Is Happy Valley Elementary a good school?

Yes. Happy Valley Elementary ranks in the top 5.2% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Happy Valley Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 120 students attended Happy Valley Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Happy Valley Elementary?

Students at Happy Valley Elementary are 76% White, 15% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Happy Valley Elementary attend?

Students who attend Happy Valley Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Branciforte Middle High : Harbor High

Happy Valley Elementary

Summary:

Happy Valley Elementary is a public elementary school located in Santa Cruz, California, serving grades K-6 with a total enrollment of 120 students. The school is part of the Happy Valley Elementary District, which is ranked 48 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Happy Valley Elementary consistently ranks among the top 5-10% of elementary schools in California, with a statewide ranking between 195 and 580 out of over 5,600 schools. The school's students perform exceptionally well on standardized tests, with 82.09% proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy and 74.63% proficient or better in Mathematics, significantly higher than the state averages. Happy Valley Elementary's performance is particularly strong in 3rd, 5th, and 6th grade, with over 80% of students proficient or better in ELA/Literacy and over 70% in Mathematics. However, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 4.4% in 2018-2019 to 34.2% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Green Acres Elementary, Ocean Alternative Education Center, and Tierra Pacifica Charter, Happy Valley Elementary outperforms them in both ELA/Literacy and Mathematics proficiency rates. Additionally, the nearby schools have higher percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 23% to 50%, compared to Happy Valley Elementary's 10-11%. While Happy Valley Elementary maintains a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger, its statewide ranking has declined from 209 out of 5,789 schools in 2018-2019 to 305 out of 5,862 schools in 2023-2024, indicating that the school's relative performance may be declining compared to other top-performing schools in the state.

Detail:

Public K-6

3125 Branciforte Dr.
Santa Cruz, CA 95065-9775

(831) 429-1456

District: Happy Valley Elementary

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,688

Students who attend Happy Valley Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Branciforte Middle
High:	Harbor High

Student/teacher ratio: 18.7

Number of students: 120

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.8%

Two or more races:

15.0%

Hispanic:

8.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 10%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Happy Valley Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Happy Valley Elementary ranks better than 94.8% of elementary schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 95.47. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 (75.8%), two or more races (15%), Hispanic (8.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 10% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Happy Valley Elementary is 18.7. (See more...)

Compare Happy Valley Elementary employs 6.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Happy Valley Elementary is $12,688.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Happy Valley Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Happy Valley Elementary 305^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Happy Valley Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Happy Valley Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Happy Valley Elementary 48^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Happy Valley Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Happy Valley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	89.78	519^th	4809	89.2%
2005	93.38	304^th	4822	93.7%
2006	93.27	313^th	4818	93.5%
2007	87.97	627^th	5113	87.7%
2008	91.85	379^th	5113	92.6%
2009	91.15	409^th	5193	92.1%
2010	91.81	338^th	5314	93.6%
2011	85.36	712^th	5377	86.8%
2012	89.38	458^th	5390	91.5%
2013	88.81	542^nd	5530	90.2%
2015	92.69	467^th	5611	91.7%
2016	96.58	195^th	5614	96.5%
2017	92.91	460^th	5692	91.9%
2018	93.90	381^st	5662	93.3%
2019	96.17	209^th	5789	96.4%
2022	92.25	580^th	5883	90.1%
2023	96.43	237^th	5874	96.0%
2024	95.47	305^th	5862	94.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Happy Valley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	96.09	180^th	5605	96.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Happy Valley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	92.86	397^th	5431	92.7%
2019	94.08	307^th	5510	94.4%
2024	87.64	732^nd	5636	87.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Happy Valley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	86.50	201^st	2737	92.7%
2019	91.12	72^nd	2834	97.5%
2022	81.15	406^th	2726	85.1%
2023	89.84	112^th	2662	95.8%
2024	83.13	314^th	2647	88.1%

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

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Enrollment information for Happy Valley Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	130	0	3	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	142
1989	127	0	3	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	137
1990	125	4	3	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	140
1991	131	0	2	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	148
1992	129	0	2	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	149
1993	131	0	3	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	145
1994	132	0	3	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	156
1995	123	0	4	17	7	n/a	n/a	0	151
1996	123	0	4	17	7	n/a	n/a	0	151
1997	104	0	3	20	6	n/a	n/a	0	133
1998	110	0	5	20	2	n/a	n/a	0	137
1999	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	141	141
2000	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	126	126
2001	114	0	7	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	130
2002	116	0	10	6	2	n/a	n/a	1	135
2003	116	0	10	6	2	n/a	n/a	1	135
2004	123	1	10	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	142
2005	126	0	13	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	143
2006	125	0	13	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	142
2007	117	0	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	18	138
2008	119	2	3	3	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	127
2009	111	2	3	0	0	0	13	0	129
2010	108	1	2	8	0	0	9	0	128
2011	108	1	4	12	0	0	10	0	135
2012	112	0	6	7	0	0	8	0	133
2013	105	0	8	6	1	0	7	0	127
2014	103	0	7	6	1	0	12	0	129
2015	106	0	5	4	1	0	18	0	134
2016	92	1	5	6	2	0	26	0	132
2017	87	1	8	6	2	0	21	0	125
2018	83	1	6	9	3	0	18	0	120
2019	76	0	2	9	1	0	20	0	108
2020	78	0	2	9	1	0	23	0	113
2021	71	0	3	10	1	0	20	0	105
2022	79	0	2	9	1	0	18	0	109
2023	91	0	1	10	0	0	18	0	120

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 Happy Valley Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	142	5.4	26.2	n/a
1989	137	5.4	25.3	n/a
1990	140	5.0	28.0	n/a
1991	148	6.0	24.6	n/a
1992	149	6.1	24.4	9.4
1993	145	5.5	26.4	14.5
1994	156	5.5	28.4	15.4
1995	151	6.6	22.9	13.2
1996	151	6.6	22.9	13.2
1997	133	7.6	17.5	8.3
1998	137	6.6	20.8	10.9
1999	141	6.9	20.4	9.2
2000	126	8.5	14.8	8.7
2001	130	8.2	15.9	8.5
2002	135	9.4	14.4	13.4
2003	135	9.4	14.4	13.4
2004	142	9.5	14.9	5.6
2005	143	8.0	17.9	11.9
2006	142	8.0	17.8	7.7
2007	138	7.5	18.4	10
2008	127	8.4	15.1	9.4
2009	129	6.1	17.9	7.8
2010	128	6.1	20.7	10.9
2011	135	n/a	n/a	14.1
2012	133	6.4	20.7	n/a
2013	127	6.4	19.8	8.7
2014	129	6.4	20.1	10.9
2015	134	6.0	22.3	12.7
2016	132	6.0	22.0	9.1
2017	125	6.4	19.5	8
2018	120	6.2	19.3	11.7
2019	108	6.2	17.4	8.3
2020	113	n/a	n/a	6.2
2021	105	5.8	18.1	10.5
2022	109	6.2	17.5	11
2023	120	6.4	18.7	10

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 Happy Valley Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	142	5.4	26.2	n/a
1989	137	5.4	25.3	n/a
1990	140	5.0	28.0	n/a
1991	148	6.0	24.6	n/a
1992	149	6.1	24.4	9.4
1993	145	5.5	26.4	14.5
1994	156	5.5	28.4	15.4
1995	151	6.6	22.9	13.2
1996	151	6.6	22.9	13.2
1997	133	7.6	17.5	8.3
1998	137	6.6	20.8	10.9
1999	141	6.9	20.4	9.2
2000	126	8.5	14.8	8.7
2001	130	8.2	15.9	8.5
2002	135	9.4	14.4	13.4
2003	135	9.4	14.4	13.4
2004	142	9.5	14.9	5.6
2005	143	8.0	17.9	11.9
2006	142	8.0	17.8	7.7
2007	138	7.5	18.4	10
2008	127	8.4	15.1	9.4
2009	129	6.1	17.9	7.8
2010	128	6.1	20.7	10.9
2011	135	n/a	n/a	14.1
2012	133	6.4	20.7	n/a
2013	127	6.4	19.8	8.7
2014	129	6.4	20.1	10.9
2015	134	6.0	22.3	12.7
2016	132	6.0	22.0	9.1
2017	125	6.4	19.5	8
2018	120	6.2	19.3	11.7
2019	108	6.2	17.4	8.3
2020	113	n/a	n/a	6.2
2021	105	5.8	18.1	10.5
2022	109	6.2	17.5	11
2023	120	6.4	18.7	10

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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