Santa Margarita Elementary

Summary:

Santa Margarita Elementary is a public K-5 school in the Atascadero Unified School District, serving 267 students in the town of Santa Margarita, California. The school has consistently ranked in the top 30% of California elementary schools over the past several years, with a current ranking of 1657 out of 5,862 schools for the 2023-2024 school year and a 4 out of 5 star rating from SchoolDigger.

Santa Margarita Elementary outperforms both the Atascadero Unified School District and the state of California in proficiency rates for Smarter Balanced Assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics across multiple grade levels. In 2023-2024, the school had 53.85% of students proficient or better in ELA and 51.92% proficient or better in Math, compared to 48.3% and 36.54% for the district, and 47.04% and 35.54% for the state, respectively. The school's performance is particularly strong in 3rd grade ELA and Math, with proficiency rates of 65.12% and 62.79%. Additionally, Santa Margarita Elementary performs well across different student subgroups, ranking in the top 20% of California elementary schools for female students in ELA and the top 30% for low socioeconomic status students.

When compared to nearby schools, Santa Margarita Elementary outperforms other Atascadero Unified schools, such as San Benito Elementary and Creston Elementary, in both ELA and Math proficiency. However, when compared to schools in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District, such as C.L. Smith, Sinsheimer, and Hawthorne Elementary, the San Luis Coastal schools generally have higher proficiency rates across the board. The school's recent increase in chronic absenteeism, from 6.1% in 2017-2018 to 20.7% in 2022-2023, is an area of concern that the school should address.


Detail:

Public K-5

 22070 H St.
       Santa Margarita, CA  93453-0380


(805) 438-5633

District: Atascadero Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1657th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,075 Help


Students who attend Santa Margarita Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Atascadero Middle
High:    Atascadero High

Student/teacher ratio:  23.8 Help
Number of students:  267

Racial breakdown:

White:
71.5%
Hispanic:
16.9%
Two or more races:
7.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  38.2% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Santa Margarita Elementary ranks better than 71.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 3rd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Atascadero Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 68.5. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (71.5%), Hispanic (16.9%), two or more races (7.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 38.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Santa Margarita Elementary is 23.8, which is the 2nd best among 5 elementary schools in the Atascadero Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Santa Margarita Elementary employs 11.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Santa Margarita Elementary is $9,075. 5 elementary schools in the Atascadero Unified School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Santa Margarita Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Margarita Elementary 1657th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Santa Margarita Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Atascadero Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Atascadero Unified 570th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Santa Margarita Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Santa Margarita Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 69.27 1329th 4809 72.4%
2005 83.93 774th 4822 83.9%
2006 74.18 1170th 4818 75.7%
2007 64.41 1621st 5113 68.3%
2008 60.62 1819th 5113 64.4%
2009 56.97 2077th 5193 60.0%
2010 43.90 2930th 5314 44.9%
2011 52.24 2461st 5377 54.2%
2012 48.87 2688th 5390 50.1%
2013 58.40 2215th 5530 59.9%
2015 81.42 1063rd 5611 81.1%
2016 76.23 1268th 5614 77.4%
2017 65.72 1769th 5692 68.9%
2018 59.91 2046th 5662 63.9%
2019 68.94 1650th 5789 71.5%
2022 77.43 1312th 5883 77.7%
2023 75.57 1349th 5874 77.0%
2024 68.50 1657th 5862 71.7%
See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Santa Margarita Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 66.71 1361st 5084 73.2%
2019 65.94 1413th 5173 72.7%
2023 64.91 1479th 5374 72.5%
2024 60.15 1774th 5511 67.8%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Santa Margarita Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.58 1771st 5413 67.3%
2019 71.73 1420th 5492 74.1%
2022 79.62 1127th 5635 80.0%
2023 83.68 947th 5617 83.1%
2024 80.50 1073rd 5605 80.9%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Santa Margarita Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.24 2157th 5431 60.3%
2019 63.04 1821st 5510 67.0%
2022 71.94 1439th 5663 74.6%
2023 66.79 1650th 5650 70.8%
2024 58.61 2046th 5636 63.7%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Santa Margarita Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.49 1807th 2737 34.0%
2019 45.67 1682nd 2834 40.6%
2022 62.51 1059th 2726 61.2%
2023 56.20 1253rd 2662 52.9%
2024 47.65 1490th 2647 43.7%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Santa Margarita Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Santa Margarita Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 433 4 0 20 11 n/a n/a 0 468
1989 409 2 2 24 14 n/a n/a 0 451
1990 438 0 7 27 16 n/a n/a 0 488
1991 413 0 5 34 10 n/a n/a 0 462
1992 403 6 7 22 6 n/a n/a 0 444
1993 386 3 4 26 4 n/a n/a 0 423
1994 407 0 2 32 1 n/a n/a 0 442
1995 429 1 2 44 1 n/a n/a 0 477
1996 429 1 2 44 1 n/a n/a 0 477
1997 416 3 1 36 1 n/a n/a 0 457
1998 393 3 2 39 1 n/a n/a 0 438
1999 362 2 4 34 0 n/a n/a 0 402
2000 345 6 3 41 2 n/a n/a 0 397
2001 333 6 2 48 2 n/a n/a 0 391
2002 298 5 4 54 3 n/a n/a 0 364
2003 298 5 4 54 3 n/a n/a 0 364
2004 255 8 2 46 4 n/a n/a 0 315
2005 235 4 0 53 4 n/a n/a 0 296
2006 242 4 0 44 3 n/a n/a 0 293
2007 233 3 1 40 4 n/a n/a 0 281
2008 245 6 2 38 7 n/a n/a 0 298
2009 246 6 4 33 9 0 0 0 298
2010 210 2 5 54 2 0 19 0 292
2011 203 0 5 55 4 1 15 0 283
2012 201 4 4 47 5 1 11 0 273
2013 209 4 6 41 3 1 8 0 272
2014 213 4 5 38 3 0 4 0 267
2015 219 3 4 44 2 0 8 0 280
2016 215 1 7 54 0 0 15 0 292
2017 216 0 3 53 0 0 12 0 284
2018 201 0 7 45 3 0 11 0 267
2019 215 0 7 36 3 0 10 0 271
2020 202 0 7 42 4 0 15 0 270
2021 156 0 8 39 2 0 16 0 221
2022 172 0 6 47 4 0 15 0 244
2023 191 0 6 45 4 0 21 0 267

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Santa Margarita Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 468 20.7 22.6 n/a
1989 451 17.7 25.4 n/a
1990 488 20.5 23.8 n/a
1991 462 21.0 22.0 n/a
1992 444 21.3 20.8 16.2
1993 423 17.0 24.9 3.5
1994 442 16.5 26.8 3.2
1995 477 20.0 23.9 17.8
1996 477 20.0 23.9 17.8
1997 457 19.0 24.1 21.9
1998 438 22.8 19.2 22.1
1999 402 22.0 18.3 17.4
2000 397 19.0 20.9 19.1
2001 391 19.6 19.9 19.7
2002 364 19.4 18.8 23.9
2003 364 19.4 18.8 23.9
2004 315 17.0 18.5 21.9
2005 296 15.7 18.9 27.7
2006 293 15.4 19.0 23.5
2007 281 15.6 18.0 33.1
2008 298 18.6 16.0 29.5
2009 298 14.8 17.4 27.2
2010 292 13.0 22.4 29.8
2011 283 n/a n/a 35.3
2012 273 11.0 24.8 n/a
2013 272 11.2 24.1 34.9
2014 267 9.0 29.6 25.8
2015 280 10.0 28.0 20.7
2016 292 10.0 29.2 24
2017 284 11.0 25.8 20.8
2018 267 10.0 26.7 27.7
2019 271 9.0 30.1 26.9
2020 270 n/a n/a 28.5
2021 221 9.0 24.5 19.9
2022 244 10.0 24.4 30.3
2023 267 11.2 23.8 38.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Santa Margarita Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 468 20.7 22.6 n/a
1989 451 17.7 25.4 n/a
1990 488 20.5 23.8 n/a
1991 462 21.0 22.0 n/a
1992 444 21.3 20.8 16.2
1993 423 17.0 24.9 3.5
1994 442 16.5 26.8 3.2
1995 477 20.0 23.9 17.8
1996 477 20.0 23.9 17.8
1997 457 19.0 24.1 21.9
1998 438 22.8 19.2 22.1
1999 402 22.0 18.3 17.4
2000 397 19.0 20.9 19.1
2001 391 19.6 19.9 19.7
2002 364 19.4 18.8 23.9
2003 364 19.4 18.8 23.9
2004 315 17.0 18.5 21.9
2005 296 15.7 18.9 27.7
2006 293 15.4 19.0 23.5
2007 281 15.6 18.0 33.1
2008 298 18.6 16.0 29.5
2009 298 14.8 17.4 27.2
2010 292 13.0 22.4 29.8
2011 283 n/a n/a 35.3
2012 273 11.0 24.8 n/a
2013 272 11.2 24.1 34.9
2014 267 9.0 29.6 25.8
2015 280 10.0 28.0 20.7
2016 292 10.0 29.2 24
2017 284 11.0 25.8 20.8
2018 267 10.0 26.7 27.7
2019 271 9.0 30.1 26.9
2020 270 n/a n/a 28.5
2021 221 9.0 24.5 19.9
2022 244 10.0 24.4 30.3
2023 267 11.2 23.8 38.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates

Santa Margarita Elementary

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionConditionalPolioHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMMR
201289.0%0.0%0.0%11.0%89.0%93.0%100.0%89.0%89.0%
201385.0%2.0%0.0%12.0%90.0%95.0%98.0%93.0%85.0%
201491.0%7.0%0.0%2.0%91.0%93.0%93.0%91.0%93.0%
201585.0%4.0%0.0%10.0%92.0%96.0%96.0%94.0%90.0%
201692.0%6.0%0.0%2.0%94.0%92.0%94.0%94.0%94.0%
2017≥98.0%≤2.0%≤2.0%≤2.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%
201895.0%0.0%0.0%5.0%≥98.0%97.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%
201991.0%7.0%2.0%95.0%95.0%95.0%91.0%95.0%
202192.9%0.0%2.4%

Data source: California Department of Public Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Santa Margarita Elementary

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $9,075

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Santa Margarita Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 1650th of 5789 Elementary schoolsRanks 1349th of 5874 Elementary schools
 5.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Margarita Elementary)56.954.3
 2.6%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Atascadero Unified)53.553.3
 0.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.543
 5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Santa Margarita Elementary)5162.9
 11.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Atascadero Unified)50.356.1
 5.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (California)50.245.1
 5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Margarita Elementary)56.145.5
 10.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Atascadero Unified)56.952.6
 4.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.543.7
 5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Santa Margarita Elementary)56.146.9
 9.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Atascadero Unified)54.454.2
 0.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (California)44.940.8
 4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Margarita Elementary)65.958.1
 7.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Atascadero Unified)54.652.6
 2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.746.7
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Santa Margarita Elementary)48.864.5
 15.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Atascadero Unified)4237.5
 4.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (California)3833.4
 4.6%
5th Grade Science (Santa Margarita Elementary)46.361.3
 15%
   5th Grade Science (Atascadero Unified)38.540.7
 2.3%
   5th Grade Science (California)31.731.9
 0.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students271267
 1.5%
African American00
American Indian34
 33.3%
Asian76
 14.3%
Hispanic3645
 25%
Pacific Islander00
White215191
 11.2%
Two or More Races1021
 110%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients26.9%38.2%
 11.3%


Schools Near Santa Margarita Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Margarita Elementary

Students who attend Santa Margarita Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Atascadero Middle
High : Atascadero High

Santa Margarita Elementary ranks 1657th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Santa Margarita Elementary are 72% White, 17% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 267 students attended Santa Margarita Elementary.


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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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