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Bonny Doon Elementary

Q: Is Bonny Doon Elementary a good school?

Bonny Doon Elementary ranks 1582 nd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

1582^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 73% of California elementary schools

Summary

Bonny Doon Elementary is a small, rural K-6 school of about 92 students nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains, operating within the Bonny Doon Union Elementary district and known for its favorable student-teacher ratio.

Academically, the school performs solidly, with recent test scores in English, math, and science notably above state averages, and its science scores are a particular strength compared to many nearby schools like Gault Elementary and San Lorenzo Valley Elementary. However, its overall statewide ranking is in the middle of the pack for the area, performing higher than some schools but lower than others such as Happy Valley Elementary and Vine Hill Elementary. A significant challenge is chronic student absenteeism, with rates consistently and substantially higher than both the state average and all comparison schools, which is an important area for the school community to address.

The school's small size allows for more individual attention, supported by higher per-student spending than surrounding schools, though performance can vary by grade level. When compared, Bonny Doon Elementary is most similar in performance to schools like Pacific Elementary and Boulder Creek Elementary. Parents should note the school's ability to maintain above-average academic results despite high absenteeism, suggesting effective instruction, but also the clear need for improvement in ensuring students are consistently present to learn.

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,235

Per pupil spending ?

22.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1492 Pine Flat Rd.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060-9711

(831) 427-2300

District: Bonny Doon Union Elementary

Students who attend Bonny Doon Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Mission Hill Middle
High:	Santa Cruz High

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.7%

Hispanic:

14.1%

Two or more races:

10.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Bonny Doon Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 91st percentile in 2013 → 73rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (55% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Above the California median (73rd percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (29% vs 19% California)

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2013

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school55%

District avg55%

California avg41%

1,582^nd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 27%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From top 33% (2015) to top 27% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

337^th of 1,543Bonny Doon Union Elementary among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.5	1582 of 5857	73.0%	★★★★☆
2024	83.9	1001 of 5869	82.9%	★★★★☆
2023	62.6	1915 of 5859	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	81.5	1125 of 5883	80.9%	★★★★☆
2019	74.6	1399 of 5789	75.8%	★★★★☆
2018	71.8	1487 of 5662	73.7%	★★★★☆
2017	69.1	1612 of 5692	71.7%	★★★★☆
2016	86.2	840 of 5614	85.0%	★★★★☆
2015	62.0	1856 of 5611	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	89.3	510 of 5530	90.8%	★★★★★
2012	95.0	95 of 5390	98.2%	★★★★★
2011	81.3	927 of 5377	82.8%	★★★★☆
2010	81.2	945 of 5314	82.2%	★★★★☆
2009	79.3	1034 of 5193	80.1%	★★★★☆
2008	70.0	1407 of 5113	72.5%	★★★★☆
2007	77.7	1062 of 5113	79.2%	★★★★☆
2006	73.5	1191 of 4818	75.3%	★★★★☆
2005	78.9	977 of 4822	79.7%	★★★★☆
2004	69.0	1334 of 4809	72.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	74.4	1322 of 5492	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	76.5	1218 of 5413	77.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	54.7	2191 of 5638	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	78.3	1188 of 5663	79.0%	★★★★☆
2019	79.3	1118 of 5510	79.7%	★★★★☆
2018	63.2	1801 of 5431	66.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	53.9	1296 of 2598	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.6	1282 of 2651	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.8	1669 of 2661	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	61.8	1085 of 2726	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.6	1296 of 2834	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.7	1536 of 2737	43.9%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2019)76th percentile~ school

Male (2023)61st percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)50th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Science64%+31 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy57%+8 vs state

Mathematics52%+15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bonny Doon Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)					% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bonny Doon Elementary	Public	K-6	1492 Pine Flat Rd.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Bonny Doon Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 427-2300	92	6	15.3	22.8%	65 (70.7%)	3 (3.3%)	13 (14.1%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (10.9%)	70.5	1582^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	73.0%		83.9	1001^st of 5869 public elementary schools	82.9%	581	63.6	63.6	68.4	42.9	54.6		56.5	73.7	50.0	18.2		52.2							$27,235	$1,422	$25,813
San Lorenzo Valley Elementary	Public	K-5	7155 Highway 9	Felton	95018	Santa Cruz County	San Lorenzo Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 335-4475	537	24	22.0	27.4%	379 (70.6%)	0 (0.0%)	97 (18.1%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (10.4%)	67	1744^th of 5857 public elementary schools	70.2%		68.9	1644^th of 5869 public elementary schools	72.0%	100	49.4	49.4	49.3	45.7	53.9		49.6	54.7	45.7	58.4		52.7	96.2	96.2	97.2	96.2		98.1	$15,896	$1,388	$14,508
Pacific Elementary	Public	K-6	50 Ocean St.	Davenport	95017	Santa Cruz County	Pacific Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 425-7002	173	8	22.6	41.0%	100 (57.8%)	1 (0.6%)	41 (23.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (16.8%)	74.2	1418^th of 5857 public elementary schools	75.8%		81.8	1080^th of 5869 public elementary schools	81.6%	338	59.1	59.1	22.2	76.0	63.6	52.2	55.7	31.6	69.2	63.6	72.7	60.7	79.2	79.2	87.5	87.5	87.5	87.5	$14,521	$1,895	$12,626
Boulder Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	400 Lomond St.	Boulder Creek	95006	Santa Cruz County	San Lorenzo Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 338-6413	416	21	19.7	29.6%	274 (65.9%)	0 (0.0%)	92 (22.1%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (11.3%)	80.4	1145^th of 5857 public elementary schools	80.5%		68.8	1653^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	71.8%	508	69.0	69.0	56.1	62.0	62.0		59.8	61.0	57.8	54.9		58.0	95.7		96.8				$17,309	$1,870	$15,439
Brook Knoll Elementary	Public	K-5	151 Brook Knoll Dr.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Scotts Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 423-2454	498	22	22.4	13.9%	332 (66.7%)	3 (0.6%)	75 (15.1%)	31 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	50 (10.0%)	86.2	871^st of 5857 public elementary schools	85.1%		90.4	680^th of 5869 public elementary schools	88.4%	191	44.0	44.0	73.1	75.4	72.0		73.4	79.5	62.3	51.4		64.8							$14,904	$984	$13,920
Westlake Elementary	Public	K-5	1000 High St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3878	453	22	20.5	24.5%	277 (61.1%)	5 (1.1%)	101 (22.3%)	24 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	44 (9.7%)	86.7	836^th of 5857 public elementary schools	85.7%		89	752^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	87.2%	84	62.8	62.8	56.9	73.3	68.8		66.8	62.5	67.1	63.6		64.5	92.8					95.2	$22,072	$3,059	$19,013
Vine Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	151 Vine Hill School Rd.	Scotts Valley	95066	Santa Cruz County	Scotts Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 438-1090	549	22	24.9	11.3%	339 (61.7%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (18.0%)	38 (6.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	69 (12.6%)	88.2	762^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	87.0%		88.3	801^st of 5869 public elementary schools	86.4%	39	53.3	53.3	72.5	65.8	67.4		68.8	79.6	62.7	63.3		69.0	97.2		97.2				$14,298	$422	$13,876
Bay View Elementary	Public	K-5	1231 Bay St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3991	394	21	18.7	45.2%	162 (41.1%)	1 (0.3%)	198 (50.3%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.4%)	64.5	1860^th of 5857 public elementary schools	68.2%		43.4	2972^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	49.4%	1112	38.9	38.9	56.7	50.0	59.3		55.3	56.5	52.5	27.8		46.7	93.3		93.3				$20,624	$4,224	$16,400
Happy Valley Elementary	Public	K-6	3125 Branciforte Dr.	Santa Cruz	95065	Santa Cruz County	Happy Valley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-1456	106	6	16.5	7.5%	82 (77.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (7.5%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (13.2%)	95.1	323^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	94.5%		95.5	305^th of 5869 public elementary schools	94.8%	18	64.3	64.3	77.8	61.1	92.9	93.3	80.0	94.4	77.8	78.6	80.0	83.1							$16,983	$415	$16,568
Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-Monarch	Public	K-5	840 North Branciforte Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3898	114	5	22.8	27.2%	63 (55.3%)	1 (0.9%)	26 (22.8%)	3 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (18.4%)	77.2	1270^th of 5857 public elementary schools	78.3%		75.1	1365^th of 5869 public elementary schools	76.7%	95	71.4	71.4	57.9	68.0	76.2		67.7	36.8	60.0	42.9		47.7							$23,997	$2,508	$21,489

Frequently Asked Questions about Bonny Doon Elementary

What district is Bonny Doon Elementary in?

Bonny Doon Union Elementary

Is Bonny Doon Elementary a good school?

Bonny Doon Elementary ranks 1582^nd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Bonny Doon Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 92 students attended Bonny Doon Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Bonny Doon Elementary?

Students at Bonny Doon Elementary are 71% White, 14% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 3% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Bonny Doon Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bonny Doon Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mission Hill Middle
High : Santa Cruz High

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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.