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Virginia Peterson Elementary

Q: Is Virginia Peterson Elementary a good school?

Virginia Peterson Elementary ranks 3068 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

3068^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 48% of California elementary schools

Summary

Virginia Peterson Elementary is a K-6 public school serving 461 students in the Paso Robles Joint Unified district, a mid-performing school within a district that faces academic challenges overall.

The school shows a clear strength in science, where nearly half of its students score proficient, outperforming both the district and state averages. However, performance in English Language Arts and math is more mixed, with a notable concern in 6th-grade math proficiency. The school serves a high-need population, with over 70% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and it performs similarly to other district schools with comparable demographics, like Georgia Brown Dual Immersion Magnet Elementary and Pat Butler Elementary. It does outperform other high-need schools in the district, such as Glen Speck Elementary and Winifred Pifer Elementary, but lags behind the district's top performer, Kermit King Elementary.

Compared to schools in neighboring districts like Atascadero Unified and Templeton Unified, Virginia Peterson generally ranks lower. The school has shown positive improvement in its statewide ranking over the past several years, though it continues to face challenges with chronic absenteeism, which remains higher than state and district averages.

461

Students ?

22.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,962

Per pupil spending ?

70.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2501 Beechwood Dr.
Paso Robles, CA 93446-4730

(805) 769-1250

District: Paso Robles Joint Unified

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

63.3%

White:

25.8%

Two or more races:

6.3%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 44th percentile in 2013 → 48th in 2025

Worth a look

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

!English Language Arts/Literacy scores 10 pts below the California average

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg36%

California avg41%

3,068^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 48%▲ up 11 pts since 2015

From bottom 36% (2015) to bottom 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Paso Robles Joint Unified

940^th of 1,543Paso Robles Joint 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	41.9	3068 of 5857	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.3	3832 of 5869	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.6	3022 of 5859	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.8	3724 of 5883	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.0	3616 of 5789	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.3	4048 of 5662	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	36.9	3319 of 5692	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	34.1	3466 of 5614	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	31.7	3571 of 5611	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.0	3077 of 5530	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	58.3	2137 of 5390	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.2	1516 of 5377	71.8%	★★★★☆
2010	63.9	1790 of 5314	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	63.1	1766 of 5193	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	63.8	1698 of 5113	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	49.7	2349 of 5113	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	38.1	2824 of 4818	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	57.3	1863 of 4822	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2004	52.2	2049 of 4809	57.4%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	39.6	1094 of 2227	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.1	1380 of 2585	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.6	1729 of 2128	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	49.4	1207 of 3162	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	26.6	2776 of 3245	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	52.7	1067 of 3311	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.7	2224 of 3275	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.9	2730 of 3246	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.8	2535 of 5597	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	31.9	3651 of 5612	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.9	2896 of 5609	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.2	2929 of 5635	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.8	3691 of 5492	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.3	3813 of 5413	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	41.4	2923 of 5107	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.8	3596 of 5107	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	49.2	2276 of 5087	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.8	3455 of 5084	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.9	3486 of 4963	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.1	3680 of 4830	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.7	3123 of 5460	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.1	3522 of 5517	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.4	2072 of 5363	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.2	2754 of 5264	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.0	3435 of 5173	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.6	3948 of 5084	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	35.6	3421 of 5628	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.5	3705 of 5643	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.0	2994 of 5638	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.2	4031 of 5663	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.5	3225 of 5510	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.0	3939 of 5431	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	23.6	105 of 130	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	38.0	1546 of 2847	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.1	1883 of 2635	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	58.9	677 of 2420	72.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.0	1453 of 2598	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.8	1904 of 2651	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.4	1975 of 2661	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.9	1989 of 2726	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.5	1986 of 2834	29.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.6	2189 of 2737	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)62nd percentile+27 vs school

Female (2025)55th percentile+7 vs school

Disabled (2022)51st percentile+14 vs school

Special Education (2025)46th percentile~ school

White (2025)44th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)43rd percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)43rd percentile-5 vs school

Male (2025)39th percentile-8 vs school

Military Connected (2022)19th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Science47%+15 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy39%-10 vs state

Mathematics32%-6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Virginia Peterson 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 8th 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 8th 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 8th 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
Virginia Peterson Elementary	Public	K-6	2501 Beechwood Dr.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Paso Robles Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 769-1250	461	20	22.5	70.3%	119 (25.8%)	11 (2.4%)	292 (63.3%)	8 (1.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.3%)	41.9	3068^th of 5857 public elementary schools	47.6%		31.3	3832^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	34.7%	764	47.3		47.3	35.7	27.6	52.8	39.3			38.6	36.8	33.9	40.7	17.5			31.8	92.4	96.2	94.9	97.5	96.2	94.9	$24,962	$23,436	$1,526
Almond Acres Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1145 Niblick Rd.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Almond Acres Charter Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 221-8550	478	18	26.5	47.1%	255 (53.3%)	2 (0.4%)	174 (36.4%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (8.8%)	23.1	4586^th of 5857 public elementary schools	21.7%		30.2	3914^th of 5869 public elementary schools	33.3%	672	18.4	30.6	24.5	17.4	25.0	30.6	35.0	39.0	36.7	31.3	30.4	27.3	16.3	25.0	28.8	22.5	25.1	84.4	91.1			86.7		$33,116	$32,614	$502
Pat Butler Elementary	Public	K-6	700 Nicklaus St.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Paso Robles Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 769-1750	472	17	27.7	60.4%	179 (37.9%)	7 (1.5%)	243 (51.5%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.8%)	42.5	3041^st of 5857 public elementary schools	48.1%		52.7	2413^th of 5869 public elementary schools	58.9%	628	38.0		38.0	29.7	24.6	49.4	50.0			38.6	37.8	22.6	37.2	35.0			33.6	92.5	93.8		96.3	93.8	93.8	$16,487	$15,092	$1,395
Winifred Pifer Elementary	Public	K-6	1350 Creston Rd.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Paso Robles Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 769-1300	492	20	24.9	81.7%	123 (25.0%)	1 (0.2%)	333 (67.7%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.1%)	28.7	4082^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	30.3%		31.8	3798^th of 5869 public elementary schools	35.3%	284	21.7		21.7	39.0	33.3	30.5	37.5			35.4	30.9	31.8	21.7	13.9			24.9	92.5	97.2	98.1	95.3	97.2	96.2	$21,519	$19,748	$1,771
Georgia Brown Dual Immersion Magnet Elementary	Public	K-6	900 Creston Rd.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Paso Robles Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 769-1200	682	25	27.3	69.4%	122 (17.9%)	6 (0.9%)	516 (75.7%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.5%)	42.9	3016^th of 5857 public elementary schools	48.5%		34.4	3566^th of 5869 public elementary schools	39.2%	550	44.6		44.6	30.7	45.2	59.3	26.5			39.4	29.4	45.2	39.8	18.0			32.5	97.1			97.1			$16,906	$15,584	$1,322
Glen Speck Elementary	Public	K-6	401 17th St.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Paso Robles Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 769-1350	454	17	27.4	83.5%	101 (22.2%)	4 (0.9%)	307 (67.6%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (8.1%)	29.4	4004^th of 5857 public elementary schools	31.6%		29.3	3991^st of 5869 public elementary schools	32.0%	13	21.8		21.8	13.8	33.9	37.3	63.2			36.9	17.2	21.0	24.1	23.7			21.5							$28,971	$26,658	$2,313
Paso Robles Independent Study Center	Public	K-8	2405 Spring St.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Paso Robles Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 769-1675	37	2	18.1	45.9%	12 (32.4%)	1 (2.7%)	22 (59.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.4%)								(n/a)		0.0	0.0					35.3	25.0	30.8					11.8	8.3	10.0							$15,834	$14,628	$1,206
Kermit King Elementary	Public	K-6	700 Schoolhouse Cir.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Paso Robles Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 769-1700	507	19	26.8	55.8%	281 (55.4%)	0 (0.0%)	173 (34.1%)	9 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (8.3%)	67.4	1718^th of 5857 public elementary schools	70.7%		76.5	1311^th of 5869 public elementary schools	77.7%	407	53.3		53.3	50.8	39.3	65.5	70.1			55.7	46.0	36.9	51.7	56.6			47.4	96.4				96.4		$15,584	$14,130	$1,454
Templeton Elementary	Public	K-2	215 Eighth St.	Templeton	93465	San Luis Obispo County	Templeton Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 434-5820	422	20	21.1	19.4%	207 (49.1%)	2 (0.5%)	80 (19.0%)	6 (1.4%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	123 (29.1%)								(n/a)																		95.5	96.8		96.8	96.2	98.1	$19,451	$18,534	$917
Templeton Home	Public	K-8	964 Old County Rd.	Templeton	93465	San Luis Obispo County	Templeton Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 434-5833	54	3	18.0	25.9%	24 (44.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (27.8%)	4 (7.4%)	1 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (18.5%)								(n/a)		14.3	22.2						28.6	44.7						7.1	31.6							$14,107	$13,184	$923

Frequently Asked Questions about Virginia Peterson Elementary

What schools do graduates of Virginia Peterson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Virginia Peterson Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Paso Robles High

What is the racial makeup of Virginia Peterson Elementary?

Students at Virginia Peterson Elementary are 63% Hispanic, 26% White, 6% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Virginia Peterson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 461 students attended Virginia Peterson Elementary.

What district is Virginia Peterson Elementary in?

Paso Robles Joint Unified

Is Virginia Peterson Elementary a good school?

Virginia Peterson Elementary ranks 3068^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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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.