Is Pacific Drive Elementary a good school?

Pacific Drive Elementary ranks 4337 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Pacific Drive Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 590 students attended Pacific Drive Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Pacific Drive Elementary?

Students at Pacific Drive Elementary are 81% Hispanic, 8% White, 5% Asian, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Pacific Drive Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pacific Drive Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Nicolas Junior High

Pacific Drive Elementary

Summary:

Pacific Drive Elementary is a public elementary school in Fullerton, California, serving 594 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Fullerton Elementary District, which is ranked 498 out of 1,568 districts in the state.

Pacific Drive Elementary faces significant challenges compared to other schools in the Fullerton area. The school has seen a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 7.3% in 2018-2019 to 21.7% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than nearby Sunset Lane Elementary (8.7%) and Orangethorpe Elementary (18.7%). Academically, Pacific Drive Elementary consistently performs below the Fullerton district and the state of California in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science assessments. For example, in 2023-2024, only 31.1% of Pacific Drive students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 57.95% for the Fullerton district and 47.04% for California.

The school's challenges may be linked to its high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 83.5% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, significantly higher than nearby Fern Drive Elementary (55.21%) and Robert C. Fisler Elementary (39.62%). Additionally, Pacific Drive Elementary has a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 23.7, compared to the surrounding Fullerton schools, which range from 25.2 to 29.2. Addressing these challenges and learning from the practices of higher-performing schools in the district could be crucial in improving the educational outcomes for the students at Pacific Drive Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-6

1501 West Valencia Dr.
Fullerton, CA 92833-3940

(714) 447-7735

District: Fullerton Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
4337^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,181

Students who attend Pacific Drive Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

Nicolas Junior High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.6

Number of students: 590

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

80.7%

White:

8.3%

Asian:

5.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 70.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Pacific Drive Elementary ranks worse than 74% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 13^th among 17 ranked elementary schools in the Fullerton Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.26. (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 (80.7%), White (8.3%), Asian (5.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 70.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pacific Drive Elementary is 23.6, which is the 2^nd best among 17 elementary schools in the Fullerton Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Pacific Drive Elementary employs 25 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pacific Drive Elementary is $6,181, which is the 4^th highest among 17 elementary schools in the Fullerton Elementary School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pacific Drive Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Pacific Drive Elementary 4337^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Pacific Drive 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:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Fullerton Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Fullerton Elementary 498^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Pacific Drive Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Pacific Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	21.18	3859^th	4809	19.8%
2005	26.30	3532^nd	4822	26.8%
2006	29.16	3370^th	4818	30.1%
2007	27.68	3722^nd	5113	27.2%
2008	27.08	3823^rd	5113	25.2%
2009	24.44	4107^th	5193	20.9%
2010	34.54	3522^nd	5314	33.7%
2011	28.28	4113^th	5377	23.5%
2012	35.78	3539^th	5390	34.3%
2013	26.11	4338^th	5530	21.6%
2015	21.81	4444^th	5611	20.8%
2016	23.93	4262^nd	5614	24.1%
2017	20.22	4672^nd	5692	17.9%
2018	21.49	4566^th	5662	19.4%
2019	23.56	4483^rd	5789	22.6%
2022	26.71	4176^th	5883	29.0%
2023	16.43	5201^st	5874	11.5%
2024	25.26	4337^th	5862	26.0%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Pacific Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	43.19	1607^th	3246	50.5%
2019	55.17	991^st	3275	69.7%
2022	63.08	664^th	3311	79.9%
2023	31.14	2462^nd	3250	24.2%
2024	72.53	364^th	3160	88.5%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Pacific Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	30.18	1640^th	2420	32.2%
2024	42.22	1228^th	2634	53.4%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pacific Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	24.72	4140^th	5084	18.6%
2019	25.33	4205^th	5173	18.7%
2022	36.24	3318^th	5264	37.0%
2023	19.95	4705^th	5374	12.4%
2024	28.28	4119^th	5511	25.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Pacific Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	20.05	4534^th	5413	16.2%
2019	20.79	4555^th	5492	17.1%
2022	26.53	4073^rd	5635	27.7%
2023	10.64	5478^th	5617	2.5%
2024	18.79	4812^th	5605	14.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Pacific Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	23.41	1793^rd	2128	15.7%
2019	22.56	2207^th	2585	14.6%
2022	35.91	1242^nd	2227	44.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Pacific Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	24.04	4183^rd	5431	23.0%
2019	29.46	3834^th	5510	30.4%
2022	28.18	3947^th	5663	30.3%
2023	23.77	4373^rd	5650	22.6%
2024	33.67	3502^nd	5636	37.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pacific Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	28.90	3627^th	4830	24.9%
2019	27.36	3873^rd	4963	22.0%
2022	34.15	3359^th	5084	33.9%
2023	22.08	4328^th	5098	15.1%
2024	30.74	3686^th	5102	27.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Pacific Drive Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	498	15	54	150	0	n/a	n/a	0	717
1989	521	24	61	179	0	n/a	n/a	0	785
1990	520	29	62	227	1	n/a	n/a	0	839
1991	463	23	75	262	2	n/a	n/a	0	825
1992	441	27	75	296	4	n/a	n/a	0	843
1993	431	22	75	265	6	n/a	n/a	0	799
1994	422	15	71	277	3	n/a	n/a	0	788
1995	386	19	77	305	3	n/a	n/a	0	790
1996	386	19	77	305	3	n/a	n/a	0	790
1997	323	13	74	349	4	n/a	n/a	0	763
1998	314	20	75	361	3	n/a	n/a	0	773
1999	312	21	90	402	4	n/a	n/a	0	829
2000	285	23	94	420	4	n/a	n/a	0	826
2001	277	24	86	480	4	n/a	n/a	0	871
2002	247	28	97	513	2	n/a	n/a	0	887
2003	247	28	97	513	2	n/a	n/a	0	887
2004	225	19	92	541	1	n/a	n/a	0	878
2005	202	17	87	489	2	n/a	n/a	6	803
2006	174	12	67	517	2	n/a	n/a	7	779
2007	139	10	62	516	2	n/a	n/a	20	749
2008	115	14	61	511	2	n/a	n/a	0	703
2009	108	9	50	473	5	1	34	0	680
2010	101	12	41	513	5	4	28	0	704
2011	70	11	26	530	2	2	28	0	669
2012	54	14	29	528	1	2	30	0	658
2013	54	14	24	523	1	3	26	0	645
2014	47	15	23	541	4	3	16	0	649
2015	48	9	19	515	3	2	15	0	611
2016	53	10	22	501	6	3	23	0	618
2017	34	5	18	478	4	2	28	0	569
2018	34	3	17	466	2	3	21	0	546
2019	51	2	29	450	3	5	23	0	563
2020	48	1	33	455	3	4	24	0	568
2021	48	2	30	458	3	3	20	0	564
2022	50	3	28	485	3	4	15	0	588
2023	50	12	28	479	2	3	20	0	594
2024	49	12	30	476	3	1	19	0	590

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 Pacific Drive Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	717	28.3	25.3	n/a
1989	785	32.0	24.5	n/a
1990	839	31.5	26.6	n/a
1991	825	31.9	25.8	n/a
1992	843	32.4	26.0	32.3
1993	799	31.3	25.5	30.7
1994	788	32.0	24.6	36.3
1995	790	32.0	24.7	46.8
1996	790	32.0	24.7	46.8
1997	763	32.2	23.7	43.6
1998	773	32.0	24.2	47.2
1999	829	35.2	23.6	45.6
2000	826	34.0	24.3	56.3
2001	871	36.8	23.7	55
2002	887	37.5	23.7	52.2
2003	887	37.5	23.7	52.2
2004	878	35.5	24.7	54.4
2005	803	36.8	21.8	62
2006	779	32.2	24.2	61
2007	749	30.1	24.9	64.2
2008	703	36.0	19.5	70
2009	680	31.1	18.8	70
2010	704	32.6	21.6	68.9
2011	669	n/a	n/a	78.9
2012	658	26.4	24.9	n/a
2013	645	25.2	25.5	76.9
2014	649	24.0	27.0	78
2015	611	23.0	26.5	79.9
2016	618	24.0	25.7	77.7
2017	569	23.0	24.7	77.2
2018	546	20.0	27.3	61.5
2019	563	21.0	26.8	79
2020	568	n/a	n/a	75
2021	564	22.0	25.6	75.4
2022	588	23.7	24.7	84.9
2023	594	25.0	23.7	83.5
2024	590	25.0	23.6	70.8

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 Pacific Drive Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	717	28.3	25.3	n/a
1989	785	32.0	24.5	n/a
1990	839	31.5	26.6	n/a
1991	825	31.9	25.8	n/a
1992	843	32.4	26.0	32.3
1993	799	31.3	25.5	30.7
1994	788	32.0	24.6	36.3
1995	790	32.0	24.7	46.8
1996	790	32.0	24.7	46.8
1997	763	32.2	23.7	43.6
1998	773	32.0	24.2	47.2
1999	829	35.2	23.6	45.6
2000	826	34.0	24.3	56.3
2001	871	36.8	23.7	55
2002	887	37.5	23.7	52.2
2003	887	37.5	23.7	52.2
2004	878	35.5	24.7	54.4
2005	803	36.8	21.8	62
2006	779	32.2	24.2	61
2007	749	30.1	24.9	64.2
2008	703	36.0	19.5	70
2009	680	31.1	18.8	70
2010	704	32.6	21.6	68.9
2011	669	n/a	n/a	78.9
2012	658	26.4	24.9	n/a
2013	645	25.2	25.5	76.9
2014	649	24.0	27.0	78
2015	611	23.0	26.5	79.9
2016	618	24.0	25.7	77.7
2017	569	23.0	24.7	77.2
2018	546	20.0	27.3	61.5
2019	563	21.0	26.8	79
2020	568	n/a	n/a	75
2021	564	22.0	25.6	75.4
2022	588	23.7	24.7	84.9
2023	594	25.0	23.7	83.5
2024	590	25.0	23.6	70.8

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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