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Pajaro Valley Unified


At a glance
1253rdof 1,543 California districts▲ 2
Better than 18% of California districts
294 Green Valley Rd.
Watsonville, CA 95076-1300
·(831) 786-2100·All California district rankings →
Statewide performance 2016–2025
2025: better than 18.8% of districts
32
Schools
16,307
Students
Top rankedValencia Elementary1225th of 5,857 California elementary schools
▲
Biggest riser
Rio del Mar Elementary up 247 spots statewide this year
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Smallest classes
Renaissance High Continuation 7.2 students per teacher
SchoolDigger ratings
3★
2★
0★
1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)
Summary:

The Pajaro Valley Unified school district serves a diverse community across 33 schools, ranging from elementary to high school, with a notable concentration of students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Academic performance varies dramatically across the district, creating a clear geographic divide. Schools in the Aptos area, like Aptos High, Valencia Elementary, and Rio del Mar Elementary, consistently achieve the highest rankings and test scores. In contrast, many schools in Watsonville, particularly middle schools like E. A. Hall Middle and Rolling Hills Middle, rank in the bottom 5% of the state, with proficiency rates far below district and state averages.

While the district graduates students at a rate higher than the state average, overall academic proficiency in English, math, and science lags significantly behind California benchmarks. Chronic absenteeism is a major challenge district-wide. Standout models like the small Diamond Technology Institute show high performance despite high poverty rates, indicating that focused programs can succeed. For parents, understanding this stark performance gap between areas is crucial when evaluating school options within Pajaro Valley Unified.

Ranking:
Map legend
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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