Is Gault Elementary a good school?

Gault Elementary ranks 2759 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Gault Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 291 students attended Gault Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Gault Elementary?

Students at Gault Elementary are 64% Hispanic, 30% White, 5% Two or more races.

Gault Elementary

Summary:

Gault Elementary is a public elementary school located in Santa Cruz, California, serving 310 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Santa Cruz City Elementary District, which is ranked 446 out of 1,568 districts in the state.

Gault Elementary faces several challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, lower-than-average test scores, and significant performance gaps between student subgroups. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts/Literacy (45.71%) and Mathematics (29.66%) are lower than the district (57.52% and 45.37%) and state (47.04% and 35.54%) averages. Additionally, while White students perform relatively well, Hispanic students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds perform significantly worse. Gault Elementary also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 63.04% to 63.57%, which is significantly higher than nearby schools like Bay View Elementary (45.24%) and Westlake Elementary (20.76%).

The declining performance of Gault Elementary, as evidenced by its statewide ranking dropping from 4,547 out of 5,530 California elementary schools in 2012-2013 to 2,759 out of 5,862 in 2023-2024, is concerning and warrants further investigation. By closely examining the school's data, identifying the underlying factors, and learning from the successes of nearby higher-performing schools in the Live Oak Elementary District, Gault Elementary can develop and implement strategies to address these issues and improve educational outcomes for all its students.

Detail:

Public K-5

1320 Seabright Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062-2525

(831) 429-3856

District: Santa Cruz City Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
2759^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,612

Student/teacher ratio: 22.3

Number of students: 291

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

63.6%

White:

30.2%

Two or more races:

4.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 59.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Gault Elementary ranks better than 52.9% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 4^th among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Santa Cruz City Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.49. (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 (63.6%), White (30.2%), two or more races (4.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 59.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Santa Cruz City Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Gault Elementary is 22.3, which is the 2^nd best among 5 elementary schools in the Santa Cruz City Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Gault Elementary employs 13 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Gault Elementary is $10,612, which is the 2^nd highest among 5 elementary schools in the Santa Cruz City Elementary School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Gault Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Gault Elementary 2759^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Gault Elementary 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:

White students:

Santa Cruz City Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Cruz City Elementary 446^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Gault Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Gault Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	40.66	2610^th	4809	45.7%
2005	43.59	2503^rd	4822	48.1%
2006	38.60	2785^th	4818	42.2%
2007	42.42	2765^th	5113	45.9%
2008	26.78	3841^st	5113	24.9%
2009	29.34	3757^th	5193	27.7%
2010	38.51	3272^nd	5314	38.4%
2011	31.18	3902^nd	5377	27.4%
2012	34.44	3633^rd	5390	32.6%
2013	22.75	4547^th	5530	17.8%
2015	33.00	3470^th	5611	38.2%
2016	30.46	3736^th	5614	33.5%
2017	24.19	4326^th	5692	24.0%
2018	13.86	5195^th	5662	8.2%
2019	25.52	4307^th	5789	25.6%
2022	49.48	2552^nd	5883	56.6%
2023	47.25	2680^th	5874	54.4%
2024	46.49	2759^th	5862	52.9%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Gault Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	21.49	2959^th	3246	8.8%
2019	38.43	1886^th	3275	42.4%
2022	47.39	1342^nd	3311	59.5%
2023	50.55	1172^nd	3250	63.9%
2024	44.96	1480^th	3160	53.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Gault Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	52.96	828^th	2420	65.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Gault Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	6.46	5042^nd	5084	0.8%
2019	19.37	4607^th	5173	10.9%
2022	47.46	2435^th	5264	53.7%
2023	34.94	3489^th	5374	35.1%
2024	31.85	3790^th	5511	31.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Gault Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	12.45	5104^th	5413	5.7%
2019	20.19	4611^th	5492	16.0%
2022	52.04	2318^th	5635	58.9%
2023	50.44	2387^th	5617	57.5%
2024	48.27	2497^th	5605	55.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Gault Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	20.55	1948^th	2128	8.5%
2019	38.14	1377^th	2585	46.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Gault Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	17.39	4794^th	5431	11.7%
2019	32.69	3566^th	5510	35.3%
2022	45.90	2664^th	5663	53.0%
2023	43.94	2804^th	5650	50.4%
2024	44.03	2816^th	5636	50.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Gault Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	6.10	4802^nd	4830	0.6%
2019	13.95	4710^th	4963	5.1%
2022	42.38	2720^th	5084	46.5%
2023	42.96	2685^th	5098	47.3%
2024	32.70	3523^rd	5102	30.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Gault Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	23.61	2245^th	2737	18.0%
2019	42.45	1778^th	2834	37.3%
2023	77.75	515^th	2662	80.7%
2024	68.17	868^th	2647	67.2%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Gault Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	362	14	11	21	1	n/a	n/a	0	409
1989	379	14	13	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	429
1990	379	22	6	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	426
1991	363	16	13	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	421
1992	338	16	14	34	1	n/a	n/a	0	403
1993	339	19	18	31	2	n/a	n/a	0	409
1994	349	18	19	30	3	n/a	n/a	0	419
1995	335	25	16	48	2	n/a	n/a	0	426
1996	335	25	16	48	2	n/a	n/a	0	426
1997	323	21	14	61	4	n/a	n/a	0	423
1998	294	22	15	65	2	n/a	n/a	0	398
1999	270	23	16	67	2	n/a	n/a	0	378
2000	274	21	16	84	1	n/a	n/a	0	396
2001	229	23	16	104	2	n/a	n/a	10	384
2002	214	13	12	130	0	n/a	n/a	22	391
2003	214	13	12	130	0	n/a	n/a	22	391
2004	156	22	16	128	1	n/a	n/a	23	346
2005	140	14	11	276	2	n/a	n/a	9	452
2006	117	7	8	253	1	n/a	n/a	16	402
2007	112	5	4	246	1	n/a	n/a	21	389
2008	100	4	7	249	1	n/a	n/a	0	361
2009	113	2	4	254	0	0	10	0	383
2010	120	3	4	262	0	0	6	0	395
2011	119	5	5	282	1	0	5	0	417
2012	122	7	7	299	1	0	6	0	442
2013	126	6	5	291	1	0	9	0	438
2014	118	4	3	273	0	0	12	0	410
2015	112	4	3	285	0	0	11	0	415
2016	123	6	4	269	0	0	12	0	414
2017	116	7	3	251	0	0	12	0	389
2018	113	8	1	238	0	0	15	0	375
2019	106	4	0	219	0	0	13	0	342
2020	95	2	0	228	0	2	9	0	336
2021	82	3	1	199	0	1	5	0	291
2022	75	5	3	206	0	1	13	0	303
2023	80	2	3	210	0	1	14	0	310
2024	88	1	2	185	0	1	14	0	291

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 Gault Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	409	15.6	26.2	n/a
1989	429	17.4	24.6	n/a
1990	426	18.3	23.2	n/a
1991	421	18.3	23.0	n/a
1992	403	18.6	21.6	30.3
1993	409	16.4	24.9	24.2
1994	419	17.5	23.9	24.8
1995	426	15.9	26.8	31.7
1996	426	15.9	26.8	31.7
1997	423	19.0	22.3	34.5
1998	398	18.5	21.5	38.2
1999	378	18.8	20.1	28.3
2000	396	19.4	20.4	34.1
2001	384	20.0	19.2	37.2
2002	391	19.0	20.6	41.2
2003	391	19.0	20.6	41.2
2004	346	17.6	19.7	41.8
2005	452	24.0	18.8	60
2006	402	22.6	17.8	71
2007	389	24.5	15.9	78.8
2008	361	30.0	12.0	74.5
2009	383	25.2	13.6	73.9
2010	395	23.2	17.0	79.2
2011	417	n/a	n/a	79.6
2012	442	21.2	20.8	n/a
2013	438	20.5	21.3	75.8
2014	410	21.2	19.3	69
2015	415	20.0	20.7	74.7
2016	414	20.0	20.7	71
2017	389	18.2	21.3	33.7
2018	375	16.4	22.8	70.4
2019	342	15.0	22.8	69.3
2020	336	n/a	n/a	65.5
2021	291	11.9	24.4	63.6
2022	303	14.0	21.6	63
2023	310	14.0	22.1	63.5
2024	291	13.0	22.3	59.8

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 Gault Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	409	15.6	26.2	n/a
1989	429	17.4	24.6	n/a
1990	426	18.3	23.2	n/a
1991	421	18.3	23.0	n/a
1992	403	18.6	21.6	30.3
1993	409	16.4	24.9	24.2
1994	419	17.5	23.9	24.8
1995	426	15.9	26.8	31.7
1996	426	15.9	26.8	31.7
1997	423	19.0	22.3	34.5
1998	398	18.5	21.5	38.2
1999	378	18.8	20.1	28.3
2000	396	19.4	20.4	34.1
2001	384	20.0	19.2	37.2
2002	391	19.0	20.6	41.2
2003	391	19.0	20.6	41.2
2004	346	17.6	19.7	41.8
2005	452	24.0	18.8	60
2006	402	22.6	17.8	71
2007	389	24.5	15.9	78.8
2008	361	30.0	12.0	74.5
2009	383	25.2	13.6	73.9
2010	395	23.2	17.0	79.2
2011	417	n/a	n/a	79.6
2012	442	21.2	20.8	n/a
2013	438	20.5	21.3	75.8
2014	410	21.2	19.3	69
2015	415	20.0	20.7	74.7
2016	414	20.0	20.7	71
2017	389	18.2	21.3	33.7
2018	375	16.4	22.8	70.4
2019	342	15.0	22.8	69.3
2020	336	n/a	n/a	65.5
2021	291	11.9	24.4	63.6
2022	303	14.0	21.6	63
2023	310	14.0	22.1	63.5
2024	291	13.0	22.3	59.8

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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