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Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

Q: Is Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary a good school?

Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary ranks 1602 nd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1602^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 73% of California elementary schools

Summary

Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary is a K-5 public school serving 828 students in the Murrieta Valley Unified district, notable for its strong and improving academic performance while serving a community where many families face economic challenges.

The school is on a clear upward trend, recently earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the top third of all California elementary schools. What makes Buchanan stand out is its exceptional effectiveness with specific student groups, particularly English Language Learners, who rank in the 91st percentile statewide. Academically, students here outperform both state and district averages in English, Math, and Science, with math being a notable strength. This success is even more impressive when compared to a nearby school like Avaxat Elementary, which has a similar student population but significantly lower test scores, suggesting Buchanan's programs and teaching are making a real difference.

While the school excels in many areas, there is room for growth in supporting consistent performance across all grades and student groups. The school has also made excellent progress in improving student attendance since the pandemic. For families, Buchanan Elementary represents a compelling option that achieves strong results with mid-level resources, outperforming some neighboring schools like Temecula Elementary that spend more per student. Its consistent year-over-year improvement and targeted success with key populations make it a school that is clearly focused on student growth and achievement.

828

Students ?

23.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,644

Per pupil spending ?

62.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

40121 Torrey Pines Rd.
Murrieta, CA 92563-6384

(951) 696-1428

District: Murrieta Valley Unified

Students who attend Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Warm Springs Middle
High:	Vista Murrieta High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

44.0%

White:

26.7%

Two or more races:

12.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 75th percentile in 2013 → 73rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (52% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Above the California median (73rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Large classes — about 24 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school52%

District avg54%

California avg41%

1,602^nd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 27%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From top 24% (2015) to top 27% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 11Elementary Schools in the Murrieta Valley Unified

322^nd of 1,543Murrieta Valley Unified 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	69.9	1602 of 5857	72.6%	★★★★☆
2024	63.8	1891 of 5869	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.9	2096 of 5859	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.2	2287 of 5883	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.4	1493 of 5789	74.2%	★★★★☆
2018	77.0	1264 of 5662	77.7%	★★★★☆
2017	78.5	1187 of 5692	79.1%	★★★★☆
2016	69.5	1548 of 5614	72.4%	★★★★☆
2015	74.7	1322 of 5611	76.4%	★★★★☆
2013	74.0	1378 of 5530	75.1%	★★★★☆
2012	69.0	1582 of 5390	70.6%	★★★★☆
2011	76.0	1207 of 5377	77.6%	★★★★☆
2010	72.2	1355 of 5314	74.5%	★★★★☆
2009	61.4	1852 of 5193	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.3	1671 of 5113	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	66.2	1545 of 5113	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	69.3	1371 of 4818	71.5%	★★★★☆
2005	79.7	933 of 4822	80.7%	★★★★☆
2004	81.7	833 of 4809	82.7%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	59.5	620 of 1203	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.0	763 of 1149	33.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	54.9	704 of 2227	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.1	516 of 2585	80.0%	★★★★☆
2018	56.4	653 of 2128	69.3%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	75.5	300 of 3162	90.5%	★★★★★
2023	64.0	647 of 3245	80.1%	★★★★☆
2022	66.3	570 of 3311	82.8%	★★★★☆
2019	75.1	408 of 3275	87.5%	★★★★☆
2018	78.8	360 of 3246	88.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	66.7	1656 of 5597	70.4%	★★★★☆
2024	65.0	1710 of 5612	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.9	1860 of 5609	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.2	2053 of 5635	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.9	1501 of 5492	72.7%	★★★★☆
2018	77.9	1137 of 5413	79.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.3	1199 of 5107	76.5%	★★★★☆
2024	59.2	1721 of 5107	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.0	1769 of 5087	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.2	1567 of 5084	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.6	1035 of 4963	79.1%	★★★★☆
2018	82.9	567 of 4830	88.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	73.5	1073 of 5460	80.3%	★★★★☆
2024	62.9	1631 of 5517	70.4%	★★★★☆
2023	62.2	1614 of 5363	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.9	1630 of 5264	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.3	1328 of 5173	74.3%	★★★★☆
2018	74.5	949 of 5084	81.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.8	1481 of 5628	73.7%	★★★★☆
2024	60.8	1940 of 5643	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.0	2227 of 5638	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.2	2382 of 5663	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.6	1457 of 5510	73.6%	★★★★☆
2018	74.1	1319 of 5431	75.7%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	46.3	443 of 718	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.6	504 of 670	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.5	538 of 669	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.0	443 of 610	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.5	322 of 445	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.9	250 of 339	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	59.2	806 of 2847	71.7%	★★★★☆
2024	62.6	657 of 2635	75.1%	★★★★☆
2023	46.4	1010 of 2420	58.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	53.0	1322 of 2598	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.7	1304 of 2651	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.3	1877 of 2661	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.7	1882 of 2726	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.9	1217 of 2834	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.0	1075 of 2737	60.7%	★★★☆☆

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)91st percentile+23 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)80th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2025)77th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)74th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)72nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)70th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)68th percentile+7 vs school

White (2025)49th percentile-24 vs school

Asian (2025)48th percentile-24 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)38th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy58%+9 vs state

Mathematics50%+13 vs state

Science42%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Daniel N. Buchanan 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)	% MMR (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 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 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 All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary	Public	K-5	40121 Torrey Pines Rd.	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1428	828	35	23.7	62.3%	221 (26.7%)	45 (5.4%)	364 (44.0%)	88 (10.6%)	4 (0.5%)	6 (0.7%)	100 (12.1%)	69.9	1602^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	72.6%		63.8	1891^st of 5869 public elementary schools	67.8%	289	42.1	42.1	58.6	51.2	62.9			57.9	47.1	51.2	52.9			50.4	97.9						$24,644	$24,070	$574
Ysabel Barnett Elementary	Public	K-5	39925 Harveston Dr.	Temecula	92591	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 296-5579	753	32	23.5	36.1%	265 (35.2%)	21 (2.8%)	284 (37.7%)	100 (13.3%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	79 (10.5%)	81.6	1095^th of 5857 public elementary schools	81.3%		77.7	1261^st of 5869 public elementary schools	78.5%	166	51.9	51.9	56.9	64.6	62.8			61.4	64.6	68.5	52.7			61.9	94.7		96.8		96.8		$19,890	$19,012	$878
Alta Murrieta Elementary	Public	K-5	39475 Whitewood Rd.	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1403	849	35	24.2	60.5%	252 (29.7%)	37 (4.4%)	412 (48.5%)	76 (9.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	69 (8.1%)	81.5	1098^th of 5857 public elementary schools	81.3%		72.1	1493^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	74.6%	395	41.8	41.8	67.5	59.1	72.9			66.6	61.6	58.8	63.2			61.2	96.7				98.3		$22,421	$21,828	$593
Nicolas Valley Elementary	Public	K-5	39600 North General Kearney Rd	Temecula	92591	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 695-7180	691	30	23.0	45.4%	236 (34.2%)	26 (3.8%)	285 (41.2%)	51 (7.4%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	89 (12.9%)	63.9	1886^th of 5857 public elementary schools	67.8%		70.4	1578^th of 5869 public elementary schools	73.1%	308	32.0	32.0	58.0	53.9	54.1			55.4	52.1	51.0	41.8			48.1	96.8				96.8		$20,235	$18,784	$1,451
Temecula International Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	39600 N. General Kearny Rd.	Temecula	92591	Riverside County	Temecula International Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 816-5506	285	15	19.1	26.7%	82 (28.8%)	25 (8.8%)	96 (33.7%)	15 (5.3%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (22.5%)	72.7	1483^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	74.7%		67.8	1688^th of 5869 public elementary schools	71.2%	205	42.1	52.2	46.5	79.0	68.4	58.8	59.1	63.3	32.6	73.7	55.3	58.8	40.9	53.6
Monte Vista Elementary	Public	K-5	37420 Via Mira Mosa	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 894-5085	769	32	24.2	59.4%	222 (28.9%)	38 (4.9%)	343 (44.6%)	70 (9.1%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	90 (11.7%)	64.2	1881^st of 5857 public elementary schools	67.9%		63.9	1879^th of 5869 public elementary schools	68.0%	2	36.4	36.4	52.6	51.2	60.0			54.9	61.3	48.4	33.8			47.3	96.8	98.4			96.8		$25,387	$24,740	$647
Rail Ranch Elementary	Public	K-5	25030 Via Santee Rd.	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1404	603	23	25.6	63.5%	142 (23.5%)	37 (6.1%)	307 (50.9%)	35 (5.8%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	78 (12.9%)	59.3	2102^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	64.1%		49.7	2572^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	56.2%	470	42.5	42.5	45.8	41.8	62.3			50.3	44.9	44.7	40.7			43.3	95.8						$24,236	$23,366	$870
Temecula Elementary	Public	K-5	41951 Moraga Rd.	Temecula	92591	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 695-7130	522	22	23.7	72.6%	95 (18.2%)	29 (5.6%)	298 (57.1%)	51 (9.8%)	4 (0.8%)	5 (1.0%)	40 (7.7%)	43.2	2992^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	48.9%		41.1	3120^th of 5869 public elementary schools	46.8%	128	25.6	25.6	34.2	43.8	54.1			43.9	36.8	39.8	29.5			35.4	93.5	97.2	97.2	98.1	93.5	97.2	$23,395	$21,506	$1,889
Alamos Elementary	Public	K-5	38200 Pacific Park Dr.	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 294-6760	799	35	22.8	27.7%	273 (34.2%)	30 (3.8%)	289 (36.2%)	119 (14.9%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	83 (10.4%)	86.7	837^th of 5857 public elementary schools	85.7%		87.8	823^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	86.0%	14	48.4	48.4	74.2	70.3	69.7			71.4	69.4	66.7	54.9			63.8	97.9						$21,573	$20,660	$913
Rancho Elementary	Public	K-5	31530 La Serena Way	Temecula	92591	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 695-7150	484	20	24.2	32.0%	204 (42.1%)	11 (2.3%)	197 (40.7%)	33 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	37 (7.6%)	79.9	1159^th of 5857 public elementary schools	80.2%		71.5	1526^th of 5869 public elementary schools	74.0%	367	43.9	43.9	69.5	72.0	63.4			68.3	68.4	56.0	42.7			56.4							$17,991	$17,094	$897

Frequently Asked Questions about Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

How many students attend Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 828 students attended Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary attend?

Students who attend Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Warm Springs Middle
High : Vista Murrieta High

What district is Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary in?

Murrieta Valley Unified

Is Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary a good school?

Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary ranks 1602^nd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary?

Students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary are 44% Hispanic, 27% White, 12% Two or more races, 11% Asian, 5% African American.

Rate Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary!

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.