Best Elementary Schools in Fallbrook, CA

Fallbrook has seven elementary schools: five serve kindergarten through grade 6, while Vallecitos Elementary and Fallbrook Virtual Academy serve kindergarten through grade 8. The schools’ average 2025–26 results were 58% in ELA and 49% in math, above state results of 49% and 38%; the science average was essentially level with the state, at 36%. Results vary considerably among schools, and La Paloma Elementary is the clearest all-around academic standout among the non-virtual schools.

La Paloma led the six non-virtual schools in every subject, with 73% in ELA, 66% in math, and 51% in science—24, 27, and 15 points above state results. Fallbrook Virtual Academy had the highest reported ELA score, 79%, and nearly matched La Paloma in math at 64%; its science score was suppressed. At the other end, Vallecitos had the lowest reported scores in all three subjects: 47% in ELA, 32% in math, and 26% in science, each below the state. Its results were 3 points below the next-lowest school in ELA, 8 points below in math, and 5 points below in science.

Results generally improved from 2024–25 to 2025–26: the average school gained 2 points in ELA and 6 in math, compared with state gains of less than 1 point and about 1 point. Fallbrook STEM Academy had a particularly large math increase of 14 points, while science improvement across schools lagged the state. SchoolDigger ranks La Paloma at the 87th percentile, up from the 75th, and Vallecitos at the 34th, down from the 51st. For 2024–25, free/reduced lunch eligible figures ranged from 69% at Live Oak Elementary to 90% at STEM; these figures provide context, not an explanation of results. The Virtual Academy enrolls 12 students, and its science score and grade-specific test scores are suppressed; its results should be considered alongside its small enrollment and different grade span.