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Harold Ambuehl Elementary

Q: Is Harold Ambuehl Elementary a good school?

Harold Ambuehl Elementary ranks 1340 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1340^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 77% of California elementary schools

Summary

Harold Ambuehl Elementary is a K-5 public school serving 324 students in San Juan Capistrano, part of the Capistrano Unified district, and it stands out for achieving solid academic results while serving a diverse student population with significant economic need.

The school's proficiency rates in English, Math, and Science all exceed state averages, but what truly differentiates Ambuehl is its exceptional support for vulnerable student groups; it ranks in the state's top percentiles for serving homeless students and special education students, and it has dramatically improved attendance, cutting chronic absenteeism by two-thirds in recent years. Compared to nearby schools like Kinoshita Elementary or San Juan Elementary, which serve higher-poverty populations, Ambuehl achieves stronger academic outcomes, and it performs comparably to the nearby charter school, California Republic Leadership Academy Capistrano, while serving a less affluent student body.

Overall, Harold Ambuehl represents a case of a school effectively "beating the odds," showing a strong positive trajectory and demonstrating that focused support systems can lead to excellent outcomes for all students, making it a compelling choice for families in the area.

324

Students ?

23.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,397

Per pupil spending ?

35.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

28001 San Juan Creek Rd.
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-3321

(949) 661-0400

District: Capistrano Unified

Students who attend Harold Ambuehl Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Marco Forster Middle
High:	San Juan Hills High

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.9%

Hispanic:

27.2%

Two or more races:

13.6%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Harold Ambuehl Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 61st percentile in 2013 → 77th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (56% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of California elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 16 percentile points since 2013

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school56%

District avg65%

California avg41%

1,340^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 23%▲ up 5 pts since 2015

From top 28% (2015) to top 23% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

26^th of 35Elementary Schools in the Capistrano Unified

193^rd of 1,543Capistrano 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	75.8	1340 of 5857	77.1%	★★★★☆
2024	70.7	1568 of 5869	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	75.2	1364 of 5859	76.7%	★★★★☆
2022	65.4	1800 of 5883	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.8	2555 of 5789	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.2	1902 of 5662	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	52.4	2410 of 5692	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	67.4	1641 of 5614	70.8%	★★★★☆
2015	68.4	1558 of 5611	72.2%	★★★★☆
2013	59.4	2148 of 5530	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	60.9	1991 of 5390	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.0	1525 of 5377	71.6%	★★★★☆
2010	56.8	2170 of 5314	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	57.5	2053 of 5193	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	66.6	1557 of 5113	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	77.6	1068 of 5113	79.1%	★★★★☆
2006	74.1	1174 of 4818	75.6%	★★★★☆
2005	82.1	848 of 4822	82.4%	★★★★☆
2004	73.8	1165 of 4809	75.8%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	50.1	810 of 2227	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.2	762 of 2585	70.5%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	56.2	871 of 3162	72.5%	★★★★☆
2022	41.8	1691 of 3311	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.6	659 of 3275	79.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	75.8	1246 of 5597	77.7%	★★★★☆
2024	73.6	1330 of 5612	76.3%	★★★★☆
2023	70.0	1490 of 5609	73.4%	★★★★☆
2022	55.9	2105 of 5635	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.1	2600 of 5492	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.3	2011 of 5413	62.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	69.3	1241 of 5107	75.7%	★★★★☆
2024	40.0	2963 of 5107	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.1	3614 of 5087	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.8	3714 of 5084	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.3	2733 of 4963	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.1	2157 of 4830	55.3%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	96.3	5 of 429	98.8%	★★★★★
2024	50.5	168 of 364	53.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.8	1634 of 5460	70.1%	★★★★☆
2024	55.5	2039 of 5517	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.0	1688 of 5363	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	29.7	3872 of 5264	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.4	4336 of 5173	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.7	3030 of 5084	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	73.4	1365 of 5628	75.7%	★★★★☆
2024	66.1	1698 of 5643	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	75.5	1279 of 5638	77.3%	★★★★☆
2022	68.6	1583 of 5663	72.0%	★★★★☆
2019	52.4	2347 of 5510	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.9	1724 of 5431	68.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	94.1	135 of 2847	95.3%	★★★★★
2024	54.3	848 of 2635	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.4	618 of 2420	74.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	62.0	1045 of 2598	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.1	932 of 2651	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	85.7	226 of 2661	91.5%	★★★★★
2022	77.9	531 of 2726	80.5%	★★★★☆
2019	39.7	1869 of 2834	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.1	1383 of 2737	49.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)99th percentile+22 vs school

Special Education (2025)95th percentile+18 vs school

Female (2025)78th percentile~ school

Male (2025)76th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)76th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2024)72nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)70th percentile-7 vs school

Disabled (2022)64th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)60th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics60%+23 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy54%+5 vs state

Science52%+19 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, March 12, 2020

The school was very different prior to the new administration that came with the 2019/2020 school year. The principal and vice principal have made changes and to be honest, the whole vibe of the school is different. The community is scratching their heads as to why they removed our beloved Mr Bogle and gave us a principal and vice principal who lack the skills needed to create a warm and inviting elementary school community. We are hoping to find an alternative solution next year. We will not be back. Close Quote

Schools Near Harold Ambuehl 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)	% 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	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Harold Ambuehl Elementary	Public	K-5	28001 San Juan Creek Rd.	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 661-0400	324	14	23.1	35.2%	181 (55.9%)	3 (0.9%)	88 (27.2%)	6 (1.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (13.6%)	75.8	1340^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.1%		70.7	1568^th of 5869 public elementary schools	73.3%	228	51.8		51.8	46.9	51.3	62.5				54.2	65.3	53.9	60.7				60.4	92.0		94.0	96.0	94.0	$18,397	$17,294	$1,103
California Republic Leadership Academy Capistrano	Public, Charter	K-8	31711 San Juan Creek Rd.	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	California Republic Leadership Academy Capistrano District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 298-6040	260	10	25.8	17.7%	190 (73.1%)	2 (0.8%)	40 (15.4%)	5 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	22 (8.5%)	72.3	1505^th of 5857 public elementary schools	74.3%		95.1	338^th of 5869 public elementary schools	94.2%	1167	39.3		39.3	50.0	46.4	60.7	59.3			54.1	60.7	75.0	50.0	48.2			58.6						$24,514	$23,434	$1,080
San Juan Elementary	Public	K-5	31642 El Camino Real	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 493-4533	662	25	26.4	73.4%	70 (10.6%)	5 (0.8%)	557 (84.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.2%)	27.6	4161^st of 5857 public elementary schools	29.0%		19.2	4925^th of 5869 public elementary schools	16.1%	764	12.3		12.3	28.6	37.5	34.5				33.3	27.3	33.3	29.0				29.6	95.7	97.4	96.6	97.4	97.4	$17,826	$16,994	$832
Capistrano Home/Virtual	Public, Virtual	K-8	32972 Calle Perfecto	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(949) 234-9374	82	5	17.3	31.7%	49 (59.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (19.5%)	5 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (13.4%)								(n/a)		47.5	47.8				76.2	90.9	65.9	72.0				61.9	72.7	43.9	54.0						$27,463	$26,676	$787
Kinoshita Elementary	Public	K-5	2 Via Positiva	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 489-2131	302	14	22.3	91.4%	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	291 (96.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	19.2	4903^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	16.3%		19.7	4902^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	16.5%	1	10.7		10.7	17.8	32.7	33.9				28.9	22.2	22.0	17.9				20.6	96.1	97.4	97.4	97.4		$26,719	$25,714	$1,005
Del Obispo Elementary	Public	K-5	25591 Camino del Avion	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5905	310	15	20.6	68.4%	116 (37.4%)	0 (0.0%)	150 (48.4%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	38 (12.3%)	60.2	2063^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	64.8%		60.1	2062^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	64.9%	1	40.3		40.3	45.1	42.9	64.7				52.8	49.0	40.5	38.8				42.5	96.3		96.3		96.3	$23,977	$22,504	$1,473
George White Elementary	Public	K-5	25422 Chapparosa Park Rd.	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 249-3875	378	16	23.6	36.2%	211 (55.8%)	0 (0.0%)	96 (25.4%)	9 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (16.4%)	87	825^th of 5857 public elementary schools	85.9%		80.7	1128^th of 5869 public elementary schools	80.8%	303	53.3		53.3	60.7	72.4	73.3				68.7	63.5	72.4	61.7				65.8	96.8			96.8		$22,081	$20,540	$1,541
Oso Grande Elementary	Public	K-5	30251 Sienna Pkwy.	Ladera Ranch	92694	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5966	867	32	27.0	13.8%	587 (67.7%)	3 (0.3%)	85 (9.8%)	69 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	123 (14.2%)	95.6	274^th of 5857 public elementary schools	95.3%		95.9	272^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	95.4%	2	62.5		62.5	85.7	85.3	79.2				83.2	83.6	86.7	65.5				77.8	98.4		98.4	98.4	98.4	$17,031	$16,244	$787
Truman Benedict Elementary	Public	K-5	1251 Sarmentoso	San Clemente	92673	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 498-6617	602	24	25.0	19.9%	448 (74.4%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (10.3%)	14 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (13.0%)	94.9	339^th of 5857 public elementary schools	94.2%		92.6	527^th of 5869 public elementary schools	91.0%	188	54.4		54.4	80.7	86.7	78.1				81.5	81.7	84.4	79.0				81.5						$18,339	$17,552	$787
Hidden Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	25142 Hidden Hills Rd.	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 495-0050	330	16	20.6	76.1%	58 (17.6%)	2 (0.6%)	223 (67.6%)	14 (4.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.7%)	44.3	2927^th of 5857 public elementary schools	50.0%		48.1	2658^th of 5869 public elementary schools	54.7%	269	24.6		24.6	50.0	43.2	37.0				43.2	37.3	48.9	29.8				37.9						$20,482	$18,224	$2,258

Frequently Asked Questions about Harold Ambuehl Elementary

How many students attend Harold Ambuehl Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 324 students attended Harold Ambuehl Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Harold Ambuehl Elementary attend?

Students who attend Harold Ambuehl Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Marco Forster Middle
High : San Juan Hills High

Is Harold Ambuehl Elementary a good school?

Harold Ambuehl Elementary ranks 1340^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Harold Ambuehl Elementary?

Students at Harold Ambuehl Elementary are 56% White, 27% Hispanic, 14% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Harold Ambuehl Elementary in?

Capistrano Unified

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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.