Is Del Cerro Elementary a good school?

Del Cerro Elementary ranks 1078 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Del Cerro Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 381 students attended Del Cerro Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Del Cerro Elementary?

Students at Del Cerro Elementary are 44% White, 30% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races, 12% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Del Cerro Elementary attend?

Students who attend Del Cerro Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Mission Viejo High

Del Cerro Elementary

Summary:

Del Cerro Elementary is a public elementary school in Mission Viejo, California, serving 373 students in grades K-6 and part of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. The school consistently outperforms the district and state in academic assessments, with strong performance across English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.

Del Cerro Elementary's academic excellence is particularly notable for Hispanic students and students with special education needs, ranking among the top California elementary schools in these categories. However, the school's performance for English Language Learners is relatively lower. Additionally, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 5.0% in 2017-2018 to 17.2% in 2022-2023, and a rise in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 30.03% in 2020-2021 to 47.18% in 2022-2023.

Compared to nearby schools, Del Cerro Elementary outperforms most in academic assessments, with the exception of Valencia Elementary and De Portola Elementary, which consistently rank higher. Other Saddleback Valley Unified schools, such as Glen Yermo Elementary and Olivewood Elementary, have lower academic performance and higher chronic absenteeism rates compared to Del Cerro Elementary. Additionally, Castille Elementary, part of the Capistrano Unified School District, is a high-performing school that outperforms Del Cerro Elementary in academic assessments.

Detail:

Public K-6

24382 Regina St.
Mission Viejo, CA 92691-4735

(949) 830-5430

District: Saddleback Valley Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1078^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,329

Students who attend Del Cerro Elementary usually attend:

High:

Mission Viejo High

Student/teacher ratio: 21.5

Number of students: 381

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.8%

Hispanic:

29.9%

Two or more races:

13.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 47.5%

See top rated California elementary schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Del Cerro Elementary ranks better than 81.6% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 6^th among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81.75. (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 Del Cerro Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (43.8%), Hispanic (29.9%), two or more races (13.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 47.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Del Cerro Elementary is 21.5, which is the 6^th best among 22 elementary schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Del Cerro Elementary employs 17.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Del Cerro Elementary is $5,329. 11 elementary schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Del Cerro Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Del Cerro Elementary 1078^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Del Cerro Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Saddleback Valley Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Saddleback Valley Unified 376^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Del Cerro Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Del Cerro Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	91.89	404^th	4809	91.6%
2005	92.42	360^th	4822	92.5%
2006	85.62	705^th	4818	85.4%
2007	90.76	479^th	5113	90.6%
2008	87.54	626^th	5113	87.8%
2009	86.48	677^th	5193	87.0%
2010	89.02	500^th	5314	90.6%
2011	76.21	1194^th	5377	77.8%
2012	76.30	1209^th	5390	77.6%
2013	80.03	1047^th	5530	81.1%
2015	77.32	1221^st	5611	78.2%
2016	71.72	1449^th	5614	74.2%
2017	70.70	1532^nd	5692	73.1%
2018	70.46	1553^rd	5662	72.6%
2019	75.45	1367^th	5789	76.4%
2022	84.38	971^st	5883	83.5%
2023	87.77	833^rd	5874	85.8%
2024	81.75	1078^th	5862	81.6%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Del Cerro Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	21.41	2967^th	3246	8.6%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Del Cerro Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	78.70	327^th	2420	86.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Del Cerro Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	45.94	2618^th	5084	48.5%
2019	47.95	2541^st	5173	50.9%
2022	79.21	785^th	5264	85.1%
2023	87.13	490^th	5374	90.9%
2024	76.91	973^rd	5511	82.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Del Cerro Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	66.39	1691^st	5413	68.8%
2019	68.76	1555^th	5492	71.7%
2022	84.83	876^th	5635	84.5%
2023	84.81	896^th	5617	84.0%
2024	79.70	1107^th	5605	80.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Del Cerro Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	46.11	875^th	2128	58.9%
2019	53.88	872^nd	2585	66.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Del Cerro Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	71.90	1402^nd	5431	74.2%
2019	77.71	1185^th	5510	78.5%
2022	81.97	1016^th	5663	82.1%
2023	87.51	753^rd	5650	86.7%
2024	80.87	1041^st	5636	81.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Del Cerro Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	32.96	3346^th	4830	30.7%
2019	35.49	3279^th	4963	33.9%
2022	82.15	665^th	5084	86.9%
2023	78.11	827^th	5098	83.8%
2024	78.51	777^th	5102	84.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Del Cerro Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	54.56	1365^th	2737	50.1%
2019	61.88	1137^th	2834	59.9%
2022	69.18	843^rd	2726	69.1%
2023	73.44	679^th	2662	74.5%
2024	64.02	999^th	2647	62.3%

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 Del Cerro Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	493	2	39	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	567
1989	524	6	47	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	612
1990	541	3	58	53	0	n/a	n/a	0	655
1991	530	6	76	57	1	n/a	n/a	0	670
1992	586	9	97	69	0	n/a	n/a	0	761
1993	334	7	80	50	3	n/a	n/a	0	474
1994	343	6	66	50	2	n/a	n/a	0	467
1995	388	11	58	57	3	n/a	n/a	0	517
1996	388	11	58	57	3	n/a	n/a	0	517
1997	416	8	67	71	1	n/a	n/a	0	563
1998	403	8	68	75	3	n/a	n/a	0	557
1999	413	7	70	77	5	n/a	n/a	0	572
2000	418	11	68	74	7	n/a	n/a	0	578
2001	426	13	66	86	4	n/a	n/a	0	595
2002	397	10	66	86	1	n/a	n/a	0	560
2003	397	10	66	86	1	n/a	n/a	0	560
2004	366	12	63	86	1	n/a	n/a	0	528
2005	352	12	75	97	1	n/a	n/a	0	537
2006	337	16	71	102	2	n/a	n/a	3	531
2007	306	15	70	93	1	n/a	n/a	9	494
2008	301	13	67	97	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	478
2009	282	14	62	93	0	1	22	0	474
2010	368	10	63	150	1	0	31	0	623
2011	331	8	69	158	1	1	31	0	599
2012	318	6	77	149	1	0	27	0	578
2013	296	5	80	142	0	1	36	0	560
2014	287	6	68	136	0	1	46	0	544
2015	260	7	68	126	4	1	48	0	514
2016	267	8	71	134	4	2	40	0	526
2017	216	5	69	143	3	1	45	0	482
2018	226	4	73	128	3	1	50	0	485
2019	218	5	57	119	2	1	52	0	454
2020	206	3	53	122	0	1	59	0	444
2021	182	7	52	107	0	0	45	0	393
2022	158	5	45	113	1	0	55	0	377
2023	163	2	42	117	0	1	48	0	373
2024	167	1	47	114	0	1	51	0	381

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 Del Cerro Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	567	23.0	24.6	n/a
1989	612	21.0	29.1	n/a
1990	655	21.8	30.0	n/a
1991	670	28.9	23.1	n/a
1992	761	29.4	25.8	6.4
1993	474	20.0	23.7	5.9
1994	467	21.0	22.2	8.1
1995	517	22.0	23.5	6.8
1996	517	22.0	23.5	6.8
1997	563	29.0	19.4	4.4
1998	557	31.0	18.0	6.8
1999	572	30.0	19.1	5.1
2000	578	31.0	18.6	5.9
2001	595	29.0	20.5	6.4
2002	560	28.0	20.0	10.7
2003	560	28.0	20.0	10.7
2004	528	25.0	21.1	12.9
2005	537	25.0	21.5	13.2
2006	531	24.4	21.8	14.6
2007	494	22.4	22.1	9.9
2008	478	23.0	20.8	13
2009	474	20.3	23.2	11.4
2010	623	25.0	24.9	19.6
2011	599	n/a	n/a	21.2
2012	578	20.7	27.9	n/a
2013	560	20.7	27.0	28
2014	544	18.9	28.7	28.9
2015	514	18.0	28.5	25.1
2016	526	19.0	27.6	27.9
2017	482	17.8	26.9	27
2018	485	17.7	27.2	30.1
2019	454	13.4	33.8	28.9
2020	444	n/a	n/a	33.6
2021	393	17.5	22.4	30
2022	377	17.7	21.2	30.5
2023	373	18.9	19.7	47.2
2024	381	17.6	21.5	47.5

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 Del Cerro Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	567	23.0	24.6	n/a
1989	612	21.0	29.1	n/a
1990	655	21.8	30.0	n/a
1991	670	28.9	23.1	n/a
1992	761	29.4	25.8	6.4
1993	474	20.0	23.7	5.9
1994	467	21.0	22.2	8.1
1995	517	22.0	23.5	6.8
1996	517	22.0	23.5	6.8
1997	563	29.0	19.4	4.4
1998	557	31.0	18.0	6.8
1999	572	30.0	19.1	5.1
2000	578	31.0	18.6	5.9
2001	595	29.0	20.5	6.4
2002	560	28.0	20.0	10.7
2003	560	28.0	20.0	10.7
2004	528	25.0	21.1	12.9
2005	537	25.0	21.5	13.2
2006	531	24.4	21.8	14.6
2007	494	22.4	22.1	9.9
2008	478	23.0	20.8	13
2009	474	20.3	23.2	11.4
2010	623	25.0	24.9	19.6
2011	599	n/a	n/a	21.2
2012	578	20.7	27.9	n/a
2013	560	20.7	27.0	28
2014	544	18.9	28.7	28.9
2015	514	18.0	28.5	25.1
2016	526	19.0	27.6	27.9
2017	482	17.8	26.9	27
2018	485	17.7	27.2	30.1
2019	454	13.4	33.8	28.9
2020	444	n/a	n/a	33.6
2021	393	17.5	22.4	30
2022	377	17.7	21.2	30.5
2023	373	18.9	19.7	47.2
2024	381	17.6	21.5	47.5

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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