Is California Elementary a good school?

California Elementary ranks 1365 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend California Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 366 students attended California Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of California Elementary?

Students at California Elementary are 46% White, 39% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of California Elementary attend?

Students who attend California Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Charles W. Tewinkle Middle High : Estancia High

California Elementary

Summary:

California Elementary is a public elementary school located in Costa Mesa, California, serving grades K-6 with a total enrollment of 375 students. It is part of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, which is ranked 430 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

California Elementary consistently outperforms the Newport-Mesa Unified School District and the state of California in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 65.75% of California Elementary students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 59.47% for the district and 47.04% for the state. In Mathematics, 54.7% of California Elementary students were proficient or better, compared to 48.14% for the district and 35.54% for the state. However, the school has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 7.8% in 2017-2018 to 22.4% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the 11.9% rate at the nearby Maude B. Davis Elementary school.

California Elementary serves a higher percentage of students from low-income families, with free and reduced lunch rates ranging from 27.55% to 45.6% over the past few years, which is higher than the nearby Maude B. Davis Elementary (28.62%) and Killybrooke Elementary (23.16%) schools. Despite these challenges, the school has maintained a strong academic performance, consistently outpacing the district and state in assessments, suggesting that it is effectively supporting student learning and achievement.

Detail:

Public K-6

3232 California Ave.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626-2231

(714) 424-7940

District: Newport-Mesa Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1365^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Students who attend California Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Charles W. Tewinkle Middle
High:	Estancia High

Student/teacher ratio: 18.5

Number of students: 366

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.9%

Hispanic:

38.5%

Two or more races:

8.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 45.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare California Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details California Elementary ranks better than 76.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 12^th among 21 ranked elementary schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 74.93. (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: White (45.9%), Hispanic (38.5%), two or more races (8.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 45.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at California Elementary is 18.5, which is the 8^th best among 21 elementary schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare California Elementary employs 19.7 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

California Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks California Elementary 1365^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See California Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Newport-Mesa Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Newport-Mesa Unified 430^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for California Elementary

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Rank History for all students at California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	60.83	1671^st	4809	65.3%
2005	58.07	1829^th	4822	62.1%
2006	64.94	1546^th	4818	67.9%
2007	79.95	979^th	5113	80.9%
2008	71.02	1359^th	5113	73.4%
2009	67.50	1562^nd	5193	69.9%
2010	58.16	2091^st	5314	60.7%
2011	62.06	1901^st	5377	64.6%
2012	62.52	1914^th	5390	64.5%
2013	56.83	2298^th	5530	58.4%
2015	77.72	1201^st	5611	78.6%
2016	80.38	1113^th	5614	80.2%
2017	84.49	934^th	5692	83.6%
2018	79.83	1142^nd	5662	79.8%
2019	81.02	1122^nd	5789	80.6%
2021	80.48	266^th	1417	81.2%
2022	79.41	1214^th	5883	79.4%
2023	78.12	1238^th	5874	78.9%
2024	74.93	1365^th	5862	76.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	22.72	2253^rd	2634	14.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	81.61	620^th	5084	87.8%
2019	79.06	761^st	5173	85.3%
2021	74.93	185^th	1110	83.3%
2022	80.48	739^th	5264	86.0%
2023	81.16	729^th	5374	86.4%
2024	70.47	1247^th	5511	77.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	78.88	1093^rd	5413	79.8%
2019	71.22	1442^nd	5492	73.7%
2021	71.99	324^th	1267	74.4%
2022	73.11	1391^st	5635	75.3%
2023	74.26	1311^th	5617	76.7%
2024	72.11	1395^th	5605	75.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	78.76	1114^th	5431	79.5%
2019	85.72	794^th	5510	85.6%
2021	83.48	209^th	1272	83.6%
2022	82.74	972^nd	5663	82.8%
2023	78.36	1161^st	5650	79.5%
2024	74.84	1283^rd	5636	77.2%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	73.80	956^th	4830	80.2%
2019	77.90	792^nd	4963	84.0%
2022	76.47	881^st	5084	82.7%
2023	78.97	792^nd	5098	84.5%
2024	65.34	1395^th	5102	72.7%

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

Rank History for White students at California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	69.94	829^th	2737	69.7%
2019	69.95	823^rd	2834	71.0%
2022	74.87	627^th	2726	77.0%
2023	70.05	799^th	2662	70.0%
2024	75.51	614^th	2647	76.8%

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 California Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	583	8	41	28	0	n/a	n/a	660
1989	581	14	46	37	1	n/a	n/a	679
1990	553	12	48	37	1	n/a	n/a	651
1991	554	10	64	45	4	n/a	n/a	677
1992	434	9	60	38	1	n/a	n/a	542
1993	378	10	50	54	1	n/a	n/a	493
1994	338	6	40	40	2	n/a	n/a	426
1995	300	6	31	67	0	n/a	n/a	404
1996	300	6	31	67	0	n/a	n/a	404
1997	298	6	24	66	0	n/a	n/a	394
1998	307	2	27	75	1	n/a	n/a	412
1999	293	6	22	85	0	n/a	n/a	406
2000	292	7	22	86	2	n/a	n/a	409
2001	275	6	26	101	1	n/a	n/a	409
2002	246	11	24	109	1	n/a	n/a	391
2003	246	11	24	109	1	n/a	n/a	391
2004	246	9	21	107	0	n/a	n/a	383
2005	242	10	18	111	1	n/a	n/a	382
2006	240	9	28	118	2	n/a	n/a	397
2007	208	5	31	125	2	n/a	n/a	371
2008	206	6	34	132	1	n/a	n/a	379
2009	217	5	26	144	3	4	2	401
2010	215	2	27	157	4	4	0	409
2011	223	6	28	139	1	6	0	403
2012	229	5	27	149	1	6	3	420
2013	216	7	24	156	1	6	12	422
2014	221	7	25	164	1	6	17	441
2015	207	5	22	168	1	7	20	430
2016	192	5	26	155	0	7	26	411
2017	195	6	19	173	0	10	34	437
2018	188	3	17	173	0	8	40	429
2019	182	3	18	173	0	5	48	429
2020	179	6	19	168	0	7	37	416
2021	126	5	13	134	0	5	36	319
2022	154	5	18	148	1	5	32	363
2023	161	6	20	150	2	4	32	375
2024	168	6	16	141	2	3	30	366

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 California Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	660	26.0	25.3	n/a
1989	679	27.3	24.8	n/a
1990	651	27.0	24.1	n/a
1991	677	25.4	26.6	n/a
1992	542	25.8	21.0	11.8
1993	493	16.0	30.8	18.3
1994	426	15.0	28.4	19
1995	404	15.0	26.9	20.8
1996	404	15.0	26.9	20.8
1997	394	18.0	21.9	20.1
1998	412	19.0	21.7	19.7
1999	406	19.0	21.4	21.7
2000	409	20.5	20.0	24.2
2001	409	20.8	19.7	21.3
2002	391	21.8	17.9	27.9
2003	391	21.8	17.9	27.9
2004	383	20.6	18.6	31.3
2005	382	18.8	20.3	31.4
2006	397	20.0	19.9	28
2007	371	18.0	20.6	33.2
2008	379	22.0	17.2	31.9
2009	401	19.5	17.8	40.6
2010	409	18.5	22.1	42.5
2011	403	n/a	n/a	43.4
2012	420	18.0	23.3	n/a
2013	422	18.8	22.4	44.3
2014	441	15.5	28.4	47.6
2015	430	18.0	23.8	41.6
2016	411	16.0	25.6	44
2017	437	16.0	27.3	36.8
2018	429	17.0	25.2	42.9
2019	429	16.3	26.1	43.6
2020	416	n/a	n/a	38.7
2021	319	15.0	21.2	41.4
2022	363	18.7	19.4	27.5
2023	375	18.0	20.8	45.6
2024	366	19.7	18.5	45.1

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 California Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	660	26.0	25.3	n/a
1989	679	27.3	24.8	n/a
1990	651	27.0	24.1	n/a
1991	677	25.4	26.6	n/a
1992	542	25.8	21.0	11.8
1993	493	16.0	30.8	18.3
1994	426	15.0	28.4	19
1995	404	15.0	26.9	20.8
1996	404	15.0	26.9	20.8
1997	394	18.0	21.9	20.1
1998	412	19.0	21.7	19.7
1999	406	19.0	21.4	21.7
2000	409	20.5	20.0	24.2
2001	409	20.8	19.7	21.3
2002	391	21.8	17.9	27.9
2003	391	21.8	17.9	27.9
2004	383	20.6	18.6	31.3
2005	382	18.8	20.3	31.4
2006	397	20.0	19.9	28
2007	371	18.0	20.6	33.2
2008	379	22.0	17.2	31.9
2009	401	19.5	17.8	40.6
2010	409	18.5	22.1	42.5
2011	403	n/a	n/a	43.4
2012	420	18.0	23.3	n/a
2013	422	18.8	22.4	44.3
2014	441	15.5	28.4	47.6
2015	430	18.0	23.8	41.6
2016	411	16.0	25.6	44
2017	437	16.0	27.3	36.8
2018	429	17.0	25.2	42.9
2019	429	16.3	26.1	43.6
2020	416	n/a	n/a	38.7
2021	319	15.0	21.2	41.4
2022	363	18.7	19.4	27.5
2023	375	18.0	20.8	45.6
2024	366	19.7	18.5	45.1

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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