Is Ralph Dunlap Elementary a good school?

Ralph Dunlap Elementary ranks 3499 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ralph Dunlap Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 486 students attended Ralph Dunlap Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Ralph Dunlap Elementary?

Students at Ralph Dunlap Elementary are 50% Hispanic, 36% White, 8% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Ralph Dunlap Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ralph Dunlap Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Orcutt Junior High High : Ernest Righetti High

Ralph Dunlap Elementary

Summary:

Ralph Dunlap Elementary is a public elementary school located in Santa Maria, California, serving 471 students in grades K-6 as part of the Orcutt Union Elementary School District. While the school has seen a decline in its statewide ranking and rating in recent years, it faces several challenges, including poor performance of certain student groups, high chronic absenteeism, and lower test scores compared to the district and state averages.

Specifically, Ralph Dunlap Elementary's White and Low Socio-Economic Status (SES) students perform relatively poorly, ranking in the bottom 20% and 15% of California elementary schools, respectively. In contrast, the school's Special Education students perform better, ranking in the top 40%. The school's proficiency rates in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics are generally lower than the Orcutt Union Elementary School District and the state of California averages, with particularly weak performance in 5th-grade Mathematics. Additionally, the school has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 6.8% in 2017-2018 to 22.0% in 2022-2023.

Interestingly, nearby schools in the Orcutt Union Elementary School District, such as Joe Nightingale Elementary and Pine Grove Elementary, outperform Ralph Dunlap Elementary in both academic achievement and statewide rankings. This suggests that the school's performance is closely tied to the socio-economic status of its student population, as evidenced by the stronger performance of schools with lower percentages of free and reduced-price lunch recipients.

Detail:

Public K-6

1220 Oak Knoll Rd.
Santa Maria, CA 93455-4301

(805) 938-8500

District: Orcutt Union Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
3499^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,586

Students who attend Ralph Dunlap Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Orcutt Junior High
High:	Ernest Righetti High

Student/teacher ratio: 25.5

Number of students: 486

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

50.4%

White:

36.0%

Two or more races:

8.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 43%

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Compare Ralph Dunlap Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ralph Dunlap Elementary ranks worse than 59.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 5^th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Orcutt Union Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.15. (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 (50.4%), White (36%), two or more races (8.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 43% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Orcutt Union Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ralph Dunlap Elementary is 25.5. 3 elementary schools in the Orcutt Union Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Ralph Dunlap Elementary employs 18.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ralph Dunlap Elementary is $6,586. 4 elementary schools in the Orcutt Union Elementary School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ralph Dunlap Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Ralph Dunlap Elementary 3499^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Ralph Dunlap 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:

Orcutt Union Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Orcutt Union Elementary 584^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Ralph Dunlap Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Ralph Dunlap Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	67.77	1370^th	4809	71.5%
2005	78.52	988^th	4822	79.5%
2006	75.17	1135^th	4818	76.4%
2007	71.24	1317^th	5113	74.2%
2008	79.01	1015^th	5113	80.1%
2009	79.29	1035^th	5193	80.1%
2010	76.10	1182^nd	5314	77.8%
2011	70.76	1460^th	5377	72.8%
2012	69.23	1572^nd	5390	70.8%
2013	75.81	1271^st	5530	77.0%
2015	57.86	2037^th	5611	63.7%
2016	57.36	2113^th	5614	62.4%
2017	58.17	2108^th	5692	63.0%
2018	63.06	1914^th	5662	66.2%
2019	55.68	2270^th	5789	60.8%
2022	46.65	2716^th	5883	53.8%
2023	33.56	3610^th	5874	38.5%
2024	35.15	3499^th	5862	40.3%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Ralph Dunlap Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	17.95	2270^th	2420	6.2%
2024	48.48	1004^th	2634	61.9%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ralph Dunlap Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	58.66	1814^th	5084	64.3%
2019	49.34	2448^th	5173	52.7%
2022	39.03	3095^th	5264	41.2%
2023	26.13	4225^th	5374	21.4%
2024	21.04	4702^nd	5511	14.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Ralph Dunlap Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	59.77	1987^th	5413	63.3%
2019	50.90	2440^th	5492	55.6%
2022	43.82	2764^th	5635	50.9%
2023	34.31	3391^st	5617	39.6%
2024	32.62	3593^rd	5605	35.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Ralph Dunlap Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	70.19	504^th	2585	80.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Ralph Dunlap Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	63.18	1803^rd	5431	66.8%
2019	58.81	2007^th	5510	63.6%
2022	48.99	2500^th	5663	55.9%
2023	33.46	3509^th	5650	37.9%
2024	37.69	3229^th	5636	42.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Ralph Dunlap Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	65.36	1365^th	4830	71.7%
2019	62.84	1538^th	4963	69.0%
2022	54.49	1918^th	5084	62.3%
2023	32.00	3547^th	5098	30.4%
2024	32.83	3513^th	5102	31.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Ralph Dunlap Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	45.65	1644^th	2737	39.9%
2019	37.50	1924^th	2834	32.1%
2022	26.28	2113^th	2726	22.5%
2023	24.67	2106^th	2662	20.9%
2024	24.53	2102^nd	2647	20.6%

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 Ralph Dunlap Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	410	8	40	42	2	n/a	n/a	0	502
1989	500	8	28	66	1	n/a	n/a	0	603
1990	488	7	30	64	2	n/a	n/a	0	591
1991	525	9	27	70	0	n/a	n/a	0	631
1992	510	8	21	57	0	n/a	n/a	0	596
1993	505	0	28	66	0	n/a	n/a	0	599
1994	524	5	26	62	2	n/a	n/a	0	619
1995	478	6	23	78	1	n/a	n/a	0	586
1996	478	6	23	78	1	n/a	n/a	0	586
1997	506	7	24	89	3	n/a	n/a	0	629
1998	513	5	16	86	0	n/a	n/a	0	620
1999	566	3	14	60	2	n/a	n/a	0	645
2000	498	4	22	90	1	n/a	n/a	0	615
2001	503	2	18	79	4	n/a	n/a	3	609
2002	465	9	22	97	3	n/a	n/a	2	598
2003	465	9	22	97	3	n/a	n/a	2	598
2004	449	11	26	101	6	n/a	n/a	0	593
2005	422	12	27	109	4	n/a	n/a	0	574
2006	412	5	30	138	4	n/a	n/a	0	589
2007	426	6	31	165	1	n/a	n/a	0	629
2008	394	4	31	155	1	n/a	n/a	0	585
2009	393	4	25	139	2	4	30	0	597
2010	356	5	24	152	2	5	16	0	560
2011	338	5	21	145	5	4	21	0	539
2012	354	3	17	171	5	5	25	0	580
2013	383	4	19	196	7	3	32	0	644
2014	359	2	16	202	6	1	32	0	618
2015	360	3	17	211	5	1	38	0	635
2016	353	1	9	206	6	3	47	0	625
2017	338	1	6	223	6	1	40	0	615
2018	292	1	13	226	4	1	46	0	583
2019	276	1	16	234	5	1	44	0	577
2020	250	2	18	252	4	0	50	0	576
2021	223	3	15	220	4	2	51	0	518
2022	185	3	15	215	2	0	49	0	469
2023	166	3	17	241	3	0	41	0	471
2024	175	3	19	245	3	0	41	0	486

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 Ralph Dunlap Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	502	19.0	26.4	n/a
1989	603	22.0	27.4	n/a
1990	591	22.0	26.8	n/a
1991	631	22.0	28.6	n/a
1992	596	22.4	26.6	5.9
1993	599	22.0	27.2	7
1994	619	22.0	28.1	8.6
1995	586	20.1	29.2	11.6
1996	586	20.1	29.2	11.6
1997	629	24.6	25.6	13.7
1998	620	29.0	21.4	13.5
1999	645	30.1	21.4	13.5
2000	615	27.8	22.1	14.1
2001	609	26.8	22.7	15.3
2002	598	27.3	21.9	14.4
2003	598	27.3	21.9	14.4
2004	593	25.9	22.9	15.2
2005	574	24.8	23.1	13.6
2006	589	26.0	22.7	19.9
2007	629	27.0	23.3	18.9
2008	585	27.5	21.3	24.1
2009	597	26.0	22.1	23.1
2010	560	20.0	28.0	25.7
2011	539	n/a	n/a	23.7
2012	580	22.6	25.6	n/a
2013	644	23.0	28.0	29.5
2014	618	22.0	28.0	23.6
2015	635	22.0	28.8	22.4
2016	625	22.0	28.4	24.2
2017	615	22.0	27.9	26.2
2018	583	23.0	25.3	33.6
2019	577	23.0	25.0	34
2020	576	n/a	n/a	37.8
2021	518	21.0	24.6	36.7
2022	469	19.0	24.6	35.8
2023	471	18.0	26.1	40.3
2024	486	18.9	25.5	43

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 Ralph Dunlap Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	502	19.0	26.4	n/a
1989	603	22.0	27.4	n/a
1990	591	22.0	26.8	n/a
1991	631	22.0	28.6	n/a
1992	596	22.4	26.6	5.9
1993	599	22.0	27.2	7
1994	619	22.0	28.1	8.6
1995	586	20.1	29.2	11.6
1996	586	20.1	29.2	11.6
1997	629	24.6	25.6	13.7
1998	620	29.0	21.4	13.5
1999	645	30.1	21.4	13.5
2000	615	27.8	22.1	14.1
2001	609	26.8	22.7	15.3
2002	598	27.3	21.9	14.4
2003	598	27.3	21.9	14.4
2004	593	25.9	22.9	15.2
2005	574	24.8	23.1	13.6
2006	589	26.0	22.7	19.9
2007	629	27.0	23.3	18.9
2008	585	27.5	21.3	24.1
2009	597	26.0	22.1	23.1
2010	560	20.0	28.0	25.7
2011	539	n/a	n/a	23.7
2012	580	22.6	25.6	n/a
2013	644	23.0	28.0	29.5
2014	618	22.0	28.0	23.6
2015	635	22.0	28.8	22.4
2016	625	22.0	28.4	24.2
2017	615	22.0	27.9	26.2
2018	583	23.0	25.3	33.6
2019	577	23.0	25.0	34
2020	576	n/a	n/a	37.8
2021	518	21.0	24.6	36.7
2022	469	19.0	24.6	35.8
2023	471	18.0	26.1	40.3
2024	486	18.9	25.5	43

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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