Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Monte Bella Elementary

Q: Is Monte Bella Elementary a good school?

Monte Bella Elementary ranks 3390 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

3390^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 42% of California elementary schools

Summary

Monte Bella Elementary is a K-6 public school serving 812 students in Salinas, part of the Alisal Union School District, and stands out for its strong and steady academic improvement over the past decade.

When compared to other schools in the area, Monte Bella consistently performs at the top of its district, ranking first or second in English, math, and science proficiency among its nine closest peers. It shows a remarkable upward trend in statewide rankings, improving from the 16th to the 42nd percentile since 2017, while many nearby schools like Bardin Elementary have seen declines. The school has also successfully cut chronic student absenteeism in half since the pandemic, bringing it closer to the district average.

The school achieves these strong results while spending less per student than most neighboring schools and maintaining a slightly higher student-teacher ratio, suggesting efficient use of resources. It demonstrates particular effectiveness in supporting specific student groups, such as homeless and migrant students, whose academic performance ranks well above state averages. While a nearby school, Alisal Community, matches its performance in English, Monte Bella differentiates itself with stronger math scores and exceptional science instruction.

812

Students ?

26.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,357

Per pupil spending ?

86.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1300 Tuscany Blvd.
Salinas, CA 93905-2292

(831) 753-5700

District: Alisal Union

Students who attend Monte Bella Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	El Sausal Middle
High:	Alisal High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.7%

Asian:

1.7%

Two or more races:

0.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Monte Bella Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 11th percentile in 2015 → 42nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 31 percentile points since 2015

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Alisal Union

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (34% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Large classes — about 26 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg24%

California avg41%

3,390^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 42%▲ up 31 pts since 2015

From bottom 11% (2015) to bottom 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 12Elementary Schools in the Alisal Union

1327^th of 1,543Alisal Union 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	37.4	3390 of 5857	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.0	3690 of 5869	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.6	3673 of 5859	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.8	3636 of 5883	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.7	4291 of 5789	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.3	3966 of 5662	30.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.0	4791 of 5692	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.2	5029 of 5614	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	16.1	4982 of 5611	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	32.2	1389 of 2227	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.0	2501 of 2585	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	40.3	1801 of 3162	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.1	1676 of 3245	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.1	1246 of 3311	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.0	1198 of 3275	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.9	898 of 3246	72.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	36.5	3344 of 5597	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.9	3646 of 5612	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.5	3817 of 5609	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.2	3632 of 5635	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.4	3865 of 5492	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.5	3385 of 5413	37.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	49.3	2341 of 5107	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.2	2740 of 5107	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.9	2492 of 5087	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.6	2417 of 5084	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.1	3305 of 4963	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.8	3013 of 4830	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.3	79 of 429	81.6%	★★★★☆
2024	61.4	96 of 364	73.6%	★★★★☆
2022	35.6	240 of 356	32.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.9	2809 of 5460	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.9	3155 of 5517	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.2	2744 of 5363	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.7	2710 of 5264	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.4	3543 of 5173	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.4	3525 of 5084	30.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	38.5	3237 of 5628	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.2	3472 of 5643	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.4	3311 of 5638	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.4	3324 of 5663	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.5	4422 of 5510	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.1	4462 of 5431	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.2	27 of 78	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.7	41 of 74	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.2	31 of 68	54.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	36.5	1626 of 2847	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.9	1705 of 2635	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.3	1630 of 2420	32.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Homeless (2025)82nd percentile+39 vs school

Migrant (2025)65th percentile+23 vs school

Hispanic (2025)54th percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)49th percentile+6 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)43rd percentile+6 vs school

Special Education (2025)43rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)42nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)40th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)38th percentile~ school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy39%-10 vs state

Mathematics32%-6 vs state

Science23%-10 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Monte Bella Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Monte Bella Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Monte Bella Elementary

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)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 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 All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Monte Bella Elementary	Public	K-6	1300 Tuscany Blvd.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Alisal Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 753-5700	812	31	26.1	86.2%	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	785 (96.7%)	14 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.9%)	37.4	3390^th of 5857 public elementary schools	42.1%		33	3690^th of 5869 public elementary schools	37.1%	300	23.1	23.1	35.6	29.5	48.4	41.3	39.0	43.3	24.1	32.0	28.6	31.7				$20,357	$2,696	$17,661
Alisal Community	Public	K-6	1437 Del Monte Ave.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Alisal Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 753-5720	591	24	24.6	94.2%	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	587 (99.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	34	3652^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	37.6%		35.8	3454^th of 5869 public elementary schools	41.1%	198	20.3	20.3	27.0	33.3	44.6	50.0	39.1	29.9	27.2	31.1	24.1	27.9				$21,569	$2,662	$18,907
Dr. Oscar F. Loya Elementary	Public	K-6	1505 Cougar Dr.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Alisal Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 751-1945	573	27	21.6	89.2%	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	562 (98.1%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24.3	4472^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	23.6%		19.4	4911^th of 5869 public elementary schools	16.3%	439	28.4	28.4	24.3	20.8	47.8	24.1	28.8	23.2	13.9	31.3	16.3	20.8				$22,054	$3,691	$18,363
Cesar E. Chavez Elementary	Public	K-6	1225 Towt St.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Alisal Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 753-5224	628	24	26.1	95.1%	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	621 (98.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27.4	4183^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	28.6%		27	4199^th of 5869 public elementary schools	28.5%	16	13.1	13.1	25.0	34.7	36.9	43.3	35.4	30.9	27.7	15.6	28.6	24.7				$21,177	$3,536	$17,641
Bardin Elementary	Public	K-6	425 Bardin Rd.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Alisal Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 753-5730	559	21	26.6	93.0%	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	550 (98.4%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15.9	5193^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	11.3%		16.8	5138^th of 5869 public elementary schools	12.5%	55	18.6	18.6	24.7	20.6	27.1	21.2	23.3	31.7	17.6	12.9	5.8	16.8				$20,907	$3,286	$17,621
Frank Paul Elementary	Public	K-6	1300 Rider Ave.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Alisal Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 753-5740	638	27	24.0	92.0%	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	622 (97.5%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	14	5347^th of 5857 public elementary schools	8.7%		21.5	4719^th of 5869 public elementary schools	19.6%	628	3.3	3.3	20.8	22.5	9.1	40.8	22.7	24.1	14.6	5.6	14.3	14.3				$21,689	$2,882	$18,807
Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Academy	Public	K-6	925 North Sanborn Rd.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Alisal Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-3916	577	24	24.5	96.2%	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	575 (99.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17.3	5068^th of 5857 public elementary schools	13.5%		18.3	5003^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	14.8%	65	5.3	5.3	12.5	27.4	23.1	20.8	21.0	32.1	29.4	22.1	11.4	23.9				$20,715	$3,172	$17,543
Jesse G. Sanchez Elementary	Public	K-6	901 North Sanborn Rd.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Alisal Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 753-5760	646	27	23.9	98.0%	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	643 (99.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17.6	5050^th of 5857 public elementary schools	13.8%		13.8	5403^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	7.9%	353	13.4	13.4	20.0	19.1	32.9	17.2	22.0	26.3	17.9	25.6	18.3	22.0				$21,953	$2,889	$19,064
Fremont Elementary	Public	K-6	1255 East Market St.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Alisal Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 753-5750	711	30	24.1	96.9%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	708 (99.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	12.2	5489^th of 5857 public elementary schools	6.3%		13	5481^st of 5869 public elementary schools	6.6%	8	8.1	8.1	14.1	17.8	22.1	29.9	21.2	16.3	7.8	4.0	22.7	12.0	96.5	98.3	97.4	$20,345	$2,686	$17,659
Virginia Rocca Barton Elementary	Public	K-6	680 Las Casitas Dr.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Alisal Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 753-5770	526	20	26.3	94.1%	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	517 (98.3%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23.9	4503^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	23.1%		30.2	3909^th of 5869 public elementary schools	33.4%	594	4.7	4.7	22.7	32.5	10.8	40.8	26.4	42.1	26.7	8.2	31.3	26.6				$22,357	$3,357	$19,000

Frequently Asked Questions about Monte Bella Elementary

What schools do graduates of Monte Bella Elementary attend?

Students who attend Monte Bella Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : El Sausal Middle
High : Alisal High

How many students attend Monte Bella Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 812 students attended Monte Bella Elementary.

What district is Monte Bella Elementary in?

Alisal Union

Is Monte Bella Elementary a good school?

Monte Bella Elementary ranks 3390^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Monte Bella Elementary?

Students at Monte Bella Elementary are 97% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

Rate Monte Bella Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Salinas, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Monte Bella Elementary!

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.