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Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary

Q: Is Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary a good school?

Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary ranks 3656 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

3656^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 38% of California elementary schools

Summary

Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary is a K-5 public school serving 365 students in the Buena Park Elementary district, known for its high-need student population and a particular strength in supporting English Language Learners.

While the school's overall test scores are below state averages, it performs notably better than some nearby schools with similar challenges, such as James A. Whitaker Elementary and Carl E. Gilbert Elementary. Pendleton's most significant strength is its English Language Learner program, which ranks in the 81st percentile statewide. The school has also made impressive progress reducing chronic absenteeism, cutting the rate by nearly half since 2022. However, performance varies widely by grade, with 4th grade excelling in math while 5th grade struggles significantly.

An interesting finding is that Pendleton spends more per student than all other compared schools in its district, yet its academic results are moderate compared to higher-performing schools in neighboring districts like Buena Terra Elementary in the Centralia Elementary district. The school shows a gradual, long-term improvement trend and holds its own compared to other high-poverty schools in the area, suggesting effective strategies for its student community.

365

Students ?

19.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,002

Per pupil spending ?

87.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7101 Stanton Ave.
Buena Park, CA 90621-3825

(714) 521-8568

District: Buena Park Elementary

Students who attend Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Buena Park Middle
High:	Buena Park High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

78.1%

Asian:

10.1%

Two or more races:

3.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 17th percentile in 2013 → 38th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 21 percentile points since 2013

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (31% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Science scores 22 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg38%

California avg41%

3,656^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 38%▲ up 9 pts since 2015

From bottom 28% (2015) to bottom 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5Elementary Schools in the Buena Park Elementary

855^th of 1,543Buena Park Elementary 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	33.9	3656 of 5857	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.6	3558 of 5869	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.0	4443 of 5859	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.1	4037 of 5883	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.0	3699 of 5789	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.3	4138 of 5662	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	30.2	3809 of 5692	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	34.9	3411 of 5614	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	26.0	4031 of 5611	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	22.3	4584 of 5530	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	25.2	4302 of 5390	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	36.8	3479 of 5377	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	32.3	3677 of 5314	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	52.9	2308 of 5193	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	40.9	2893 of 5113	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	34.4	3267 of 5113	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	36.3	2918 of 4818	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	33.0	3106 of 4822	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2004	27.7	3384 of 4809	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	62.9	614 of 3162	80.6%	★★★★☆
2023	50.7	1159 of 3245	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.6	1275 of 3311	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.1	1245 of 3275	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.6	1320 of 3246	59.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	35.6	3420 of 5597	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.9	2872 of 5612	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.8	3779 of 5609	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.1	3570 of 5635	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.0	3492 of 5492	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.2	4154 of 5413	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.3	2995 of 5107	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.0	2549 of 5107	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.1	3456 of 5087	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.1	3051 of 5084	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.6	2642 of 4963	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.7	3444 of 4830	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	42.7	2960 of 5460	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.8	2830 of 5517	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.1	3550 of 5363	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.5	3481 of 5264	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.9	2903 of 5173	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.5	3442 of 5084	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	32.3	3674 of 5628	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.5	4046 of 5643	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.6	4650 of 5638	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.3	4109 of 5663	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.1	3542 of 5510	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.9	3779 of 5431	30.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)81st percentile+41 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)46th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2025)41st percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)39th percentile~ school

Male (2025)35th percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy35%-14 vs state

Mathematics35%-3 vs state

Science11%-22 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, February 7, 2019

I have had children here for 11 years. I find the teachers, staff and administration caring and professional. Even though Pendleton does not look good on paper, its a good school that produces many academic scholars. Dont rule this school out before checking it out yourself. Close Quote

Schools Near Mabel L. Pendleton 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)				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)		CSA Spanish Listening (2025)		CSA Spanish Writing (2025)		CSA Spanish Reading (2025)		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	CSA Spanish Overall 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	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	% 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
Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary	Public	K-5	7101 Stanton Ave.	Buena Park	90621	Orange County	Buena Park Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 521-8568	365	19	19.7	87.7%	12 (3.3%)	13 (3.6%)	285 (78.1%)	37 (10.1%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	14 (3.8%)	33.9	3656^th of 5857 public elementary schools	37.6%		34.6	3558^th of 5869 public elementary schools	39.4%	98									10.9	10.9	24.3	47.3	28.9		35.0	27.0	58.2	13.0		34.8							$21,002	$19,782	$1,220
James A. Whitaker Elementary	Public	K-5	8401 Montana St.	Buena Park	90621	Orange County	Buena Park Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 521-9770	559	27	20.7	91.9%	26 (4.7%)	17 (3.0%)	453 (81.0%)	42 (7.5%)	2 (0.4%)	5 (0.9%)	14 (2.5%)	21.5	4709^th of 5857 public elementary schools	19.6%		23.4	4543^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	22.6%	166									15.5	15.5	17.8	28.6	27.8		25.2	25.4	30.1	24.7		26.7	96.5			98.3	97.4		$19,541	$18,322	$1,219
Glen H. Dysinger Senior Elementary	Public	K-6	7770 Camellia Dr.	Buena Park	90620	Orange County	Centralia Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 228-3240	468	19	24.6	65.8%	78 (16.7%)	7 (1.5%)	256 (54.7%)	87 (18.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (8.5%)	57	2211^th of 5857 public elementary schools	62.3%		60.5	2046^th of 5869 public elementary schools	65.1%	165									40.5	40.5	48.0	40.7	51.4	46.2	47.0	55.3	44.4	31.1	42.4	43.3							$23,961	$22,118	$1,843
Carl E. Gilbert Elementary	Public	K-5	7255 Eighth St.	Buena Park	90621	Orange County	Buena Park Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 522-7281	490	18	27.0	93.9%	4 (0.8%)	19 (3.9%)	429 (87.6%)	17 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.0%)	15 (3.1%)	16.1	5174^th of 5857 public elementary schools	11.7%		18.7	4962^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	15.5%	212									16.3	16.3	16.0	21.5	21.3		19.7	26.3	21.8	19.0		22.3	98.1				98.1		$20,809	$19,576	$1,233
Valencia Park Elementary	Public	K-6	3441 West Valencia Dr.	Fullerton	92833	Orange County	Fullerton Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 447-7755	398	13	30.6	85.4%	9 (2.3%)	5 (1.3%)	359 (90.2%)	13 (3.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)	23.4	4552^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	22.3%		19.7	4895^th of 5869 public elementary schools	16.6%	343									18.0	18.0	25.0	33.3	36.7	29.6	31.3	22.5	24.2	30.0	10.7	21.7							$16,692	$15,710	$982
Raymond Temple Elementary	Public	K-6	7800 Holder St.	Buena Park	90620	Orange County	Centralia Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 228-3290	431	18	23.9	78.2%	37 (8.6%)	8 (1.9%)	267 (61.9%)	83 (19.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	31 (7.2%)	60.1	2066^th of 5857 public elementary schools	64.7%		70	1594^th of 5869 public elementary schools	72.8%	472									28.8	28.8	55.9	49.1	38.6	53.6	49.3	60.0	47.4	42.4	42.9	48.3							$26,889	$24,928	$1,961
Dr. Peter Marshall	Public	K-6	2627 Crescent Ave.	Anaheim	92801	Orange County	Magnolia Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 527-8821	714	33	21.6	66.0%	46 (6.4%)	17 (2.4%)	559 (78.3%)	70 (9.8%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (0.8%)	14 (2.0%)	61.6	1987^th of 5857 public elementary schools	66.1%		68.9	1639^th of 5869 public elementary schools	72.1%	348									30.9	30.9	50.0	40.2	53.8	69.3	53.2	52.8	43.1	32.1	54.9	46.6	96.4	98.2	98.2	97.3	98.2	97.3	$18,978	$16,854	$2,124
Arthur F. Corey Elementary	Public	K-5	7351 Holder St.	Buena Park	90620	Orange County	Buena Park Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 522-8389	341	14	24.3	73.9%	34 (10.0%)	18 (5.3%)	201 (58.9%)	69 (20.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (5.3%)	60.5	2035^th of 5857 public elementary schools	65.3%		67	1730^th of 5869 public elementary schools	70.5%	305									25.4	25.4	49.0	50.9	50.8		50.3	56.9	58.5	43.3		52.1							$23,134	$21,916	$1,218
Buena Terra Elementary	Public	K-6	8299 Holder St.	Buena Park	90620	Orange County	Centralia Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 228-3220	627	24	26.1	56.0%	105 (16.7%)	13 (2.1%)	242 (38.6%)	214 (34.1%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.8%)	47 (7.5%)	93.2	460^th of 5857 public elementary schools	92.1%		94.3	408^th of 5869 public elementary schools	93.0%	52									57.0	57.0	62.9	82.8	82.8	72.1	74.7	75.3	81.3	76.3	76.7	77.1	96.7						$22,149	$20,310	$1,839
Centralia Elementary	Public	K-6	195 North Western Ave.	Anaheim	92801	Orange County	Centralia Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 228-3210	496	21	23.6	87.7%	30 (6.0%)	13 (2.6%)	400 (80.6%)	32 (6.5%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.4%)	36.9	3414^th of 5857 public elementary schools	41.7%		40.1	3170^th of 5869 public elementary schools	46.0%	244	10.5	10.5	15.8	15.8	15.8	15.8	5.3	5.3	21.7	21.7	27.1	40.0	40.0	44.4	36.7	22.5	45.1	36.2	34.8	33.5	97.3				97.3		$22,262	$20,290	$1,972

Frequently Asked Questions about Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary

What schools do graduates of Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Buena Park Middle
High : Buena Park High

What district is Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary in?

Buena Park Elementary

Is Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary a good school?

Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary ranks 3656^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary?

Students at Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary are 78% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 4% African American, 3% White.

How many students attend Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 365 students attended Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary.

Rate Mabel L. Pendleton 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.