967	38.0	25.4	94.9
1997	1045	43.0	24.3	94.9
1998	1048	47.0	22.3	94.9
1999	1119	51.0	21.9	94.1
2000	1107	55.0	20.1	74.5
2001	673	33.0	20.4	96.6
2002	709	33.0	21.5	99.9
2003	709	33.0	21.5	99.9
2004	632	29.0	21.8	91.8
2005	580	28.0	20.7	88.4
2006	623	28.0	22.3	84.4
2007	627	31.0	20.2	84.7
2008	635	34.0	18.7	81.9
2009	651	33.0	18.1	88
2010	666	30.0	22.2	70
2011	742	n/a	n/a	64.8
2012	721	27.8	25.8	n/a
2013	746	27.7	26.9	66
2014	754	26.0	29.0	65.1
2015	774	27.0	28.6	65.6
2016	797	29.0	27.4	64.5
2017	775	28.0	27.6	65.8
2018	779	28.0	27.8	66.9
2019	785	29.0	27.0	65
2020	774	n/a	n/a	68.9
2021	731	25.1	29.0	64.7
2022	681	28.0	24.3	63.4
2023	697	28.0	24.8	73.2

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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