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Live Oak Elementary

Q: Is Live Oak Elementary a good school?

Live Oak Elementary ranks 3527 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

3527^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of California elementary schools

Summary

Live Oak Elementary is a public elementary school in Santa Cruz, California, serving 362 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Live Oak Elementary School District, which is ranked 561 out of 1,565 districts in the state.

While Live Oak Elementary has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past few years, dropping from 1,587 out of 5,662 California elementary schools in 2017-2018 to 3,527 out of 5,857 in 2024-2025, its performance on standardized tests is generally below the state average, with proficiency rates ranging from around 25% to 50% across different grade levels and subject areas. Compared to nearby schools, such as Soquel Elementary and Gault Elementary, Live Oak Elementary's test scores are generally lower, with some exceptions.

The school faces several challenges, including high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 12.7% to 28.9% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, Live Oak Elementary has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 66.3% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024. While the school has a diverse student population, with Hispanic students making up a significant portion, the performance of different student subgroups varies, with male students and English Language Learners generally performing better than female students and Hispanic students.

362

Students ?

24.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

58.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1916 Capitola Rd.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062-3011

(831) 475-2000

District: Live Oak Elementary

Students who attend Live Oak Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

Shoreline Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

69.6%

White:

24.9%

Asian:

1.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Live Oak Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 72nd percentile in 2018 → 40th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (34% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 72nd-percentile peak (2018) to 40th (2025)

!Near the bottom of Live Oak Elementary's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg42%

California avg41%

3,527^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 22 pts since 2015

From top 38% (2015) to bottom 40% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Elementary Schools in the Live Oak Elementary

543^rd of 1,543Live Oak 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	35.7	3527 of 5857	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.3	2909 of 5869	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.9	1901 of 5859	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.4	2056 of 5883	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.0	1645 of 5789	71.6%	★★★★☆
2018	69.5	1587 of 5662	72.0%	★★★★☆
2017	67.0	1702 of 5692	70.1%	★★★★☆
2016	56.2	2169 of 5614	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	55.8	2139 of 5611	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	35.7	3624 of 5530	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	41.2	3196 of 5390	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	36.9	3472 of 5377	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	31.2	3760 of 5314	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	23.1	4203 of 5193	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	30.2	3568 of 5113	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	23.4	4042 of 5113	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	35.8	2954 of 4818	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2005	39.2	2773 of 4822	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2004	39.5	2663 of 4809	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	60.0	721 of 3162	77.2%	★★★★☆
2023	75.5	363 of 3245	88.8%	★★★★☆
2022	72.3	445 of 3311	86.6%	★★★★☆
2019	76.7	373 of 3275	88.6%	★★★★☆
2018	70.2	536 of 3246	83.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.5	4052 of 5597	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.7	3080 of 5612	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.3	2681 of 5609	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.3	2302 of 5635	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.1	1409 of 5492	74.3%	★★★★☆
2018	73.5	1348 of 5413	75.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	34.5	3414 of 5107	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.5	2380 of 5107	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.2	1023 of 5087	79.9%	★★★★☆
2022	62.8	1482 of 5084	70.8%	★★★★☆
2019	77.0	832 of 4963	83.2%	★★★★☆
2018	83.7	543 of 4830	88.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	34.5	3626 of 5460	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.2	2803 of 5517	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	70.4	1209 of 5363	77.5%	★★★★☆
2022	73.2	1025 of 5264	80.5%	★★★★☆
2019	84.0	544 of 5173	89.5%	★★★★☆
2018	85.9	454 of 5084	91.1%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.6	2845 of 5628	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.4	2555 of 5643	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.8	1379 of 5638	75.5%	★★★★☆
2022	63.9	1782 of 5663	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.7	1881 of 5510	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.0	1853 of 5431	65.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	46.1	1507 of 2598	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

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)77th percentile+27 vs school

Male (2025)49th percentile+10 vs school

White (2025)42nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)34th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)33rd percentile-7 vs school

Female (2025)28th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy39%-10 vs state

Mathematics30%-7 vs state

Science28%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Live Oak Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Live Oak Elementary	Public	K-5	1916 Capitola Rd.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 475-2000	362	15	24.1	58.6%	90 (24.9%)	5 (1.4%)	252 (69.6%)	7 (1.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	35.7	3527^th of 5857 public elementary schools	39.8%		44.3	2909^th of 5869 public elementary schools	50.4%	618	27.9		27.9	33.3	37.3	51.2				39.1	27.1	27.9	37.2				29.8	93.9	96.3		96.3	95.1
Tierra Pacifica Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	986 Bostwick Ln.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 462-9404	166	9	17.5	28.9%	105 (63.3%)	3 (1.8%)	40 (24.1%)	4 (2.4%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (7.2%)	58	2171^st of 5857 public elementary schools	62.9%		71	1551^st of 5869 public elementary schools	73.6%	620	35.3	54.6	42.9	52.9	62.5	17.7	53.3	75.0	54.6	52.2	76.5	50.0	5.9	53.3	62.5	72.7	52.2						$28,444	$28,444	$00
Ocean Alternative Education Center	Public	K-8	984 Bostwick Ln. Ste. 6	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 475-0767	76	4	21.5	47.4%	40 (52.6%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (31.6%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (14.5%)								(n/a)			60.0							50.0							38.6
Green Acres Elementary	Public	K-5	966 Bostwick Ln.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 475-0111	262	12	21.8	54.2%	104 (39.7%)	7 (2.7%)	128 (48.9%)	10 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.6%)	51.2	2538^th of 5857 public elementary schools	56.7%		56.4	2220^th of 5869 public elementary schools	62.2%	318	25.0		25.0	48.8	52.2	37.2				46.2	53.7	54.4	22.7				43.5	91.7	96.7	95.0		93.3
Del Mar Elementary	Public	K-5	1959 Merrill St.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 477-2063	322	14	23.0	62.4%	109 (33.9%)	7 (2.2%)	189 (58.7%)	7 (2.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	42.3	3048^th of 5857 public elementary schools	48.0%		51.3	2494^th of 5869 public elementary schools	57.5%	554	22.2		22.2	43.8	46.9	31.5				40.4	52.1	51.0	13.0				37.8	95.8	95.8			97.2
De Laveaga Elementary	Public	K-5	1145 Morrissey Blvd.	Santa Cruz	95065	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3807	481	20	23.5	27.7%	221 (45.9%)	6 (1.2%)	200 (41.6%)	19 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.1%)	66.6	1761^st of 5857 public elementary schools	69.9%		70.8	1559^th of 5869 public elementary schools	73.4%	202	42.0		42.0	50.0	56.0	62.5				55.9	51.7	50.7	39.5				47.4	96.6	96.6			96.6	$24,104	$23,622	$482
Gault Elementary	Public	K-5	1320 Seabright Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3856	314	14	22.4	48.1%	100 (31.8%)	2 (0.6%)	192 (61.1%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.1%)	50.3	2573^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	56.1%		46.5	2764^th of 5869 public elementary schools	52.9%	191	32.8		32.8	45.5	53.7	44.3				47.1	50.9	41.5	24.6				38.2	97.0					$29,954	$28,478	$1,476
Soquel Elementary	Public	K-5	2700 Porter St.	Soquel	95073	Santa Cruz County	Soquel Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 464-5655	337	15	22.0	40.1%	132 (39.2%)	6 (1.8%)	160 (47.5%)	14 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	22 (6.5%)	49.7	2611^th of 5857 public elementary schools	55.4%		56.5	2208^th of 5869 public elementary schools	62.4%	403	40.0		40.0	42.6	40.0	49.1				44.0	40.8	39.2	34.6				38.1	91.1	96.4	96.4		96.4	$19,611	$19,026	$585
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						$32,890	$32,316	$574
Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary	Public	K-5	8005 Winkle Ave.	Santa Cruz	95065	Santa Cruz County	Soquel Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 464-5670	214	9	24.3	30.4%	113 (52.8%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (38.3%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.5%)	53.2	2414^th of 5857 public elementary schools	58.8%		55.7	2251^st of 5869 public elementary schools	61.6%	163	43.8		43.8	37.5	57.1	54.8				49.5	37.5	46.4	25.0				35.9						$18,864	$18,084	$780

Frequently Asked Questions about Live Oak Elementary

Is Live Oak Elementary a good school?

Live Oak Elementary ranks 3527^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Live Oak Elementary attend?

Students who attend Live Oak Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Shoreline Middle

What is the racial makeup of Live Oak Elementary?

Students at Live Oak Elementary are 70% Hispanic, 25% White, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

How many students attend Live Oak Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 362 students attended Live Oak Elementary.

What district is Live Oak Elementary in?

Live Oak Elementary

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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.