Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

John Murdy Elementary

Q: Is John Murdy Elementary a good school?

John Murdy Elementary ranks 621 st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

621^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 89% of California elementary schools

Summary

John Murdy Elementary is a highly-regarded K-6 public school serving 689 students in the Garden Grove Unified School District, consistently earning top marks for academic excellence while supporting a diverse student community.

The school truly stands out for its exceptional ability to help all students succeed. Its test scores in English, math, and science are significantly higher than both the district and state averages. What's most impressive is how well it supports students who are learning English and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, ranking in the top 3% of all California schools in these areas. This strong performance is unique when compared to nearby schools like Leo Carrillo Elementary or Anderson Elementary, which serve similar student populations but have much lower proficiency rates.

Beyond test scores, John Murdy fosters an engaged and positive school environment. Student attendance is excellent, with chronic absenteeism rates less than half the district average, outperforming neighbors such as John Marshall Elementary and Susan B. Anthony Elementary. The school achieves these outstanding results efficiently, spending less per student than several comparable schools in the area. With a stable record of high performance for over a decade, John Murdy Elementary demonstrates a proven and effective approach to education.

689

Students ?

23.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,658

Per pupil spending ?

71.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

14851 Donegal Dr.
Garden Grove, CA 92844-3237

(714) 663-6405

District: Garden Grove Unified

Students who attend John Murdy Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sarah McGarvin Intermediate
High:	La Quinta High

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

79.5%

Hispanic:

12.9%

Two or more races:

5.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare John Murdy Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 86th 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

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Garden Grove Unified

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school70%

District avg53%

California avg41%

621^st of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 11%▲ up 9 pts since 2015

From top 20% (2015) to top 11% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 44Elementary Schools in the Garden Grove Unified

403^rd of 1,543Garden Grove 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	90.6	621 of 5857	89.4%	★★★★☆
2024	88.9	759 of 5869	87.1%	★★★★☆
2023	90.2	695 of 5859	88.1%	★★★★☆
2022	88.9	751 of 5883	87.2%	★★★★☆
2019	87.1	790 of 5789	86.4%	★★★★☆
2018	88.0	740 of 5662	86.9%	★★★★☆
2017	89.9	649 of 5692	88.6%	★★★★☆
2016	84.8	913 of 5614	83.7%	★★★★☆
2015	79.9	1112 of 5611	80.2%	★★★★☆
2013	84.6	782 of 5530	85.9%	★★★★☆
2012	75.8	1229 of 5390	77.2%	★★★★☆
2011	78.6	1077 of 5377	80.0%	★★★★☆
2010	80.1	1005 of 5314	81.1%	★★★★☆
2009	79.3	1036 of 5193	80.1%	★★★★☆
2008	77.8	1075 of 5113	79.0%	★★★★☆
2007	74.7	1182 of 5113	76.9%	★★★★☆
2006	66.7	1477 of 4818	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	66.9	1465 of 4822	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	63.0	1569 of 4809	67.4%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	55.4	686 of 1203	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.8	725 of 1205	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.9	734 of 1190	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.2	744 of 1154	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.0	710 of 1149	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.2	637 of 1071	40.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	94.6	67 of 3162	97.9%	★★★★★
2023	98.1	43 of 3245	98.7%	★★★★★
2022	96.6	89 of 3311	97.3%	★★★★★
2019	97.3	58 of 3275	98.2%	★★★★★
2018	92.8	133 of 3246	95.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	91.4	485 of 5597	91.3%	★★★★★
2024	88.5	687 of 5612	87.8%	★★★★☆
2023	89.2	681 of 5609	87.9%	★★★★☆
2022	87.8	740 of 5635	86.9%	★★★★☆
2019	85.9	769 of 5492	86.0%	★★★★☆
2018	90.2	563 of 5413	89.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	90.0	347 of 5107	93.2%	★★★★★
2024	84.8	556 of 5107	89.1%	★★★★☆
2023	86.4	493 of 5087	90.3%	★★★★★
2022	83.2	623 of 5084	87.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	96.0	143 of 5460	97.4%	★★★★★
2024	94.3	272 of 5517	95.1%	★★★★★
2023	97.2	102 of 5363	98.1%	★★★★★
2022	97.4	100 of 5264	98.1%	★★★★★
2019	95.3	132 of 5173	97.4%	★★★★★
2018	95.4	115 of 5084	97.7%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	87.1	743 of 5628	86.8%	★★★★☆
2024	85.9	824 of 5643	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	87.1	768 of 5638	86.4%	★★★★☆
2022	87.3	769 of 5663	86.4%	★★★★☆
2019	86.2	772 of 5510	86.0%	★★★★☆
2018	83.0	937 of 5431	82.7%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)98th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)97th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2025)93rd percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)91st percentile~ school

Male (2025)87th percentile-3 vs school

Asian (2025)43rd percentile-46 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy72%+23 vs state

Mathematics69%+32 vs state

Science65%+32 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate John Murdy Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate John Murdy Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near John Murdy 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)	% 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	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
John Murdy Elementary	Public	K-6	14851 Donegal Dr.	Garden Grove	92844	Orange County	Garden Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 663-6405	689	30	23.3	71.3%	17 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	89 (12.9%)	548 (79.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.1%)	90.6	621^st of 5857 public elementary schools	89.4%		88.9	759^th of 5869 public elementary schools	87.1%	138	64.7	64.7	57.1	70.6	85.7	74.5	71.8	67.0	70.6	65.9	73.5	69.5						$17,658	$1,607	$16,051
Leo Carrillo Elementary	Public	K-6	15270 Bushard St.	Westminster	92683	Orange County	Garden Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 663-6230	508	20	25.7	90.2%	42 (8.3%)	2 (0.4%)	304 (59.8%)	143 (28.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.1%)	37.9	3344^th of 5857 public elementary schools	42.9%		46.8	2750^th of 5869 public elementary schools	53.1%	594	22.8	22.8	38.0	31.9	38.0	42.5	37.8	36.6	34.8	26.6	38.8	34.1	89.9	97.5	97.5	96.2	96.2	$14,812	$1,631	$13,181
Merton E. Hill Elementary	Public	K-6	9681 11th St.	Garden Grove	92844	Orange County	Garden Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 663-6561	278	14	20.5	86.0%	9 (3.2%)	7 (2.5%)	82 (29.5%)	163 (58.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	14 (5.0%)	83.3	998^th of 5857 public elementary schools	83.0%		80.3	1141^st of 5869 public elementary schools	80.6%	143	38.2	38.2	65.2	58.1	80.7	68.4	68.3	69.6	60.6	52.9	73.7	64.1						$26,614	$3,748	$22,866
Susan B. Anthony Elementary	Public	K-6	15320 Pickford St.	Westminster	92683	Orange County	Garden Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 663-6104	332	14	23.6	73.2%	19 (5.7%)	2 (0.6%)	91 (27.4%)	202 (60.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.4%)	87.7	789^th of 5857 public elementary schools	86.5%		86.8	874^th of 5869 public elementary schools	85.1%	85	45.2	45.2	73.1	68.8	66.7	73.0	70.7	75.0	73.5	52.4	60.6	65.6						$17,310	$1,635	$15,675
Jessie Hayden Elementary	Public	K-5	14782 Eden St.	Midway City	92655	Orange County	Westminster	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 894-7261	514	23	22.3	80.2%	13 (2.5%)	3 (0.6%)	199 (38.7%)	287 (55.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.1%)	66.5	1767^th of 5857 public elementary schools	69.8%		67.7	1695^th of 5869 public elementary schools	71.1%	72	41.2	41.2	50.0	57.3	56.5		55.0	52.1	53.6	38.8		48.2	97.3	97.3	97.3			$21,867	$2,442	$19,425
Post Elementary	Public	K-6	14641 Ward St.	Westminster	92683	Orange County	Garden Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 663-6354	338	13	25.8	80.8%	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	112 (33.1%)	210 (62.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)	81.9	1079^th of 5857 public elementary schools	81.6%		84.7	960^th of 5869 public elementary schools	83.6%	119	36.4	36.4	56.5	57.1	59.1	73.4	62.6	67.4	69.4	59.1	70.3	67.0						$18,338	$1,688	$16,650
John Marshall Elementary	Public	K-6	15791 Bushard St.	Westminster	92683	Orange County	Garden Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 663-6528	323	15	21.5	80.8%	16 (5.0%)	2 (0.6%)	144 (44.6%)	153 (47.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	71.6	1527^th of 5857 public elementary schools	73.9%		74.3	1397^th of 5869 public elementary schools	76.2%	130	29.6	29.6	55.9	50.0	52.3	71.4	58.2	76.5	50.0	45.5	59.2	57.0						$26,888	$4,062	$22,826
A. G. Cook Elementary	Public	K-6	9802 Woodbury Ave.	Garden Grove	92844	Orange County	Garden Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 663-6251	345	16	22.1	64.6%	13 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (19.1%)	249 (72.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	15 (4.3%)	96.4	207^th of 5857 public elementary schools	96.5%		97.2	149^th of 5869 public elementary schools	97.5%	58	66.7	66.7	82.1	91.3	77.8	93.4	86.9	82.1	87.0	62.2	75.4	76.4						$19,126	$1,646	$17,480
Morningside Elementary	Public	K-6	10521 Morningside Dr.	Garden Grove	92843	Orange County	Garden Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 663-6328	416	17	24.4	76.0%	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	138 (33.2%)	254 (61.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	11 (2.6%)	80.6	1135^th of 5857 public elementary schools	80.6%		81.2	1103^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	81.2%	32	41.8	41.8	44.2	60.7	58.2	80.3	63.5	58.1	71.4	50.9	77.6	66.1						$16,936	$1,356	$15,580
Anderson Elementary	Public	K-6	8902 Hewitt Pl.	Garden Grove	92844	Orange County	Westminster	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 894-7201	445	20	21.7	80.4%	17 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	227 (51.0%)	185 (41.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	12 (2.7%)	24.6	4446^th of 5857 public elementary schools	24.1%		30.4	3896^th of 5869 public elementary schools	33.6%	550	15.9	15.9	16.1	21.9	26.7	41.4	27.0	34.5	24.3	15.9	32.9	26.8						$23,036	$2,579	$20,457

Frequently Asked Questions about John Murdy Elementary

What schools do graduates of John Murdy Elementary attend?

Students who attend John Murdy Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sarah McGarvin Intermediate
High : La Quinta High

What is the racial makeup of John Murdy Elementary?

Students at John Murdy Elementary are 80% Asian, 13% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% White.

What district is John Murdy Elementary in?

Garden Grove Unified

How many students attend John Murdy Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 689 students attended John Murdy Elementary.

Is John Murdy Elementary a good school?

John Murdy Elementary ranks 621^st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate John Murdy Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Garden Grove, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for John Murdy Elementary!

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.