Santa Ana Unified


Summary:

The Santa Ana Unified district serves a high-need community through 51 schools, including 34 elementary, 6 middle, 10 high, and 1 alternative school, with over 90% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

While the district faces academic challenges overall, it contains standout schools that prove high achievement is possible. Middle College High is a top-tier state performer with a 100% graduation rate, and comprehensive high schools like Segerstrom High and Hector G. Godinez also excel. At the elementary level, John Muir Fundamental Elementary leads, and schools with "Fundamental" in their name consistently show lower absenteeism and stronger results.

However, the district has a stark performance gap. Schools like Cesar E. Chavez High, Lorin Griset Academy, and Romero-Cruz Academy face severe challenges with very low test scores and alarmingly high chronic absenteeism, which is a critical indicator of school struggle. Notably, higher per-student spending does not guarantee better performance, as effective use of resources and strong school culture, as seen in the successful schools, appear to be more important factors.

District Detail

 1601 East Chestnut Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92701-6322

 (714) 558-5501

SchoolDigger Rank:
1254th of 1543 California districts

See the 2025 California District rankings!
Grades served: K-12
Students: 35,993

Primary Schools: 34
Middle Schools: 6
High Schools: 10
Alternative Schools: 1
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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.





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