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Don Juan Avila Elementary

Q: Is Don Juan Avila Elementary a good school?

Don Juan Avila Elementary ranks 633 rd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

633^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 89% of California elementary schools

Summary

Don Juan Avila Elementary is a highly-regarded K-5 public school serving 672 students in Aliso Viejo, part of the strong Capistrano Unified school district.

This school consistently delivers excellent academic results, outperforming both district and state averages in all core subjects, with math being a particular area of strength. What truly sets Don Juan Avila apart is its effective support for all students, achieving remarkably low chronic absenteeism and strong outcomes while operating with lower per-student spending than many neighboring schools like Wood Canyon Elementary and Canyon Vista Elementary. Its performance is a testament to efficient resource use and effective teaching strategies.

While maintaining high test scores, the school's statewide ranking has seen slight fluctuations due to increasing competition. Opportunities for growth include strengthening science instruction and 5th-grade math scores, a pattern also seen in nearby schools. Compared to peers, Don Juan Avila represents a high-performing middle ground, offering a robust educational experience within a diverse community.

672

Students ?

26.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,416

Per pupil spending ?

26.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

26278 Wood Canyon Dr.
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656-8060

(949) 349-9452

District: Capistrano Unified

Students who attend Don Juan Avila Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Don Juan Avila Middle
High:	Aliso Niguel High

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.6%

Asian:

20.1%

Two or more races:

17.0%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Don Juan Avila Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 84th percentile in 2013 → 89th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (70% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 11% of California elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2013

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 27 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school70%

District avg65%

California avg41%

633^rd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 11%▲ up 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

15^th of 35Elementary Schools in the Capistrano Unified

193^rd of 1,543Capistrano Unified 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	90.4	633 of 5857	89.2%	★★★★☆
2024	91.5	603 of 5869	89.7%	★★★★☆
2023	94.0	426 of 5859	92.7%	★★★★★
2022	92.9	523 of 5883	91.1%	★★★★★
2019	89.5	670 of 5789	88.4%	★★★★☆
2018	89.4	667 of 5662	88.2%	★★★★☆
2017	90.1	634 of 5692	88.9%	★★★★☆
2016	88.0	737 of 5614	86.9%	★★★★☆
2015	88.4	701 of 5611	87.5%	★★★★☆
2013	83.2	869 of 5530	84.3%	★★★★☆
2012	82.6	876 of 5390	83.7%	★★★★☆
2011	84.8	741 of 5377	86.2%	★★★★☆
2010	76.6	1154 of 5314	78.3%	★★★★☆
2009	82.0	888 of 5193	82.9%	★★★★☆
2008	79.7	987 of 5113	80.7%	★★★★☆
2007	86.8	679 of 5113	86.7%	★★★★☆
2006	88.7	556 of 4818	88.5%	★★★★☆
2005	71.3	1283 of 4822	73.4%	★★★★☆
2004	79.4	921 of 4809	80.8%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	61.0	597 of 1203	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.3	439 of 1205	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.9	405 of 1190	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.3	319 of 1154	72.4%	★★★★☆
2019	57.4	604 of 1149	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	67.8	409 of 1071	61.8%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	72.5	392 of 2227	82.4%	★★★★☆
2019	96.1	74 of 2585	97.1%	★★★★★
2018	72.2	379 of 2128	82.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	91.2	510 of 5597	90.9%	★★★★★
2024	90.8	569 of 5612	89.9%	★★★★☆
2023	93.9	377 of 5609	93.3%	★★★★★
2022	90.8	594 of 5635	89.5%	★★★★☆
2019	88.8	621 of 5492	88.7%	★★★★☆
2018	88.5	644 of 5413	88.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	90.8	315 of 5107	93.8%	★★★★★
2024	77.7	828 of 5107	83.8%	★★★★☆
2023	89.0	397 of 5087	92.2%	★★★★★
2022	94.2	216 of 5084	95.8%	★★★★★
2019	84.5	533 of 4963	89.3%	★★★★☆
2018	80.6	665 of 4830	86.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	92.2	279 of 5460	94.9%	★★★★★
2024	85.0	630 of 5517	88.6%	★★★★☆
2023	91.7	323 of 5363	94.0%	★★★★★
2022	87.6	445 of 5264	91.5%	★★★★★
2019	90.2	294 of 5173	94.3%	★★★★★
2018	75.1	911 of 5084	82.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	87.3	732 of 5628	87.0%	★★★★☆
2024	89.5	642 of 5643	88.6%	★★★★☆
2023	92.2	485 of 5638	91.4%	★★★★★
2022	93.3	426 of 5663	92.5%	★★★★★
2019	87.3	719 of 5510	87.0%	★★★★☆
2018	87.9	687 of 5431	87.4%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	65.2	46 of 153	69.9%	★★★★☆
2023	83.7	17 of 140	87.9%	★★★★☆
2022	57.9	49 of 130	62.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.2	277 of 718	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.9	307 of 670	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.4	367 of 610	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.4	283 of 445	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.0	165 of 339	51.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	82.5	302 of 2635	88.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	67.0	881 of 2598	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.5	477 of 2651	82.0%	★★★★☆
2023	82.3	331 of 2661	87.6%	★★★★☆
2022	76.1	588 of 2726	78.4%	★★★★☆
2019	73.5	686 of 2834	75.8%	★★★★☆
2018	70.4	813 of 2737	70.3%	★★★★☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)95th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)94th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)91st percentile~ school

Special Education (2024)89th percentile~ school

Male (2025)87th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)82nd percentile-9 vs school

Military Connected (2025)70th percentile-19 vs school

White (2025)66th percentile-23 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)61st percentile-28 vs school

Asian (2025)50th percentile-39 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics72%+35 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy71%+22 vs state

Science58%+25 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, July 23, 2016

Been very happy with this school. Excellent teachers, staff, and PTA. Great students and families. The students get many extras due to a very active PTA and community support. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, September 17, 2009

Fantastic School--We've been here for 6 years. Love the teachers and families!! Close Quote

Schools Near Don Juan Avila 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 8th 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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th 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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th 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
Don Juan Avila Elementary	Public	K-5	26278 Wood Canyon Dr.	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 349-9452	672	25	26.8	26.2%	313 (46.6%)	1 (0.1%)	104 (15.5%)	135 (20.1%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	114 (17.0%)	90.4	633^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	89.2%		91.5	603^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	89.7%	30	57.8		57.8	63.6	80.5	69.4				71.3	77.9	80.5	57.4				72.2							$17,416	$1,233	$16,183
Oak Grove Elementary	Public	K-5	22705 Sanborn	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 360-9001	569	24	23.7	32.2%	281 (49.4%)	1 (0.2%)	102 (17.9%)	83 (14.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (17.4%)	89	714^th of 5857 public elementary schools	87.8%		89.4	727^th of 5869 public elementary schools	87.6%	13	51.2		51.2	72.8	72.6	63.4				69.0	79.0	75.5	66.7				72.9							$17,949	$1,264	$16,685
Journey	Public, Charter	K-8	27102 Foxborough	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Journey District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 448-7232	617	25	24.6	35.2%	310 (50.2%)	6 (1.0%)	131 (21.2%)	49 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	120 (19.4%)	50.1	2586^th of 5857 public elementary schools	55.8%		62.6	1951^st of 5869 public elementary schools	66.8%	635	39.3	62.3	50.5	36.9	57.4	42.9	60.7	87.8	75.5	58.8	30.8	37.7	17.9	46.4	61.2	49.1	39.7	82.4	90.2	90.2	91.2	87.3	90.2	$11,890	$199	$11,691
Canyon Vista Elementary	Public	K-5	27800 Oak View Dr.	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5941	533	22	24.2	19.7%	291 (54.6%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (12.2%)	87 (16.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	90 (16.9%)	98.1	66^th of 5857 public elementary schools	98.9%		94.4	392^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	93.3%	326	77.8		77.8	87.2	88.1	90.3				88.5	85.9	89.3	73.6				83.3	96.1			97.4		97.4	$18,394	$1,346	$17,048
Wood Canyon Elementary	Public	K-5	23431 Knollwood	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 448-0012	425	19	22.3	56.0%	158 (37.2%)	3 (0.7%)	165 (38.8%)	35 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	63 (14.8%)	70.8	1565^th of 5857 public elementary schools	73.3%		62.4	1962^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	66.6%	397	39.4		39.4	65.3	50.7	64.8				60.4	53.3	45.1	53.5				50.7	96.7	97.5	97.5	96.7	97.5	97.5	$19,898	$1,761	$18,137
Laguna Niguel Elementary	Public	K-5	27922 Niguel Heights Blvd.	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5308	456	20	22.8	32.9%	244 (53.5%)	2 (0.4%)	95 (20.8%)	53 (11.6%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	56 (12.3%)	93.4	446^th of 5857 public elementary schools	92.4%		95.2	330^th of 5869 public elementary schools	94.4%	116	59.7		59.7	78.7	77.6	72.6				76.4	85.7	77.2	61.3				75.0	94.3	96.2		94.3	94.3		$19,222	$1,437	$17,785
Lomarena Elementary	Public	K-6	25100 Earhart Rd.	Laguna Hills	92653	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 581-1370	487	22	22.3	69.0%	114 (23.4%)	3 (0.6%)	286 (58.7%)	39 (8.0%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.2%)	38 (7.8%)	55.6	2265^th of 5857 public elementary schools	61.3%		62.6	1953^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	66.7%	312	32.5		32.5	42.4	54.4	50.0	47.8			48.8	48.5	49.3	36.4	35.2			42.2							$18,554	$1,638	$16,916
San Joaquin Elementary	Public	K-6	22182 Barbera	Laguna Hills	92653	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 581-3450	221	12	18.7	79.2%	32 (14.5%)	1 (0.5%)	152 (68.8%)	22 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	13 (5.9%)	51.8	2509^th of 5857 public elementary schools	57.2%		59.8	2074^th of 5869 public elementary schools	64.7%	435	28.9		28.9	25.9	64.0	31.1	63.4			45.7	40.7	64.0	17.8	58.5			42.8	90.0	90.0	90.0	90.0	90.0	90.0	$19,938	$1,730	$18,208
Top of the World Elementary	Public	K-5	21601 Tree Top Ln.	Laguna Beach	92651	Orange County	Laguna Beach Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 497-7790	536	27	19.8	16.4%	373 (69.6%)	3 (0.6%)	67 (12.5%)	33 (6.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.8%)	96.4	200^th of 5857 public elementary schools	96.6%		96.8	185^th of 5869 public elementary schools	96.8%	15	72.0		72.0	78.3	80.0	81.7				79.9	82.1	80.0	79.6				80.6	96.3						$31,906	$961	$30,945
Valencia Elementary	Public	K-6	25661 Paseo de Valencia	Laguna Hills	92653	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 830-3650	525	19	27.1	24.2%	293 (55.8%)	6 (1.1%)	89 (17.0%)	61 (11.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (14.5%)	88.3	758^th of 5857 public elementary schools	87.1%		90.9	640^th of 5869 public elementary schools	89.1%	118	53.3		53.3	74.3	72.3	67.8	86.5			74.9	79.7	63.6	46.7	72.0			64.6	95.8			97.2	97.2	97.2	$18,026	$1,363	$16,663

Frequently Asked Questions about Don Juan Avila Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Don Juan Avila Elementary?

Students at Don Juan Avila Elementary are 47% White, 20% Asian, 17% Two or more races, 15% Hispanic.

Is Don Juan Avila Elementary a good school?

Don Juan Avila Elementary ranks 633^rd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Don Juan Avila Elementary attend?

Students who attend Don Juan Avila Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Don Juan Avila Middle
High : Aliso Niguel High

How many students attend Don Juan Avila Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 672 students attended Don Juan Avila Elementary.

What district is Don Juan Avila Elementary in?

Capistrano Unified

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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.