Is Montemalaga Elementary a good school?

Yes! Montemalaga Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 67 th of 5862 California elementary schools.

How many students attend Montemalaga Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 436 students attended Montemalaga Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Montemalaga Elementary?

Students at Montemalaga Elementary are 45% Asian, 30% White, 12% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Montemalaga Elementary attend?

Students who attend Montemalaga Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Palos Verdes Intermediate High : Palos Verdes High High : Palos Verdes Peninsula High

Montemalaga Elementary

Summary:

Montemalaga Elementary is a public elementary school located in Palos Verdes Estates, California, serving grades K-5 with a student population of 442. The school is part of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, which is ranked 76th out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Montemalaga Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in California, with a statewide ranking between 67th and 152nd out of over 5,800 schools in recent years. The school's students demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, with 85.12% proficient or better in English Language Arts and 85.19% proficient or better in Mathematics for the 2023-2024 school year, significantly outperforming the state and district averages. Montemalaga Elementary also excels in supporting the academic success of various student subgroups, ranking 1st out of over 5,100 California elementary schools for Hispanic students and 1st out of 669 schools for multi-racial students in the 2023-2024 school year. Additionally, the school ranks 6th out of 2,634 schools for students with special education needs and has maintained a relatively low chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 1.4% to 9.3% in recent years.

Compared to nearby schools in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, such as Soleado Elementary, Lunada Bay Elementary, and Rancho Vista Elementary, Montemalaga Elementary's academic performance is consistently higher. The school has maintained a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for the majority of the past decade, and its diverse student population, with significant representation of Asian, Hispanic, and multi-racial students, is a testament to the school's ability to support the academic success of various subgroups. Notably, Montemalaga Elementary's male students have consistently outperformed their female counterparts, ranking 49th out of over 5,600 California elementary schools for the 2023-2024 school year.

Detail:

Public K-5

1121 Via Nogales
Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274-1671

(310) 378-5228

District: Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,364

Students who attend Montemalaga Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Palos Verdes Intermediate
High:	Palos Verdes High
	Palos Verdes Peninsula High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.3

Number of students: 436

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

45.4%

White:

29.8%

Hispanic:

12.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 4.6%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Montemalaga Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Montemalaga Elementary ranks better than 98.9% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 5^th among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 98.2. (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 Student population at Montemalaga Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (45.4%), White (29.8%), Hispanic (12.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 4.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Montemalaga Elementary is 23.3. 6 elementary schools in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Montemalaga Elementary employs 18.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Montemalaga Elementary is $6,364. 5 elementary schools in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Montemalaga Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Montemalaga Elementary 67^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Montemalaga Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified 76^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Montemalaga Elementary.

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Your rating for Montemalaga Elementary?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Montemalaga Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Montemalaga Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	98.36	56^th	4809	98.8%
2005	96.96	110^th	4822	97.7%
2006	95.29	205^th	4818	95.7%
2007	96.93	108^th	5113	97.9%
2008	95.23	167^th	5113	96.7%
2009	96.93	56^th	5193	98.9%
2010	95.55	105^th	5314	98.0%
2011	95.88	71^st	5377	98.7%
2012	93.67	182^nd	5390	96.6%
2013	92.38	293^rd	5530	94.7%
2015	87.07	777^th	5611	86.2%
2016	95.02	313^th	5614	94.4%
2017	91.05	574^th	5692	89.9%
2018	93.61	411^th	5662	92.7%
2019	95.89	232^nd	5789	96.0%
2022	97.89	107^th	5883	98.2%
2023	97.41	152^nd	5874	97.4%
2024	98.20	67^th	5862	98.9%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Montemalaga Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	95.26	1^st	669	99.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Montemalaga Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	99.88	6^th	2634	99.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Montemalaga Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	92.25	426^th	5413	92.1%
2019	95.06	219^th	5492	96.0%
2022	97.48	100^th	5635	98.2%
2023	97.41	100^th	5617	98.2%
2024	97.04	108^th	5605	98.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Montemalaga Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	92.72	403^rd	5431	92.6%
2019	95.12	239^th	5510	95.7%
2022	97.30	127^th	5663	97.8%
2023	96.32	206^th	5650	96.4%
2024	98.21	49^th	5636	99.1%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Montemalaga Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	77.04	212^th	1071	80.2%
2019	67.02	439^th	1149	61.8%
2022	85.31	46^th	1154	96.0%
2023	81.99	109^th	1190	90.8%
2024	77.58	230^th	1203	80.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Montemalaga Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	99.37	21^st	4963	99.6%
2022	96.82	122^nd	5084	97.6%
2023	97.29	96^th	5098	98.1%
2024	99.95	1^st	5102	100.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Montemalaga Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	69.72	838^th	2737	69.4%
2019	82.79	362^nd	2834	87.2%
2022	84.55	288^th	2726	89.4%
2023	72.57	713^th	2662	73.2%
2024	83.02	320^th	2647	87.9%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Our school is overcrowded, but the district has found a way to work around that. Kids take attendance in one class and then go to another class for all the core subjects. Parents' complaints have fallen on deaf ears. Our test scores are getting worse by the year. If you want your child to do well in middle and high school, get a tutor in 3rd or 4th grade to make up for all the gaps in their education. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Montemalaga Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	363	8	153	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	532
1989	360	4	151	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	528
1990	323	8	142	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	486
1991	315	4	150	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	481
1992	277	7	143	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	439
1993	273	6	154	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	442
1994	304	7	143	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	465
1995	269	5	167	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	447
1996	269	5	167	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	447
1997	267	6	146	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	427
1998	270	7	127	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	408
1999	260	6	113	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	382
2000	264	3	127	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	398
2001	269	4	130	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	413
2002	316	4	149	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	481
2003	316	4	149	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	481
2004	299	3	166	16	0	n/a	n/a	1	485
2005	303	4	167	16	0	n/a	n/a	2	492
2006	303	6	173	14	0	n/a	n/a	3	499
2007	292	8	168	16	0	n/a	n/a	10	494
2008	265	5	178	13	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	461
2009	244	7	157	10	1	0	33	0	452
2010	234	8	162	26	1	1	23	0	455
2011	234	8	168	31	1	0	32	0	474
2012	228	10	157	27	1	0	33	0	456
2013	199	9	154	21	1	0	34	0	418
2014	197	11	157	37	2	0	39	0	443
2015	210	11	165	34	1	0	42	0	463
2016	218	12	171	48	1	0	44	0	494
2017	208	11	165	59	1	2	43	0	489
2018	201	12	149	60	0	3	51	0	476
2019	173	6	150	60	0	2	52	0	443
2020	173	2	159	54	0	2	55	0	445
2021	153	1	154	53	0	0	56	0	417
2022	131	3	160	55	0	0	52	0	401
2023	128	7	183	59	0	0	65	0	442
2024	130	6	198	53	0	0	49	0	436

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 Montemalaga Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	532	19.0	28.0	n/a
1989	528	19.0	27.7	n/a
1990	486	17.0	28.5	n/a
1991	481	16.0	30.0	n/a
1992	439	16.3	26.9	0.5
1993	442	18.0	24.6	0.7
1994	465	18.8	24.7	1.1
1995	447	18.8	23.8	3.4
1996	447	18.8	23.8	3.4
1997	427	20.8	20.5	3.7
1998	408	20.0	20.4	3.7
1999	382	20.5	18.6	2.6
2000	398	19.0	20.9	1
2001	413	20.0	20.7	1.2
2002	481	23.0	20.9	1.5
2003	481	23.0	20.9	1.5
2004	485	22.0	22.0	1
2005	492	22.0	22.4	0.4
2006	499	22.0	22.7	0.2
2007	494	23.0	21.5	0.8
2008	461	27.0	17.1	0.9
2009	452	21.0	18.8	0.7
2010	455	20.4	22.3	0.4
2011	474	n/a	n/a	0.8
2012	456	17.6	25.9	2
2013	418	16.0	26.1	1.7
2014	443	18.5	23.9	1.8
2015	463	20.0	23.1	2.2
2016	494	19.0	26.0	3
2017	489	19.0	25.7	3.3
2018	476	17.6	27.0	6.1
2019	443	18.0	24.6	6.3
2020	445	n/a	n/a	5.6
2021	417	18.6	22.3	4.8
2022	401	16.0	25.0	3.7
2023	442	18.0	24.5	5
2024	436	18.6	23.3	4.6

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 Montemalaga Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	532	19.0	28.0	n/a
1989	528	19.0	27.7	n/a
1990	486	17.0	28.5	n/a
1991	481	16.0	30.0	n/a
1992	439	16.3	26.9	0.5
1993	442	18.0	24.6	0.7
1994	465	18.8	24.7	1.1
1995	447	18.8	23.8	3.4
1996	447	18.8	23.8	3.4
1997	427	20.8	20.5	3.7
1998	408	20.0	20.4	3.7
1999	382	20.5	18.6	2.6
2000	398	19.0	20.9	1
2001	413	20.0	20.7	1.2
2002	481	23.0	20.9	1.5
2003	481	23.0	20.9	1.5
2004	485	22.0	22.0	1
2005	492	22.0	22.4	0.4
2006	499	22.0	22.7	0.2
2007	494	23.0	21.5	0.8
2008	461	27.0	17.1	0.9
2009	452	21.0	18.8	0.7
2010	455	20.4	22.3	0.4
2011	474	n/a	n/a	0.8
2012	456	17.6	25.9	2
2013	418	16.0	26.1	1.7
2014	443	18.5	23.9	1.8
2015	463	20.0	23.1	2.2
2016	494	19.0	26.0	3
2017	489	19.0	25.7	3.3
2018	476	17.6	27.0	6.1
2019	443	18.0	24.6	6.3
2020	445	n/a	n/a	5.6
2021	417	18.6	22.3	4.8
2022	401	16.0	25.0	3.7
2023	442	18.0	24.5	5
2024	436	18.6	23.3	4.6

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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