Pioneer Valley High

Summary:

Pioneer Valley High is a public high school located in Santa Maria, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 3,220 students. The school is part of the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, which is ranked 849 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pioneer Valley High has consistently maintained high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 93.8% in 2018-2019 to 96.5% in 2022-2023, significantly higher than the graduation rates of other nearby schools in the district, such as Santa Maria High (89.5%) and Delta High (93.2%). The school also outperforms the district and state averages in several standardized test areas, with 51.06% of students proficient or better in Smarter Balanced Assessments/English Language Arts/Literacy for 11th grade, compared to 48.4% for the district and 55.73% for the state. Additionally, Pioneer Valley High's Hispanic students and English Language Learner students perform relatively well compared to their counterparts in the district and state.

While Pioneer Valley High has seen a decrease in chronic absenteeism from 20.8% in 2021-2022 to 16.3% in 2022-2023, this rate is still higher than the nearby schools in the district, such as Ernest Righetti High (24.9%) and Santa Maria High (18.5%). Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 74.41% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year, higher than the nearby schools in the Lucia Mar Unified School District, such as Arroyo Grande High (47.46%) and Nipomo High (68.13%).


Detail:

Public 9-12

 675 Panther Dr.
       Santa Maria, CA  93454-9700


(805) 922-1305

District: Santa Maria Joint Union High

SchoolDigger Rank:
913th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,105 Help


Feeder schools for Pioneer Valley High:

Elementary:    Bruce (Robert) Elementary
    Oakley (Calvin C.) Elementary
    Ontiveros (Juan Pacifico) Elementary
    Rice (William) Elementary
    More...
Middle:    Kunst (Tommie) Junior High

Student/teacher ratio:  24.3 Help
Number of students:  3,220

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
93.6%
Asian:
2.8%
White:
2.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  74.4% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Pioneer Valley High ranks better than 60.7% of high schools in California. It also ranks 2nd among 4 ranked high schools in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 48.01. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Pioneer Valley High freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high 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
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Compare Details Pioneer Valley High has the largest high school student body size in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (93.6%), Asian (2.8%), White (2.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 74.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pioneer Valley High is 24.3, which is the highest among 4 high schools in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District! (See more...)
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Compare Pioneer Valley High employs 132.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pioneer Valley High is $9,105, which is the lowest among 4 high schools in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pioneer Valley High:

SchoolDigger ranks Pioneer Valley High 913th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Pioneer Valley High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Migrant students:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Santa Maria Joint Union High:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Maria Joint Union High 849th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Pioneer Valley High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Pioneer Valley High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 72.13 218th 1901 88.5%
2006 73.71 220th 1968 88.8%
2007 39.60 888th 2063 57.0%
2008 39.92 914th 2117 56.8%
2009 44.36 902nd 2238 59.7%
2010 51.25 726th 2281 68.2%
2011 48.11 843rd 2367 64.4%
2012 46.46 873rd 2354 62.9%
2013 47.21 863rd 2426 64.4%
2015 51.87 942nd 1994 52.8%
2016 51.78 975th 2039 52.2%
2017 56.85 862nd 2021 57.3%
2018 55.26 901st 2017 55.3%
2019 52.33 920th 2133 56.9%
2022 39.21 1200th 2123 43.5%
2023 39.58 1153rd 2348 50.9%
2024 48.01 913th 2323 60.7%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Pioneer Valley High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 33.70 358th 515 30.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Pioneer Valley High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.20 368th 938 60.8%
2019 42.01 416th 941 55.8%
2022 43.60 433rd 1044 58.5%
2023 32.37 714th 1323 46.0%
2024 35.60 612th 1350 54.7%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Pioneer Valley High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 24.23 1190th 1547 23.1%
2024 29.87 976th 1534 36.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pioneer Valley High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.74 701st 1862 62.4%
2019 59.19 700th 1937 63.9%
2022 46.33 938th 1943 51.7%
2023 45.53 993rd 2247 55.8%
2024 54.01 760th 2235 66.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at Pioneer Valley High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 28.51 80th 100 20.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Pioneer Valley High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 45.80 146th 290 49.7%
2024 67.02 110th 451 75.6%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Pioneer Valley High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.07 824th 1760 53.2%
2019 48.76 878th 1833 52.1%
2022 35.84 1154th 1858 37.9%
2023 37.12 1168th 2118 44.9%
2024 49.71 832nd 2098 60.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Pioneer Valley High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.94 746th 1052 29.1%
2019 20.08 1023rd 1117 8.4%
2022 28.02 881st 1161 24.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Pioneer Valley High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.73 928th 1834 49.4%
2019 50.41 849th 1880 54.8%
2022 38.22 1098th 1916 42.7%
2023 39.58 1058th 2207 52.1%
2024 42.98 973rd 2172 55.2%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pioneer Valley High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.19 654th 1742 62.5%
2019 61.02 615th 1814 66.1%
2022 47.44 882nd 1861 52.6%
2023 46.22 953rd 2142 55.5%
2024 59.91 606th 2125 71.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Pioneer Valley High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.33 518th 1173 55.8%
2019 50.23 611th 1222 50.0%
2022 22.19 952nd 1204 20.9%
2023 46.83 649th 1434 54.7%
2024 14.15 1151st 1406 18.1%
See the entire list of Best California High 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.

Pioneer Valley High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Pioneer Valley High

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2005 218 15 84 990 3 n/a n/a 30 1340
2006 296 26 122 1543 5 n/a n/a 103 2095
2007 331 33 143 1859 7 n/a n/a 152 2525
2008 300 28 128 1906 6 n/a n/a 0 2368
2009 253 34 117 2029 9 9 246 0 2697
2010 235 25 107 2247 5 4 52 0 2675
2011 207 20 102 2242 4 2 48 0 2625
2012 177 17 110 2291 2 2 46 0 2645
2013 150 22 104 2300 0 1 41 0 2618
2014 139 25 101 2376 1 2 44 0 2688
2015 139 26 111 2429 2 3 31 0 2741
2016 119 24 116 2406 1 4 24 0 2694
2017 101 17 117 2449 4 5 24 0 2717
2018 90 17 112 2465 3 4 22 0 2713
2019 84 15 110 2536 5 4 22 0 2776
2020 90 14 98 2713 5 2 25 0 2947
2021 87 10 82 2828 5 2 19 0 3033
2022 79 9 84 2958 5 4 16 1 3156
2023 72 16 89 3015 6 2 18 2 3220

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 Pioneer Valley High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 1340 52.0 25.8 45.2
2006 2095 81.2 25.8 46.3
2007 2525 105.5 23.9 46.6
2008 2368 115.0 20.6 50.9
2009 2697 103.2 23.5 29.1
2010 2675 106.0 25.2 59.7
2011 2625 n/a n/a 64.6
2012 2645 100.5 26.2 n/a
2013 2618 99.8 26.2 67.4
2014 2688 102.7 26.1 79.5
2015 2741 110.0 24.9 66.5
2016 2694 112.0 24.0 73.6
2017 2717 107.4 25.2 72.9
2018 2713 109.2 24.8 73.5
2019 2776 112.3 24.7 75.8
2020 2947 n/a n/a 76.6
2021 3033 126.2 24.0 70
2022 3156 127.1 24.8 72
2023 3220 132.4 24.3 74.4

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 Pioneer Valley High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 1340 52.0 25.8 45.2
2006 2095 81.2 25.8 46.3
2007 2525 105.5 23.9 46.6
2008 2368 115.0 20.6 50.9
2009 2697 103.2 23.5 29.1
2010 2675 106.0 25.2 59.7
2011 2625 n/a n/a 64.6
2012 2645 100.5 26.2 n/a
2013 2618 99.8 26.2 67.4
2014 2688 102.7 26.1 79.5
2015 2741 110.0 24.9 66.5
2016 2694 112.0 24.0 73.6
2017 2717 107.4 25.2 72.9
2018 2713 109.2 24.8 73.5
2019 2776 112.3 24.7 75.8
2020 2947 n/a n/a 76.6
2021 3033 126.2 24.0 70
2022 3156 127.1 24.8 72
2023 3220 132.4 24.3 74.4

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.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pioneer Valley High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $9,105

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pioneer Valley High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 920th of 2133 High schoolsRanks 1153rd of 2348 High schools
 6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Pioneer Valley High)61.145.8
 15.4%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Maria Joint Union High)49.738
 11.7%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Pioneer Valley High)28.619.2
 9.5%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Santa Maria Joint Union High)22.314.5
 7.8%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
11th Grade Science (Pioneer Valley High)23.917.3
 6.6%
   11th Grade Science (Santa Maria Joint Union High)17.916.6
 1.3%
   11th Grade Science (California)30.431.7
 1.3%
12th Grade Science (Pioneer Valley High)15.76.7
 9.1%
   12th Grade Science (Santa Maria Joint Union High)135.6
 7.4%
   12th Grade Science (California)25.626.9
 1.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students27763220
 16%
African American1516
 6.7%
American Indian56
 20%
Asian11089
 19.1%
Hispanic25363015
 18.9%
Pacific Islander42
 50%
White8472
 14.3%
Two or More Races2218
 18.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients75.8%74.4%
 1.4%


Schools Near Pioneer Valley High









Frequently Asked Questions about Pioneer Valley High

In the 2022-23 school year, 3,220 students attended Pioneer Valley High.

Students at Pioneer Valley High are 94% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 2% White.

Pioneer Valley High ranks 913th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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