Is Del Lago Elementary a good school?

Del Lago Elementary ranks 3213 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Del Lago Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 359 students attended Del Lago Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Del Lago Elementary?

Students at Del Lago Elementary are 43% Hispanic, 31% White, 13% Asian, 9% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Del Lago Elementary attend?

Students who attend Del Lago Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Los Alisos Intermediate High : Trabuco Hills High

Del Lago Elementary

Summary:

Del Lago Elementary is a public elementary school in Mission Viejo, California, serving 355 students in grades K-6 and part of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. While the district is ranked 376 out of 1,568 in California and has a 4-star rating, Del Lago Elementary has seen a concerning decline in its statewide ranking over the past decade, dropping from 996 out of 5,390 California elementary schools in 2011-2012 to 3,213 out of 5,862 in 2023-2024, with a current 2-star rating.

The school's performance has declined across various student subgroups, including female, male, Hispanic, and white students, as well as low-income students. However, the school's ranking for disabled students remains relatively strong, at 470 out of 2,227 California elementary schools in 2021-2022. Additionally, Del Lago Elementary has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 4.4% in 2018-2019 to 27.7% in 2022-2023, which may be contributing to the school's overall academic struggles. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are consistently below the Saddleback Valley Unified School District and the state of California averages.

When compared to neighboring schools within the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, such as La Madera Elementary, Rancho Canada Elementary, and Foothill Ranch Elementary, Del Lago Elementary consistently underperforms in terms of statewide ranking, academic proficiency, and chronic absenteeism rates. Furthermore, the nearby Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County, a public charter school, outperforms both Del Lago Elementary and the Saddleback Valley Unified School District in academic proficiency across all grade levels and subject areas.

Detail:

Public K-6

27181 Entidad St.
Mission Viejo, CA 92691-1029

(949) 855-1125

District: Saddleback Valley Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3213^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,254

Students who attend Del Lago Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Los Alisos Intermediate
High:	Trabuco Hills High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.0

Number of students: 359

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

43.2%

White:

31.2%

Asian:

12.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 51.8%

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Compare Del Lago Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Del Lago Elementary ranks worse than 54.8% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 21^st among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.3. (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 Lago Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (43.2%), White (31.2%), Asian (12.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 51.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Del Lago Elementary is 23, which is the 11^th best among 22 elementary schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Del Lago Elementary employs 15.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Del Lago Elementary is $5,254. 14 elementary schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Del Lago Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Del Lago Elementary 3213^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Del Lago 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.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Del Lago Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Del Lago Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	82.81	799^th	4809	83.4%
2005	79.30	955^th	4822	80.2%
2006	81.17	916^th	4818	81.0%
2007	83.47	825^th	5113	83.9%
2008	76.27	1129^th	5113	77.9%
2009	77.51	1111^th	5193	78.6%
2010	80.10	1006^th	5314	81.1%
2011	83.16	835^th	5377	84.5%
2012	80.64	996^th	5390	81.5%
2013	68.24	1665^th	5530	69.9%
2015	56.40	2103^rd	5611	62.5%
2016	56.95	2130^th	5614	62.1%
2017	53.41	2359^th	5692	58.6%
2018	52.20	2437^th	5662	57.0%
2019	59.39	2108^th	5789	63.6%
2022	67.34	1721^st	5883	70.7%
2023	51.87	2444^th	5874	58.4%
2024	39.30	3213^th	5862	45.2%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Del Lago Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	31.95	2254^th	3246	30.6%
2019	60.81	794^th	3275	75.8%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	46.07	2605^th	5084	48.8%
2019	54.69	2090^th	5173	59.6%
2022	53.50	2065^th	5264	60.8%
2023	33.81	3579^th	5374	33.4%
2024	31.00	3851^st	5511	30.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Del Lago Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.12	2426^th	5413	55.2%
2019	56.74	2131^st	5492	61.2%
2022	61.88	1860^th	5635	67.0%
2023	44.87	2711^th	5617	51.7%
2024	43.33	2830^th	5605	49.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Del Lago Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	46.81	853^rd	2128	59.9%
2019	64.21	622^nd	2585	75.9%
2022	66.97	470^th	2227	78.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Del Lago Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.81	2349^th	5431	56.7%
2019	60.40	1942^nd	5510	64.8%
2022	67.25	1627^th	5663	71.3%
2023	56.53	2105^th	5650	62.7%
2024	37.12	3265^th	5636	42.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Del Lago Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	45.85	2493^rd	4830	48.4%
2019	58.98	1754^th	4963	64.7%
2022	71.33	1090^th	5084	78.6%
2023	53.83	2013^th	5098	60.5%
2024	41.03	2900^th	5102	43.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Del Lago Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	27.99	2128^th	2737	22.3%
2019	43.98	1732^nd	2834	38.9%
2022	49.79	1465^th	2726	46.3%
2023	44.73	1578^th	2662	40.7%
2024	25.17	2088^th	2647	21.1%

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: 2)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, April 7, 2016

My daughter is in 2nd grade, she came from foothill elementary. My daughter is learning nothing and the teacher does not return any of my emails. I haved talked to her teacher several times to please keep me posted via email, nothing! I have emailed the principal who has not returned my email. I also paid for an after school math class which was in a different location, they did not help the students either. I feel Del Lago will hire just about anyone to teach and even when a parent reaches out the staff do not care. I was going to give it a 1 rating but Im sure it could always be worse. I am hoping to get my daughter out of this school with the district transfer lottery. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Del Lago Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	587	2	40	39	0	n/a	n/a	0	668
1989	623	4	47	40	0	n/a	n/a	0	714
1990	591	11	43	35	2	n/a	n/a	0	682
1991	559	14	49	47	1	n/a	n/a	0	670
1992	572	22	45	58	3	n/a	n/a	0	700
1993	537	13	56	59	4	n/a	n/a	0	669
1994	501	20	50	75	4	n/a	n/a	0	650
1995	451	18	62	85	6	n/a	n/a	0	622
1996	451	18	62	85	6	n/a	n/a	0	622
1997	450	19	65	95	3	n/a	n/a	0	632
1998	451	23	68	102	2	n/a	n/a	0	646
1999	443	13	71	98	3	n/a	n/a	0	628
2000	430	13	59	100	5	n/a	n/a	0	607
2001	411	16	57	85	2	n/a	n/a	0	571
2002	391	11	58	91	1	n/a	n/a	0	552
2003	391	11	58	91	1	n/a	n/a	0	552
2004	358	8	38	107	0	n/a	n/a	0	511
2005	344	6	35	124	2	n/a	n/a	0	511
2006	325	9	19	123	1	n/a	n/a	2	479
2007	309	8	22	115	1	n/a	n/a	3	458
2008	300	7	30	110	1	n/a	n/a	0	448
2009	307	10	40	132	1	4	15	0	509
2010	327	8	41	176	0	1	31	0	584
2011	348	6	40	186	0	0	38	0	618
2012	349	8	47	190	2	0	33	0	629
2013	362	7	44	191	1	0	48	0	653
2014	359	7	53	207	2	0	46	0	674
2015	340	7	55	219	1	0	37	0	659
2016	281	3	46	223	0	0	31	0	584
2017	243	7	50	197	0	0	36	0	533
2018	213	5	51	192	0	0	42	0	503
2019	175	4	55	171	1	0	38	0	444
2020	175	2	56	175	0	3	47	0	458
2021	134	6	47	138	0	0	41	0	366
2022	117	6	47	150	0	0	37	0	357
2023	126	8	46	144	0	2	29	0	355
2024	112	10	45	155	0	3	34	0	359

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 Lago Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	668	25.2	26.5	n/a
1989	714	26.4	27.0	n/a
1990	682	27.0	25.2	n/a
1991	670	28.4	23.5	n/a
1992	700	28.9	24.2	6.6
1993	669	27.0	24.8	8.5
1994	650	25.0	26.0	10
1995	622	25.0	24.9	11.3
1996	622	25.0	24.9	11.3
1997	632	29.5	21.4	13
1998	646	32.6	19.8	14.4
1999	628	32.6	19.3	13.2
2000	607	29.9	20.3	13.3
2001	571	30.0	19.0	11.7
2002	552	26.4	20.9	11.8
2003	552	26.4	20.9	11.8
2004	511	23.8	21.5	15.1
2005	511	24.4	20.9	19
2006	479	22.0	21.8	18.7
2007	458	21.4	21.4	17.8
2008	448	22.0	20.4	17.4
2009	509	22.3	21.8	17.7
2010	584	23.0	25.3	19.9
2011	618	n/a	n/a	19.9
2012	629	22.5	27.9	n/a
2013	653	25.2	25.9	28.5
2014	674	23.0	29.3	30.7
2015	659	23.0	28.6	27.2
2016	584	22.0	26.5	29.6
2017	533	20.0	26.6	26.1
2018	503	20.0	25.1	33
2019	444	15.4	28.6	35.4
2020	458	n/a	n/a	29.7
2021	366	14.0	26.1	27.3
2022	357	15.1	23.5	28.9
2023	355	15.8	22.4	44.2
2024	359	15.5	23.0	51.8

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 Lago Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	668	25.2	26.5	n/a
1989	714	26.4	27.0	n/a
1990	682	27.0	25.2	n/a
1991	670	28.4	23.5	n/a
1992	700	28.9	24.2	6.6
1993	669	27.0	24.8	8.5
1994	650	25.0	26.0	10
1995	622	25.0	24.9	11.3
1996	622	25.0	24.9	11.3
1997	632	29.5	21.4	13
1998	646	32.6	19.8	14.4
1999	628	32.6	19.3	13.2
2000	607	29.9	20.3	13.3
2001	571	30.0	19.0	11.7
2002	552	26.4	20.9	11.8
2003	552	26.4	20.9	11.8
2004	511	23.8	21.5	15.1
2005	511	24.4	20.9	19
2006	479	22.0	21.8	18.7
2007	458	21.4	21.4	17.8
2008	448	22.0	20.4	17.4
2009	509	22.3	21.8	17.7
2010	584	23.0	25.3	19.9
2011	618	n/a	n/a	19.9
2012	629	22.5	27.9	n/a
2013	653	25.2	25.9	28.5
2014	674	23.0	29.3	30.7
2015	659	23.0	28.6	27.2
2016	584	22.0	26.5	29.6
2017	533	20.0	26.6	26.1
2018	503	20.0	25.1	33
2019	444	15.4	28.6	35.4
2020	458	n/a	n/a	29.7
2021	366	14.0	26.1	27.3
2022	357	15.1	23.5	28.9
2023	355	15.8	22.4	44.2
2024	359	15.5	23.0	51.8

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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