Is Don Juan Avila Elementary a good school?

Don Juan Avila Elementary ranks 602 nd of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Don Juan Avila Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 675 students attended Don Juan Avila Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Don Juan Avila Elementary?

Students at Don Juan Avila Elementary are 48% White, 19% Asian, 16% Hispanic, 16% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Don Juan Avila Elementary attend?

Students who attend Don Juan Avila Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Don Juan Avila Middle High : Aliso Niguel High

Don Juan Avila Elementary

Summary:

Don Juan Avila Elementary is a public elementary school located in Aliso Viejo, California, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 668 students. The school is part of the Capistrano Unified School District, which is ranked 204 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Don Juan Avila Elementary consistently performs above the Capistrano Unified School District and the state of California in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics across all grade levels. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had 74.38% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 70.24% for the district and 47.04% for the state. In Mathematics, the school had 68.83% of students proficient or better, compared to 60.54% for the district and 35.54% for the state. The school's performance in Science, as measured by the CAST assessment, is also above the district and state averages. Additionally, the school has consistently high rankings for various student subgroups, including Female, Male, Asian, Hispanic, and White students, as well as students with disabilities and low socioeconomic status.

While Don Juan Avila Elementary's academic performance is impressive, it is important to note that the school's chronic absenteeism rate has increased in recent years, from 5.9% in 2017-2018 to 15.2% in 2022-2023, though it remains lower than the district and state averages. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at the school has increased from 16.62% in 2020-2021 to 28.59% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of students from lower-income families. Compared to nearby schools, Don Juan Avila Elementary outperforms Wood Canyon Elementary, Laguna Niguel Elementary, and Canyon Vista Elementary in academic achievement, but its performance is not as strong as the top-performing schools in the region, such as Top of the World Elementary in the Laguna Beach Unified School District.

Detail:

Public K-5

26278 Wood Canyon Dr.
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656-8060

(949) 349-9452

District: Capistrano Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,104

Students who attend Don Juan Avila Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Don Juan Avila Middle
High:	Aliso Niguel High

Student/teacher ratio: 25.4

Number of students: 675

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.0%

Asian:

19.0%

Hispanic:

15.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 25.5%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Don Juan Avila Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Don Juan Avila Elementary ranks better than 89.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 13^th among 34 ranked elementary schools in the Capistrano Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 91.53. (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 Student population at Don Juan Avila Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (48%), Asian (19%), Hispanic (15.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 25.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Don Juan Avila Elementary is 25.4, which is the highest among 35 elementary schools in the Capistrano Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Don Juan Avila Elementary employs 26.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Don Juan Avila Elementary is $9,104. 29 elementary schools in the Capistrano Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Don Juan Avila Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Don Juan Avila Elementary 602^nd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Don Juan Avila Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian 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 Don Juan Avila Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Don Juan Avila Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	79.38	921^st	4809	80.8%
2005	71.25	1283^rd	4822	73.4%
2006	88.66	556^th	4818	88.5%
2007	86.81	679^th	5113	86.7%
2008	79.69	987^th	5113	80.7%
2009	82.00	888^th	5193	82.9%
2010	76.58	1154^th	5314	78.3%
2011	84.76	741^st	5377	86.2%
2012	82.62	876^th	5390	83.7%
2013	83.24	869^th	5530	84.3%
2015	88.42	701^st	5611	87.5%
2016	87.96	737^th	5614	86.9%
2017	90.15	634^th	5692	88.9%
2018	89.37	667^th	5662	88.2%
2019	89.50	670^th	5789	88.4%
2022	92.95	523^rd	5883	91.1%
2023	94.03	427^th	5874	92.7%
2024	91.53	602^nd	5862	89.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Don Juan Avila Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	57.98	165^th	339	51.3%
2019	45.38	283^rd	445	36.4%
2022	47.44	367^th	610	39.8%
2024	61.90	306^th	669	54.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Don Juan Avila Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	82.50	301^st	2634	88.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Don Juan Avila Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	75.09	911^th	5084	82.1%
2019	90.19	294^th	5173	94.3%
2022	87.57	445^th	5264	91.5%
2023	91.69	324^th	5374	94.0%
2024	84.98	629^th	5511	88.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Don Juan Avila Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	88.52	644^th	5413	88.1%
2019	88.85	621^st	5492	88.7%
2022	90.80	594^th	5635	89.5%
2023	93.88	378^th	5617	93.3%
2024	90.85	569^th	5605	89.8%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Don Juan Avila Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	72.19	379^th	2128	82.2%
2019	96.13	74^th	2585	97.1%
2022	72.52	392^nd	2227	82.4%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Don Juan Avila Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	57.86	49^th	130	62.3%
2023	83.72	17^th	140	87.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Don Juan Avila Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	87.93	687^th	5431	87.4%
2019	87.28	719^th	5510	87.0%
2022	93.30	426^th	5663	92.5%
2023	92.18	486^th	5650	91.4%
2024	89.47	641^st	5636	88.6%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Don Juan Avila Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	67.78	409^th	1071	61.8%
2019	57.35	604^th	1149	47.4%
2022	73.28	319^th	1154	72.4%
2023	69.90	405^th	1190	66.0%
2024	68.30	439^th	1203	63.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Don Juan Avila Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	80.61	665^th	4830	86.2%
2019	84.48	533^rd	4963	89.3%
2022	94.21	216^th	5084	95.8%
2023	88.95	398^th	5098	92.2%
2024	77.65	826^th	5102	83.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Don Juan Avila Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	70.39	813^th	2737	70.3%
2019	73.48	686^th	2834	75.8%
2022	76.08	588^th	2726	78.4%
2023	82.34	331^st	2662	87.6%
2024	78.51	477^th	2647	82.0%

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
Saturday, July 23, 2016

Been very happy with this school. Excellent teachers, staff, and PTA. Great students and families. The students get many extras due to a very active PTA and community support. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, September 17, 2009

Fantastic School--We've been here for 6 years. Love the teachers and families!! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Don Juan Avila Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2001	462	16	75	68	5	n/a	n/a	2	628
2002	582	16	126	84	7	n/a	n/a	54	869
2003	582	16	126	84	7	n/a	n/a	54	869
2004	485	10	101	63	2	n/a	n/a	63	724
2005	509	7	95	55	0	n/a	n/a	84	750
2006	473	9	100	54	0	n/a	n/a	91	727
2007	466	11	109	49	1	n/a	n/a	85	721
2008	472	12	117	52	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	653
2009	479	6	112	56	0	0	118	0	771
2010	480	8	133	108	3	1	88	0	821
2011	465	10	149	125	4	1	72	0	826
2012	441	9	132	123	3	1	62	0	771
2013	410	8	145	129	0	1	69	0	762
2014	391	11	172	152	0	1	83	0	810
2015	405	10	165	134	2	3	70	0	789
2016	401	10	163	134	1	4	67	0	780
2017	389	13	166	132	1	3	66	0	770
2018	370	11	171	135	2	2	59	0	750
2019	390	13	168	137	1	2	66	0	777
2020	365	14	175	135	1	0	76	0	766
2021	317	9	168	136	0	2	78	0	710
2022	330	8	147	125	0	1	95	0	706
2023	306	8	136	115	1	1	101	0	668
2024	324	6	128	107	1	2	107	0	675

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 Don Juan Avila Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	628	27.5	22.8	12.6
2002	869	35.0	24.8	9.2
2003	869	35.0	24.8	9.2
2004	724	32.2	22.5	7.4
2005	750	30.0	25.0	7.5
2006	727	28.4	25.6	7.1
2007	721	33.0	21.8	8.3
2008	653	34.0	19.2	6.7
2009	771	36.0	20.8	9.1
2010	821	28.0	29.3	9.5
2011	826	n/a	n/a	10.9
2012	771	26.4	29.2	n/a
2013	762	24.6	30.8	10
2014	810	25.0	32.4	8.9
2015	789	25.0	31.5	10
2016	780	25.0	31.2	8.3
2017	770	25.0	30.8	8.7
2018	750	25.0	30.0	11.3
2019	777	26.0	29.8	14.8
2020	766	n/a	n/a	17.2
2021	710	24.6	28.8	16.6
2022	706	28.2	24.9	16.7
2023	668	27.0	24.7	28.6
2024	675	26.5	25.4	25.5

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 Don Juan Avila Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	628	27.5	22.8	12.6
2002	869	35.0	24.8	9.2
2003	869	35.0	24.8	9.2
2004	724	32.2	22.5	7.4
2005	750	30.0	25.0	7.5
2006	727	28.4	25.6	7.1
2007	721	33.0	21.8	8.3
2008	653	34.0	19.2	6.7
2009	771	36.0	20.8	9.1
2010	821	28.0	29.3	9.5
2011	826	n/a	n/a	10.9
2012	771	26.4	29.2	n/a
2013	762	24.6	30.8	10
2014	810	25.0	32.4	8.9
2015	789	25.0	31.5	10
2016	780	25.0	31.2	8.3
2017	770	25.0	30.8	8.7
2018	750	25.0	30.0	11.3
2019	777	26.0	29.8	14.8
2020	766	n/a	n/a	17.2
2021	710	24.6	28.8	16.6
2022	706	28.2	24.9	16.7
2023	668	27.0	24.7	28.6
2024	675	26.5	25.4	25.5

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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