Is Santa Rita Elementary a good school?

Santa Rita Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.7% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Santa Rita Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 587 students attended Santa Rita Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Santa Rita Elementary?

Students at Santa Rita Elementary are 99% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Santa Rita Elementary attend?

Students who attend Santa Rita Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Gavilan View Middle High : Everett Alvarez High

Santa Rita Elementary

Summary:

Santa Rita Elementary is a public elementary school located in Salinas, California, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 570 students. The school is part of the Santa Rita Union Elementary School District, which is ranked 1402 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating out of 5 from SchoolDigger.

Santa Rita Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 5% of California elementary schools, with a statewide ranking between 5107 and 5763 out of around 5,800 schools over the past decade. The school's performance on standardized tests is significantly below the state and district averages, with only 12.69% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 25.76% for the Santa Rita Union Elementary district and 47.04% for the state of California. In mathematics, the proficiency rate at Santa Rita Elementary was just 10%, compared to 15.27% for the district and 35.54% for the state. The school also has a high percentage of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with 83.33% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and a high proportion of English Language Learner (ELL) students.

Interestingly, the nearby schools within the same district, such as New Republic Elementary and McKinnon, generally perform better than Santa Rita Elementary on academic measures, with higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. When comparing Santa Rita Elementary to schools in the neighboring Salinas City Elementary School District, the performance gap is even more pronounced, with John E. Steinbeck Elementary having 30.32% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, more than double the rate at Santa Rita Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-5

2014 Santa Rita St.
Salinas, CA 93906-1912

(831) 443-7221

District: Santa Rita Union Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
5763^rd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,449

Students who attend Santa Rita Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Gavilan View Middle
High:	Everett Alvarez High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.5

Number of students: 587

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

99.1%

White:

0.7%

Two or more races:

0.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 89.3%

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Compare Santa Rita Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Santa Rita Elementary ranks worse than 98.3% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks last among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Santa Rita Union Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.02. (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 Santa Rita Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Santa Rita Union Elementary School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (99.1%), White (0.7%), two or more races (0.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 89.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Santa Rita Union Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Santa Rita Elementary is 22.5. 2 elementary schools in the Santa Rita Union Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Santa Rita Elementary employs 26 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Santa Rita Elementary is $5,449. 2 elementary schools in the Santa Rita Union Elementary School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Santa Rita Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Rita Elementary 5763^rd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Santa Rita Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Santa Rita Union Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Rita Union Elementary 1402^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Santa Rita Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Santa Rita Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	12.47	4520^th	4809	6.0%
2005	14.63	4361^st	4822	9.6%
2006	17.41	4172^nd	4818	13.4%
2007	13.31	4756^th	5113	7.0%
2008	11.72	4835^th	5113	5.4%
2009	12.44	4884^th	5193	6.0%
2010	24.33	4276^th	5314	19.5%
2011	22.72	4486^th	5377	16.6%
2012	12.48	5107^th	5390	5.3%
2013	10.86	5255^th	5530	5.0%
2015	11.14	5408^th	5611	3.6%
2016	9.02	5495^th	5614	2.1%
2017	10.56	5463^rd	5692	4.0%
2018	12.94	5266^th	5662	7.0%
2019	13.45	5357^th	5789	7.5%
2022	14.02	5443^rd	5883	7.5%
2023	9.15	5750^th	5874	2.1%
2024	8.02	5763^rd	5862	1.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Santa Rita Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.89	2066^th	3246	36.4%
2019	27.76	2640^th	3275	19.4%
2022	35.74	2142^nd	3311	35.3%
2023	24.06	2948^th	3250	9.3%
2024	23.40	2931^st	3160	7.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Santa Rita Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	17.20	4652^nd	5084	8.5%
2019	16.46	4762^nd	5173	7.9%
2022	19.75	4675^th	5264	11.2%
2023	11.24	5244^th	5374	2.4%
2024	10.20	5381^st	5511	2.4%

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

Rank History for Migrant students at Santa Rita Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	14.47	66^th	68	2.9%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Santa Rita Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	28.35	287^th	356	19.4%
2023	24.51	296^th	336	11.9%
2024	15.28	347^th	364	4.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Santa Rita Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	13.72	5009^th	5413	7.5%
2019	13.64	5112^th	5492	6.9%
2022	13.40	5329^th	5635	5.4%
2023	9.18	5530^th	5617	1.5%
2024	7.95	5549^th	5605	1.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Santa Rita Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	13.21	5076^th	5431	6.5%
2019	14.50	5090^th	5510	7.6%
2022	16.00	5122^nd	5663	9.6%
2023	10.92	5481^st	5650	3.0%
2024	9.39	5523^rd	5636	2.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Santa Rita Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	17.30	4411^th	4830	8.7%
2019	17.60	4527^th	4963	8.8%
2022	18.43	4614^th	5084	9.2%
2023	11.54	4973^rd	5098	2.5%
2024	10.16	4988^th	5102	2.2%

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 Santa Rita Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	386	15	20	205	0	n/a	n/a	0	626
1989	318	29	69	238	0	n/a	n/a	0	654
1990	289	33	75	285	2	n/a	n/a	0	684
1991	282	57	75	333	2	n/a	n/a	0	749
1992	301	49	58	374	11	n/a	n/a	0	793
1993	239	57	57	391	13	n/a	n/a	0	757
1994	211	45	58	439	0	n/a	n/a	0	753
1995	165	52	42	548	0	n/a	n/a	0	807
1996	165	52	42	548	0	n/a	n/a	0	807
1997	171	44	41	639	2	n/a	n/a	0	897
1998	194	54	42	620	3	n/a	n/a	0	913
1999	151	59	55	639	5	n/a	n/a	0	909
2000	167	31	46	655	2	n/a	n/a	32	933
2001	207	29	58	779	3	n/a	n/a	44	1120
2002	68	12	41	490	0	n/a	n/a	11	622
2003	68	12	41	490	0	n/a	n/a	11	622
2004	92	11	30	493	0	n/a	n/a	21	647
2005	82	13	20	429	0	n/a	n/a	13	557
2006	42	6	47	417	3	n/a	n/a	39	554
2007	42	21	22	422	1	n/a	n/a	2	510
2008	40	15	23	491	2	n/a	n/a	0	571
2009	39	15	15	455	4	2	0	0	530
2010	25	17	14	469	4	1	0	0	530
2011	50	8	11	421	4	1	0	0	495
2012	56	12	5	534	2	0	0	0	609
2013	43	6	2	570	2	0	1	0	624
2014	40	1	1	565	0	0	0	0	607
2015	32	0	2	624	0	0	0	0	658
2016	34	1	0	678	0	0	0	0	713
2017	19	1	0	630	0	1	5	0	656
2018	13	1	1	638	1	1	5	0	660
2019	11	4	2	653	0	1	1	0	672
2020	4	2	2	589	0	1	3	0	601
2021	4	2	1	531	0	3	1	0	542
2022	4	1	2	564	0	4	1	0	576
2023	6	1	1	561	0	0	1	0	570
2024	4	0	0	582	0	0	1	0	587

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 Santa Rita Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	626	27.5	22.7	n/a
1989	654	30.5	21.4	n/a
1990	684	28.8	23.7	n/a
1991	749	31.8	23.5	n/a
1992	793	32.3	24.5	53.7
1993	757	31.5	24.0	55.2
1994	753	30.0	25.1	57.8
1995	807	33.0	24.5	67.3
1996	807	33.0	24.5	67.3
1997	897	34.0	26.4	59.4
1998	913	39.0	23.4	62
1999	909	40.0	22.7	65.8
2000	933	41.8	22.3	62.4
2001	1120	53.2	21.1	57.3
2002	622	36.0	17.3	64.2
2003	622	36.0	17.3	64.2
2004	647	31.0	20.9	46.8
2005	557	27.0	20.6	61.9
2006	554	24.0	23.1	0
2007	510	24.0	21.3	76.8
2008	571	30.0	19.0	64.8
2009	530	27.0	17.0	92.5
2010	530	27.0	19.6	90.4
2011	495	n/a	n/a	86.7
2012	609	20.0	30.4	n/a
2013	624	21.0	29.7	82.2
2014	607	20.0	30.3	77.3
2015	658	23.0	28.6	83.4
2016	713	28.0	25.4	86.5
2017	656	25.0	26.2	81.9
2018	660	25.0	26.4	81.2
2019	672	17.0	39.5	76.9
2020	601	n/a	n/a	84.7
2021	542	22.5	24.0	85.2
2022	576	25.4	22.6	85.4
2023	570	23.2	24.5	83.3
2024	587	26.0	22.5	89.3

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 Santa Rita Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	626	27.5	22.7	n/a
1989	654	30.5	21.4	n/a
1990	684	28.8	23.7	n/a
1991	749	31.8	23.5	n/a
1992	793	32.3	24.5	53.7
1993	757	31.5	24.0	55.2
1994	753	30.0	25.1	57.8
1995	807	33.0	24.5	67.3
1996	807	33.0	24.5	67.3
1997	897	34.0	26.4	59.4
1998	913	39.0	23.4	62
1999	909	40.0	22.7	65.8
2000	933	41.8	22.3	62.4
2001	1120	53.2	21.1	57.3
2002	622	36.0	17.3	64.2
2003	622	36.0	17.3	64.2
2004	647	31.0	20.9	46.8
2005	557	27.0	20.6	61.9
2006	554	24.0	23.1	0
2007	510	24.0	21.3	76.8
2008	571	30.0	19.0	64.8
2009	530	27.0	17.0	92.5
2010	530	27.0	19.6	90.4
2011	495	n/a	n/a	86.7
2012	609	20.0	30.4	n/a
2013	624	21.0	29.7	82.2
2014	607	20.0	30.3	77.3
2015	658	23.0	28.6	83.4
2016	713	28.0	25.4	86.5
2017	656	25.0	26.2	81.9
2018	660	25.0	26.4	81.2
2019	672	17.0	39.5	76.9
2020	601	n/a	n/a	84.7
2021	542	22.5	24.0	85.2
2022	576	25.4	22.6	85.4
2023	570	23.2	24.5	83.3
2024	587	26.0	22.5	89.3

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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