Is Romero-Cruz Academy a good school?

Romero-Cruz Academy ranks in the bottom 1.1% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Romero-Cruz Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 894 students attended Romero-Cruz Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Romero-Cruz Academy?

Students at Romero-Cruz Academy are 97% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

Romero-Cruz Academy

Summary:

Romero-Cruz Academy is an elementary school located in Santa Ana, California, serving grades K-8 with a total enrollment of 932 students. The school is part of the Santa Ana Unified School District, which is ranked 1241 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Romero-Cruz Academy faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates that have risen from 5.9% in 2017-2018 to 30.9% in 2021-2022, well above the district average of 25.1%. Academically, the school consistently performs significantly below the district and state averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics, with only 10.1% of students proficient or better in ELA and 7.4% in Mathematics, compared to 30.96% and 21.03% for the district, respectively. The school's performance is particularly low for subgroups such as Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking in the bottom 5-10% of California elementary schools for these groups. Additionally, Romero-Cruz Academy has a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 91.01% in 2020-2021, significantly higher than the district average of 74.79%.

While the nearby Fremont Elementary, Abraham Lincoln Elementary, and Monte Vista Elementary schools in the Santa Ana Unified District generally perform better than Romero-Cruz Academy, they also face high percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 68.41% to 90.05%. In contrast, the nearby schools in the Garden Grove Unified District, such as Edward Russell Elementary, Clinton Elementary, and R.F. Hazard Elementary, generally outperform Romero-Cruz Academy and the other Santa Ana Unified schools, suggesting that the challenges faced by Romero-Cruz Academy may reflect broader systemic issues in the region.

Detail:

Public K-8

2701 West Fifth St.
Santa Ana, CA 92703-1821

(714) 480-2200

District: Santa Ana Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
5795^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,105

Student/teacher ratio: 18.8

Number of students: 894

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

97.2%

Asian:

1.2%

White:

0.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 83%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Romero-Cruz Academy to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Romero-Cruz Academy ranks worse than 98.9% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks last among 34 ranked elementary schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.23. (See more...)

Compare Details Romero-Cruz Academy ranks worse than 97.3% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.41. (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 (97.2%), Asian (1.2%), American Indian (0.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 83% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Romero-Cruz Academy is 18.8, which is the 6^th best among 34 elementary schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Romero-Cruz Academy employs 47.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Romero-Cruz Academy is $7,105. 26 elementary schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Romero-Cruz Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Romero-Cruz Academy 5795^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Romero-Cruz Academy 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:

SchoolDigger ranks Romero-Cruz Academy 2702^nd of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Romero-Cruz Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Santa Ana Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Ana Unified 1241^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Romero-Cruz Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	12.76	4499^th	4809	6.4%
2005	17.07	4167^th	4822	13.6%
2006	10.57	4603^rd	4818	4.5%
2007	15.65	4599^th	5113	10.1%
2008	10.58	4900^th	5113	4.2%
2009	31.75	3572^nd	5193	31.2%
2010	36.63	3379^th	5314	36.4%
2011	41.32	3148^th	5377	41.5%
2012	32.55	3767^th	5390	30.1%
2013	28.90	4140^th	5530	25.1%
2015	19.93	4640^th	5611	17.3%
2016	15.37	5014^th	5614	10.7%
2017	22.10	4505^th	5692	20.9%
2018	23.83	4339^th	5662	23.4%
2019	22.41	4593^rd	5789	20.7%
2021	8.27	1401^st	1417	1.1%
2022	6.06	5865^th	5883	0.3%
2023	9.78	5717^th	5874	2.7%
2024	7.23	5795^th	5862	1.1%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.72	2609^th	3246	19.6%
2019	25.39	2838^th	3275	13.3%
2021	26.85	535^th	602	11.1%
2022	24.75	2960^th	3311	10.6%
2023	19.64	3164^th	3250	2.6%
2024	23.66	2914^th	3160	7.8%

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

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	30.95	3698^th	5084	27.3%
2019	31.24	3773^rd	5173	27.1%
2021	9.76	1098^th	1110	1.1%
2022	6.34	5248^th	5264	0.3%
2023	9.98	5275^th	5374	1.8%
2024	7.47	5469^th	5511	0.8%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	28.13	3904^th	5413	27.9%
2019	28.12	3977^th	5492	27.6%
2021	9.40	1251^st	1267	1.3%
2022	6.70	5625^th	5635	0.2%
2023	10.08	5504^th	5617	2.0%
2024	8.03	5545^th	5605	1.1%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	21.33	4443^rd	5431	18.2%
2019	17.80	4836^th	5510	12.2%
2022	6.85	5640^th	5663	0.4%
2023	11.09	5458^th	5650	3.4%
2024	7.65	5578^th	5636	1.0%

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

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	32.80	3363^rd	4830	30.4%
2019	31.65	3579^th	4963	27.9%
2022	6.03	5079^th	5084	0.1%
2023	10.71	4994^th	5098	2.0%
2024	8.06	5054^th	5102	0.9%

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

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Romero-Cruz Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2021	8.43	872^nd	894	2.5%
2022	8.79	2669^th	2740	2.6%
2023	10.30	2699^th	2802	3.7%
2024	8.41	2702^nd	2777	2.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2021	24.12	359^th	363	1.1%
2022	27.84	1337^th	1540	13.2%
2023	26.35	1434^th	1529	6.2%
2024	28.78	1294^th	1477	12.4%

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

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	21.55	1408^th	1538	8.5%
2024	22.21	1380^th	1550	11.0%

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

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2021	11.90	697^th	721	3.3%
2022	11.19	2369^th	2458	3.6%
2023	11.82	2435^th	2549	4.5%
2024	9.31	2505^th	2575	2.7%

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

Rank History for middle school Homeless students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	16.43	318^th	336	5.4%
2023	18.73	293^rd	321	8.7%
2024	18.70	364^th	394	7.6%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2021	8.29	730^th	738	1.1%
2022	9.45	2447^th	2509	2.5%
2023	10.81	2458^th	2547	3.5%
2024	8.57	2501^st	2546	1.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	20.90	346^th	354	2.3%
2022	20.42	1437^th	1531	6.1%

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

Rank History for middle school Military Connected students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	13.40	179^th	197	9.1%
2024	5.59	190^th	191	0.5%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2021	9.35	748^th	763	2.0%
2022	9.04	2477^th	2527	2.0%
2023	10.54	2464^th	2558	3.7%
2024	8.64	2500^th	2547	1.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Romero-Cruz Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	9.61	2311^th	2359	2.0%
2023	11.73	2286^th	2391	4.4%
2024	9.03	2328^th	2383	2.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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 Romero-Cruz Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1999	0	0	6	499	0	n/a	n/a	0	505
2000	0	0	3	425	0	n/a	n/a	3	431
2001	0	2	4	435	0	n/a	n/a	3	444
2002	0	0	0	449	0	n/a	n/a	0	449
2003	0	0	0	449	0	n/a	n/a	0	449
2004	0	0	3	460	0	n/a	n/a	0	463
2005	0	0	3	473	0	n/a	n/a	0	476
2006	0	0	2	446	0	n/a	n/a	0	448
2007	0	0	1	420	0	n/a	n/a	0	421
2008	n/a	n/a	4	426	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	430
2009	0	0	2	354	0	2	0	0	358
2010	0	0	3	278	0	2	0	0	283
2011	0	1	0	278	0	1	0	0	280
2012	1	1	0	267	0	0	0	0	269
2013	0	0	0	256	0	0	0	0	256
2014	0	0	1	255	0	0	1	0	257
2015	0	0	2	254	0	0	0	0	256
2016	0	0	1	282	0	0	0	0	283
2017	1	0	0	288	0	0	0	0	289
2018	2	1	2	204	2	0	1	0	212
2019	2	1	1	191	0	1	0	0	196
2020	12	6	17	966	4	4	0	0	1009
2021	8	7	15	864	2	4	1	0	901
2022	8	6	14	922	3	1	4	0	958
2023	8	5	7	903	5	2	2	0	932
2024	4	4	11	869	4	1	1	0	894

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 Romero-Cruz Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	505	19.0	26.6	94.9
2000	431	18.0	23.9	92.1
2001	444	20.0	22.2	90.7
2002	449	20.0	22.5	88.6
2003	449	20.0	22.5	88.6
2004	463	20.0	23.2	92.4
2005	476	21.2	22.5	91.8
2006	448	20.2	22.2	90.8
2007	421	18.0	23.4	94.3
2008	430	20.0	21.5	88.1
2009	358	15.0	22.4	97.8
2010	283	11.0	25.7	97.5
2011	280	n/a	n/a	97.1
2012	269	9.0	29.8	98.9
2013	256	9.0	28.4	90.2
2014	257	9.0	28.5	98.1
2015	256	10.0	25.6	95.7
2016	283	10.0	28.3	98.2
2017	289	10.0	28.9	97.6
2018	212	8.0	26.5	90.6
2019	196	9.0	21.7	86.2
2020	1009	n/a	n/a	88.8
2021	901	43.0	20.9	91
2022	958	47.3	20.2	61.2
2023	932	48.4	19.2	74.8
2024	894	47.5	18.8	83

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 Romero-Cruz Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	505	19.0	26.6	94.9
2000	431	18.0	23.9	92.1
2001	444	20.0	22.2	90.7
2002	449	20.0	22.5	88.6
2003	449	20.0	22.5	88.6
2004	463	20.0	23.2	92.4
2005	476	21.2	22.5	91.8
2006	448	20.2	22.2	90.8
2007	421	18.0	23.4	94.3
2008	430	20.0	21.5	88.1
2009	358	15.0	22.4	97.8
2010	283	11.0	25.7	97.5
2011	280	n/a	n/a	97.1
2012	269	9.0	29.8	98.9
2013	256	9.0	28.4	90.2
2014	257	9.0	28.5	98.1
2015	256	10.0	25.6	95.7
2016	283	10.0	28.3	98.2
2017	289	10.0	28.9	97.6
2018	212	8.0	26.5	90.6
2019	196	9.0	21.7	86.2
2020	1009	n/a	n/a	88.8
2021	901	43.0	20.9	91
2022	958	47.3	20.2	61.2
2023	932	48.4	19.2	74.8
2024	894	47.5	18.8	83

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates