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Elementary Schools in Capistrano Unified


At a glance
DistrictCapistrano Unified193rd of 1,543 California districtsFull district overview →
36
Schools
17,286
Students
12
5-star schools
Top rankedCanyon Vista Elementary66th of 5,857 California elementary schools
Biggest riser
Richard Henry Dana Elementary up 860 spots statewide this year
Smallest classes
Richard Henry Dana Elementary 17.7 students per teacher
SchoolDigger ratings
5★
4★
3★
1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)
Summary:

This analysis covers 36 elementary schools serving grades K-5 or K-6 within the high-performing Capistrano Unified School District in southern Orange County, California, a district that ranks in the 87th percentile statewide.

Overall, the district excels, with most schools outperforming state averages in test scores and having lower chronic absenteeism. Standout high-achieving schools include Canyon Vista Elementary and Chaparral Elementary, both in the top 2% of California schools, while others like Esencia and Truman Benedict Elementary have shown impressive recent improvement in their statewide rankings.

However, significant disparities exist between schools within the district. Schools in areas like Ladera Ranch consistently rank in the top percentiles, while others, particularly in San Juan Capistrano such as Kinoshita Elementary, face greater challenges with much lower proficiency rates. Interestingly, higher per-student spending does not always correlate with better academic outcomes, and a common trend shows a dip in math scores in 5th grade across many schools.

Ranking:
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E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private




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.





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