Is Paularino Elementary a good school?

Paularino Elementary ranks 2750 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Paularino Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 335 students attended Paularino Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Paularino Elementary?

Students at Paularino Elementary are 64% Hispanic, 17% White, 8% Asian, 6% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of Paularino Elementary attend?

Students who attend Paularino Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Costa Mesa High

Paularino Elementary

Summary:

Paularino Elementary is a public elementary school located in Costa Mesa, California, serving 335 students in grades K-6. It is part of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, which is ranked 430 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Paularino Elementary faces several challenges compared to nearby schools. The school has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism rates, rising from 9.6% in 2017-2018 to 36.1% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the rates at College Park Elementary (30.0%) and Adams Elementary (30.0%). Additionally, Paularino's test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are generally lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels. The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 71.64% in 2022-2023, which is significantly higher than the nearby Maude B. Davis Elementary (28.62%) and California Elementary (45.6%).

Despite these challenges, Paularino Elementary's performance is still better than some nearby schools in the Santa Ana Unified District, such as Taft Elementary and McFadden Institute of Technology, which have significantly lower test scores and higher chronic absenteeism rates. The high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds at Paularino Elementary may be a contributing factor to the school's lower academic performance, highlighting the importance of addressing the needs of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Detail:

Public K-6

1060 Paularino Ave.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626-2849

(714) 424-7950

District: Newport-Mesa Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2750^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Students who attend Paularino Elementary usually attend:

High:

Costa Mesa High

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 335

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

64.5%

White:

17.0%

Asian:

8.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 71.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Paularino Elementary ranks better than 53.1% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 16^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 46.64. (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 (64.5%), White (17%), Asian (8.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 71.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Paularino Elementary is 16.2, which is the 2^nd best among 21 elementary schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Paularino Elementary employs 20.6 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Paularino Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Paularino Elementary 2750^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Paularino 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:

Hispanic 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 Paularino Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Paularino Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2008	58.63	1915^th	5113	62.5%
2009	57.41	2054^th	5193	60.4%
2010	47.79	2703^rd	5314	49.1%
2011	40.40	3212^th	5377	40.3%
2012	45.77	2891^st	5390	46.4%
2013	45.11	2998^th	5530	45.8%
2015	52.58	2311^th	5611	58.8%
2016	63.84	1819^th	5614	67.6%
2017	59.06	2064^th	5692	63.7%
2018	62.65	1934^th	5662	65.8%
2019	65.32	1827^th	5789	68.4%
2021	51.86	623^rd	1417	56.0%
2022	57.16	2171^st	5883	63.1%
2023	48.70	2594^th	5874	55.8%
2024	46.64	2750^th	5862	53.1%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Paularino Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	74.82	451^st	3246	86.1%
2019	79.89	315^th	3275	90.4%
2023	20.45	3120^th	3250	4.0%
2024	25.02	2840^th	3160	10.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Paularino Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	75.02	914^th	5084	82.0%
2019	81.72	633^rd	5173	87.8%
2021	68.98	248^th	1110	77.7%
2022	61.00	1621^st	5264	69.2%
2023	56.97	1938^th	5374	63.9%
2024	46.39	2641^st	5511	52.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Paularino Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	48.27	2579^th	5413	52.4%
2019	55.42	2205^th	5492	59.9%
2021	49.89	574^th	1267	54.7%
2022	58.30	2014^th	5635	64.3%
2023	45.81	2647^th	5617	52.9%
2024	41.59	2942^nd	5605	47.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Paularino Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	73.90	1324^th	5431	75.6%
2019	70.60	1494^th	5510	72.9%
2021	52.71	532^nd	1272	58.2%
2022	54.87	2197^th	5663	61.2%
2023	50.00	2451^st	5650	56.6%
2024	50.27	2447^th	5636	56.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Paularino Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	67.99	1236^th	4830	74.4%
2019	73.31	998^th	4963	79.9%
2022	62.24	1511^th	5084	70.3%
2023	46.40	2463^rd	5098	51.7%
2024	48.14	2388^th	5102	53.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Paularino Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	65.74	980^th	2834	65.4%

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 Paularino Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	395	3	108	91	0	n/a	n/a	597
1989	385	13	109	102	0	n/a	n/a	609
1990	382	8	115	117	0	n/a	n/a	622
1991	423	10	117	127	0	n/a	n/a	677
1992	433	8	99	139	0	n/a	n/a	679
1993	417	9	92	157	0	n/a	n/a	675
1994	415	4	89	147	0	n/a	n/a	655
1995	408	2	81	178	0	n/a	n/a	669
1996	408	2	81	178	0	n/a	n/a	669
1997	424	5	88	211	0	n/a	n/a	728
1998	311	4	72	191	0	n/a	n/a	578
1999	302	4	63	208	0	n/a	n/a	577
2000	215	2	57	178	1	n/a	n/a	453
2001	183	4	58	180	3	n/a	n/a	428
2002	141	11	44	144	0	n/a	n/a	340
2003	141	11	44	144	0	n/a	n/a	340
2004	141	6	36	155	1	n/a	n/a	339
2005	126	10	44	145	1	n/a	n/a	326
2006	112	8	42	148	2	n/a	n/a	312
2007	112	6	42	156	1	n/a	n/a	317
2008	115	9	46	172	3	n/a	n/a	345
2009	135	11	52	173	1	3	0	375
2010	124	18	44	209	2	6	0	403
2011	105	14	47	242	1	5	8	422
2012	106	13	50	244	1	8	15	437
2013	93	11	49	277	2	9	12	453
2014	86	8	60	260	0	8	23	445
2015	83	9	57	262	1	8	24	444
2016	83	6	56	262	1	8	25	441
2017	81	3	53	253	1	6	19	416
2018	81	4	49	272	1	4	23	434
2019	66	6	45	268	1	5	21	412
2020	67	8	51	253	1	7	23	410
2021	54	3	35	210	0	3	16	321
2022	73	7	38	207	0	4	23	352
2023	57	7	28	216	0	6	21	335

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 Paularino Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	597	28.5	20.9	n/a
1989	609	28.0	21.7	n/a
1990	622	29.0	21.4	n/a
1991	677	31.5	21.4	n/a
1992	679	32.0	21.2	22.4
1993	675	27.0	25.0	30.2
1994	655	27.0	24.3	33.4
1995	669	27.4	24.4	45.1
1996	669	27.4	24.4	45.1
1997	728	35.0	20.8	40.9
1998	578	32.0	18.1	37.2
1999	577	32.0	18.0	45.8
2000	453	29.0	15.6	42.8
2001	428	27.0	15.9	48.8
2002	340	24.0	14.2	49.1
2003	340	24.0	14.2	49.1
2004	339	23.6	14.4	47.5
2005	326	20.8	15.7	47.2
2006	312	20.0	15.6	51.6
2007	317	18.5	17.1	52.4
2008	345	23.1	14.9	66.7
2009	375	18.1	17.0	64.5
2010	403	24.0	16.7	59.8
2011	422	n/a	n/a	59.7
2012	437	19.0	23.0	n/a
2013	453	24.0	18.8	66.4
2014	445	20.0	22.2	69.7
2015	444	20.0	22.2	70.9
2016	441	22.0	20.0	72.3
2017	416	22.0	18.9	66.8
2018	434	22.0	19.7	67.3
2019	412	21.9	18.7	70.4
2020	410	n/a	n/a	63.4
2021	321	17.4	18.3	69.8
2022	352	18.5	19.0	46.9
2023	335	20.6	16.2	71.6

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 Paularino Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	597	28.5	20.9	n/a
1989	609	28.0	21.7	n/a
1990	622	29.0	21.4	n/a
1991	677	31.5	21.4	n/a
1992	679	32.0	21.2	22.4
1993	675	27.0	25.0	30.2
1994	655	27.0	24.3	33.4
1995	669	27.4	24.4	45.1
1996	669	27.4	24.4	45.1
1997	728	35.0	20.8	40.9
1998	578	32.0	18.1	37.2
1999	577	32.0	18.0	45.8
2000	453	29.0	15.6	42.8
2001	428	27.0	15.9	48.8
2002	340	24.0	14.2	49.1
2003	340	24.0	14.2	49.1
2004	339	23.6	14.4	47.5
2005	326	20.8	15.7	47.2
2006	312	20.0	15.6	51.6
2007	317	18.5	17.1	52.4
2008	345	23.1	14.9	66.7
2009	375	18.1	17.0	64.5
2010	403	24.0	16.7	59.8
2011	422	n/a	n/a	59.7
2012	437	19.0	23.0	n/a
2013	453	24.0	18.8	66.4
2014	445	20.0	22.2	69.7
2015	444	20.0	22.2	70.9
2016	441	22.0	20.0	72.3
2017	416	22.0	18.9	66.8
2018	434	22.0	19.7	67.3
2019	412	21.9	18.7	70.4
2020	410	n/a	n/a	63.4
2021	321	17.4	18.3	69.8
2022	352	18.5	19.0	46.9
2023	335	20.6	16.2	71.6

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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