Is Thomas Paine Elementary a good school?

Thomas Paine Elementary ranks 896 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Thomas Paine Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 429 students attended Thomas Paine Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Thomas Paine Elementary?

Students at Thomas Paine Elementary are 56% Asian, 37% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 1% White.

What schools do graduates of Thomas Paine Elementary attend?

Students who attend Thomas Paine Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Sarah McGarvin Intermediate High : La Quinta High

Thomas Paine Elementary

Summary:

Thomas Paine Elementary is a public elementary school in Garden Grove, California, serving 437 students in grades K-6 and part of the Garden Grove Unified School District. This high-performing school consistently outperforms the district and state in academic assessments, with particularly strong results in English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics.

Thomas Paine Elementary's academic excellence is evident across all grade levels, with 74.19% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 59.43% for the district and 47.04% for the state. In Mathematics, the school's proficiency rate is 67.12%, significantly higher than the district's 49.15% and the state's 35.54%. The school's performance in Science is also commendable, with 40% of students proficient or better, surpassing the district and state averages. This consistent academic achievement has earned Thomas Paine Elementary a top 15-20% ranking among California elementary schools.

The school's commitment to equity and inclusion is particularly noteworthy, as it has achieved strong performance among its English Language Learner (ELL) and Low Socioeconomic Status (SES) student groups. In fact, Thomas Paine Elementary ranks in the top 10% of California elementary schools for its ELL students and top 6% for its Low SES students. While the school has seen an increase in chronic absenteeism rates in recent years, it still performs better than the district average, and the school and district should work to address this concern. Overall, Thomas Paine Elementary stands out as a high-performing, equitable, and inclusive school within the Garden Grove Unified School District.

Detail:

Public K-6

15792 Ward St.
Garden Grove, CA 92843-5348

(714) 663-6118

District: Garden Grove Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,206

Students who attend Thomas Paine Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sarah McGarvin Intermediate
High:	La Quinta High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.0

Number of students: 429

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

55.7%

Hispanic:

37.1%

Two or more races:

4.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 79.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Thomas Paine Elementary ranks better than 84.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 9^th among 44 ranked elementary schools in the Garden Grove Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 86.19. (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: Asian (55.7%), Hispanic (37.1%), two or more races (4.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 79.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thomas Paine Elementary is 22, which is the 5^th best among 44 elementary schools in the Garden Grove Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Thomas Paine Elementary employs 19.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thomas Paine Elementary is $12,206. 22 elementary schools in the Garden Grove Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Thomas Paine Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Thomas Paine Elementary 896^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Thomas Paine Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

Garden Grove Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Garden Grove Unified 402^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Thomas Paine Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Thomas Paine Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	60.44	1691^st	4809	64.8%
2005	52.71	2061^st	4822	57.3%
2006	67.29	1453^rd	4818	69.8%
2007	54.98	2064^th	5113	59.6%
2008	61.42	1788^th	5113	65.0%
2009	68.03	1534^th	5193	70.5%
2010	72.98	1331^st	5314	75.0%
2011	75.78	1218^th	5377	77.3%
2012	64.30	1826^th	5390	66.1%
2013	62.77	1957^th	5530	64.6%
2015	71.28	1444^th	5611	74.3%
2016	85.91	854^th	5614	84.8%
2017	84.07	955^th	5692	83.2%
2018	83.41	967^th	5662	82.9%
2019	78.25	1246^th	5789	78.5%
2022	88.17	790^th	5883	86.6%
2023	92.13	563^rd	5874	90.4%
2024	86.19	896^th	5862	84.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Thomas Paine Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	73.18	476^th	3246	85.3%
2019	65.26	668^th	3275	79.6%
2022	96.30	93^rd	3311	97.2%
2023	94.49	86^th	3250	97.4%
2024	77.70	269^th	3160	91.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Thomas Paine Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	91.15	242^nd	5084	95.2%
2019	85.73	460^th	5173	91.1%
2022	94.78	192^nd	5264	96.4%
2023	95.43	181^st	5374	96.6%
2024	92.63	335^th	5511	93.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Thomas Paine Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	84.67	838^th	5413	84.5%
2019	84.71	833^rd	5492	84.8%
2022	87.02	775^th	5635	86.2%
2023	89.83	640^th	5617	88.6%
2024	81.53	1026^th	5605	81.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Thomas Paine Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	79.54	1082^nd	5431	80.1%
2019	70.32	1504^th	5510	72.7%
2022	85.01	870^th	5663	84.6%
2023	91.67	519^th	5650	90.8%
2024	88.55	681^st	5636	87.9%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Thomas Paine Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	62.62	505^th	1071	52.8%
2019	55.76	633^rd	1149	44.9%
2022	64.79	497^th	1154	56.9%
2023	71.16	377^th	1190	68.3%
2024	65.86	494^th	1203	58.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Thomas Paine Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	73.01	995^th	4830	79.4%
2019	72.11	1058^th	4963	78.7%
2022	75.63	912^th	5084	82.1%
2023	84.87	553^rd	5098	89.2%
2024	74.94	942^nd	5102	81.5%

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

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Enrollment information for Thomas Paine Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	222	5	102	36	3	n/a	n/a	368
1989	198	9	111	37	4	n/a	n/a	359
1990	173	7	122	44	4	n/a	n/a	350
1991	159	6	118	45	2	n/a	n/a	330
1992	155	5	198	178	2	n/a	n/a	538
1993	127	10	230	171	1	n/a	n/a	539
1994	113	16	264	165	1	n/a	n/a	559
1995	103	12	255	163	2	n/a	n/a	535
1996	103	12	255	163	2	n/a	n/a	535
1997	94	8	259	192	2	n/a	n/a	555
1998	98	7	261	197	3	n/a	n/a	566
1999	97	8	255	207	1	n/a	n/a	568
2000	81	6	270	221	1	n/a	n/a	579
2001	78	8	255	241	1	n/a	n/a	583
2002	59	6	284	211	0	n/a	n/a	560
2003	59	6	284	211	0	n/a	n/a	560
2004	45	4	319	201	0	n/a	n/a	569
2005	37	5	318	206	0	n/a	n/a	566
2006	32	4	309	200	1	n/a	n/a	546
2007	36	2	278	201	2	n/a	n/a	519
2008	41	3	280	217	2	n/a	n/a	543
2009	49	1	258	198	1	10	0	517
2010	42	3	254	207	0	11	0	517
2011	40	2	267	198	0	11	0	518
2012	40	0	258	193	0	6	3	500
2013	36	0	267	225	0	11	2	541
2014	33	0	257	228	0	9	3	530
2015	25	0	246	225	0	7	6	509
2016	23	0	236	215	0	3	9	486
2017	21	0	232	210	0	1	17	481
2018	21	0	238	201	0	1	16	477
2019	21	0	210	186	0	0	20	437
2020	22	0	224	173	0	2	21	442
2021	16	2	228	157	0	2	20	425
2022	11	1	227	161	0	2	22	424
2023	9	0	241	164	1	2	20	437
2024	5	4	239	159	0	2	20	429

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 Thomas Paine Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	368	16.0	23.0	n/a
1989	359	15.0	23.9	n/a
1990	350	16.0	21.8	n/a
1991	330	17.0	19.4	n/a
1992	538	17.3	31.0	54.5
1993	539	20.0	27.0	60.3
1994	559	20.0	27.9	62.4
1995	535	20.0	26.8	59.6
1996	535	20.0	26.8	59.6
1997	555	21.4	25.9	66.1
1998	566	25.0	22.6	63.8
1999	568	27.0	21.0	59.5
2000	579	25.4	22.8	58.2
2001	583	25.4	23.0	58
2002	560	26.4	21.2	60.5
2003	560	26.4	21.2	60.5
2004	569	25.4	22.4	63.6
2005	566	25.0	22.6	61.7
2006	546	25.0	21.8	60.3
2007	519	23.0	22.6	59
2008	543	24.0	22.6	67.6
2009	517	23.0	21.5	63.6
2010	517	24.1	21.4	68.7
2011	518	n/a	n/a	70.1
2012	500	21.1	23.6	n/a
2013	541	19.1	28.2	65.6
2014	530	20.0	26.5	72.1
2015	509	18.0	28.2	71.9
2016	486	20.0	24.3	66.7
2017	481	20.0	24.0	69.2
2018	477	18.7	25.4	68.8
2019	437	18.7	23.3	65
2020	442	n/a	n/a	65.6
2021	425	17.9	23.6	63.8
2022	424	19.1	22.1	67.5
2023	437	21.5	20.3	74.6
2024	429	19.5	22.0	79.7

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 Thomas Paine Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	368	16.0	23.0	n/a
1989	359	15.0	23.9	n/a
1990	350	16.0	21.8	n/a
1991	330	17.0	19.4	n/a
1992	538	17.3	31.0	54.5
1993	539	20.0	27.0	60.3
1994	559	20.0	27.9	62.4
1995	535	20.0	26.8	59.6
1996	535	20.0	26.8	59.6
1997	555	21.4	25.9	66.1
1998	566	25.0	22.6	63.8
1999	568	27.0	21.0	59.5
2000	579	25.4	22.8	58.2
2001	583	25.4	23.0	58
2002	560	26.4	21.2	60.5
2003	560	26.4	21.2	60.5
2004	569	25.4	22.4	63.6
2005	566	25.0	22.6	61.7
2006	546	25.0	21.8	60.3
2007	519	23.0	22.6	59
2008	543	24.0	22.6	67.6
2009	517	23.0	21.5	63.6
2010	517	24.1	21.4	68.7
2011	518	n/a	n/a	70.1
2012	500	21.1	23.6	n/a
2013	541	19.1	28.2	65.6
2014	530	20.0	26.5	72.1
2015	509	18.0	28.2	71.9
2016	486	20.0	24.3	66.7
2017	481	20.0	24.0	69.2
2018	477	18.7	25.4	68.8
2019	437	18.7	23.3	65
2020	442	n/a	n/a	65.6
2021	425	17.9	23.6	63.8
2022	424	19.1	22.1	67.5
2023	437	21.5	20.3	74.6
2024	429	19.5	22.0	79.7

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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