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Palisades Elementary

Q: Is Palisades Elementary a good school?

Palisades Elementary ranks 1072 nd of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1072^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,804 California Elementary Schools

Better than 82% of California elementary schools

Summary

Palisades Elementary is a 332-student K–5 school in Capistrano Beach, part of Capistrano Unified. Its clearest overall advantage is math: in 2025–26, 63% of students were proficient, compared with 38% statewide and 62% in the district, placing the school third among nearby K–5 schools with comparable scores.

Across subjects, Palisades was above nearby-school averages and state results, but its standing relative to the district varied. ELA proficiency was 67%—17 points above the state and 4 below the district—and ranked third among nearby schools. Science was 46%, 10 points above the state but 12 below the district, placing fourth among nearby schools. Third grade was a particular strength: proficiency reached 77% in ELA and 79% in math, the highest among nearby K–5 peers in both subjects. Fifth-grade math was less competitive, at 41% compared with 63% in the district. Individual grade results may be less stable than whole-school figures.

Results have improved overall since 2022–23: ELA and math each rose about 4 percentage points, while science fell about 5 points, including a 7-point drop from 2024–25. Chronic absenteeism also declined, from 43% in 2021–22 to 19% in 2025–26, though the latest rate remained above the district’s 14% and state’s 18%. SchoolDigger ranked Palisades 1,072nd of 5,804 California schools in 2025–26, at the 82nd percentile with four stars; it has stayed between the 77th and 82nd percentiles in recent reported years. Its 2024–25 student–teacher ratio was 22.1, below the nearby-school average of 22.9. In 2024–25, 48% of students were reported as free/reduced lunch eligible, compared with a nearby-school average of 50%. SchoolDigger’s measure of how well the school serves White students was at the 52nd percentile in 2025–26, versus 82nd overall, down from the group’s 60th percentile in 2023–24.

332

Students ?

22.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,347

Per pupil spending ?

47.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

26462 Via Sacramento
Capistrano Beach, CA 92624-1399

(949) 496-5942

District: Capistrano Unified

Students who attend Palisades Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Shorecliffs Middle
High:	San Juan Hills High

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.5%

Hispanic:

26.8%

Two or more races:

16.6%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Palisades Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 76th percentile in 2015 → 82nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (63% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 18% of California elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg65%

California avg42%

1,072^nd of 5,804

California public elementary schools ?

Top 18%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From top 29% (2016) to top 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

24^th of 38Elementary Schools in the Capistrano Unified

130^th of 968Capistrano 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
2026	81.3	1072 of 5804	81.5%	★★★★☆
2025	80.6	1134 of 5857	80.6%	★★★★☆
2024	81.3	1096 of 5869	81.3%	★★★★☆
2023	82.4	1074 of 5859	81.7%	★★★★☆
2022	75.8	1368 of 5883	76.7%	★★★★☆
2019	65.4	1824 of 5789	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.1	2184 of 5662	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.8	2233 of 5692	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.1	1612 of 5614	71.3%	★★★★☆
2015	74.1	1348 of 5611	76.0%	★★★★☆
2013	75.7	1280 of 5530	76.9%	★★★★☆
2012	73.8	1339 of 5390	75.2%	★★★★☆
2011	67.0	1643 of 5377	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	58.2	2084 of 5314	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.7	1550 of 5193	70.2%	★★★★☆
2008	76.3	1130 of 5113	77.9%	★★★★☆
2007	64.2	1634 of 5113	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	69.9	1348 of 4818	72.0%	★★★★☆
2005	70.0	1331 of 4822	72.4%	★★★★☆
2004	69.6	1315 of 4809	72.7%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	97.2	61 of 2585	97.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	84.0	876 of 5569	84.3%	★★★★☆
2025	82.0	986 of 5597	82.4%	★★★★☆
2024	84.2	906 of 5612	83.9%	★★★★☆
2023	77.2	1204 of 5609	78.5%	★★★★☆
2022	75.7	1295 of 5635	77.0%	★★★★☆
2019	44.1	2857 of 5492	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.6	2088 of 5413	61.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	1062 of 5085	79.1%	★★★★☆
2025	87.7	425 of 5107	91.7%	★★★★★
2024	74.7	957 of 5107	81.3%	★★★★☆
2022	69.4	1184 of 5084	76.7%	★★★★☆
2019	41.6	2850 of 4963	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.2	2923 of 4830	39.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	77.4	891 of 5412	83.5%	★★★★☆
2025	84.0	611 of 5460	88.8%	★★★★☆
2024	83.0	713 of 5517	87.1%	★★★★☆
2023	81.5	715 of 5363	86.7%	★★★★☆
2022	72.6	1049 of 5264	80.1%	★★★★☆
2019	52.8	2220 of 5173	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.2	2534 of 5084	50.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	76.1	1227 of 5590	78.1%	★★★★☆
2025	75.5	1264 of 5628	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	76.2	1227 of 5643	78.3%	★★★★☆
2023	83.4	948 of 5638	83.2%	★★★★☆
2022	74.2	1342 of 5663	76.3%	★★★★☆
2019	77.2	1205 of 5510	78.1%	★★★★☆
2018	55.2	2156 of 5431	60.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	36.6	483 of 670	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	94.9	103 of 2420	95.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	55.5	1225 of 2532	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.5	1109 of 2598	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.8	1068 of 2651	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.6	1165 of 2661	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.8	1263 of 2726	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.6	1397 of 2834	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.0	1793 of 2737	34.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2019)98th percentile+29 vs school

Special Education (2023)96th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2026)84th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)84th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)79th percentile~ school

Male (2026)78th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)52nd percentile-30 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)28th percentile-53 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy67%+17 vs state

Mathematics63%+25 vs state

Science46%+10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Palisades 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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CSA Spanish Overall (2026)				CSA Spanish Listening (2026)				CSA Spanish Writing (2026)				CSA Spanish Reading (2026)				CAST Science (2026)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)							% 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CSA Spanish Overall 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	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
Palisades Elementary	Public	K-5	26462 Via Sacramento	Capistrano Beach	92624	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 496-5942	332	15	22.1	47.9%	181 (54.5%)	0 (0.0%)	89 (26.8%)	4 (1.2%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (16.6%)	81.3	1072^nd of 5804 public elementary schools	81.5%		80.6	1134^th of 5857 public elementary schools	80.6%	62																	46.3		46.3	77.2	58.3	61.9				66.7	79.0	62.5	41.5				63.0	93.3	96.2	98.1	93.3	94.2	94.2	$21,347	$20,104	$1,243
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)																		46.2	46.2				83.3	64.9	65.8	68.8				66.7	61.1	52.6	58.7							$27,463	$26,676	$787
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%)	39.7	3239^th of 5804 public elementary schools	44.2%		60.2	2063^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	64.8%	1176																	35.7		35.7	33.3	35.3	46.3				39.4	29.2	20.6	40.5				31.0	96.3			96.3		96.3	$23,977	$22,504	$1,473
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%)	22	4618^th of 5804 public elementary schools	20.4%		19.2	4903^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	16.3%	285																	15.5		15.5	23.6	22.0	36.2				27.9	25.5	39.5	17.2				26.3	96.1	97.4		97.4	97.4		$26,719	$25,714	$1,005
Richard Henry Dana Elementary	Public	K-5	24242 La Cresta Dr.	Dana Point	92629	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 496-5784	461	26	17.7	46.2%	181 (39.3%)	2 (0.4%)	207 (44.9%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (13.9%)	69.7	1596^th of 5804 public elementary schools	72.5%		77.9	1246^th of 5857 public elementary schools	78.7%	350		10.0		10.0		10.0		10.0		30.6		30.6		12.2		12.2	48.0		48.0	48.4	58.0	55.1				53.4	54.8	64.0	42.9				54.0	96.7						$20,759	$19,600	$1,159
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%)	93.8	421^st of 5804 public elementary schools	92.7%		94.9	339^th of 5857 public elementary schools	94.2%	82																	68.0		68.0	69.0	75.8	80.4				75.3	78.2	73.5	69.1				73.4							$18,339	$17,552	$787
Marblehead Flex Academy	Public	K-5	2410 Via Turqueza	San Clemente	92673	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5339	195	8	24.3	43.6%	93 (47.7%)	2 (1.0%)	73 (37.4%)	2 (1.0%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	22 (11.3%)	46.3	2824^th of 5804 public elementary schools	51.3%		45.4	2859^th of 5857 public elementary schools	51.2%	35																	24.2		24.2	34.2	52.4	54.6				46.9	29.0	42.9	39.4				37.2							$24,913	$23,622	$1,291
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%)	32.6	3763^rd of 5804 public elementary schools	35.2%		27.6	4161^st of 5857 public elementary schools	29.0%	398	3.2	8.3	3.5	5.2	41.9	11.1	24.1	25.0	3.2	22.9	6.9	11.6	0.0	8.6	3.5	4.2	16.9		16.9	27.6	41.4	38.6				35.2	37.4	40.4	21.7				34.2	95.7	97.4		96.6	97.4	97.4	$17,826	$16,994	$832
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%)	76.6	1290^th of 5804 public elementary schools	77.8%		75.8	1340^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.1%	50																	37.2		37.2	59.1	60.7	65.1				61.2	59.1	65.6	51.2				59.4	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%)	82.1	1043^rd of 5804 public elementary schools	82.0%		72.3	1505^th of 5857 public elementary schools	74.3%	462																	56.7		56.7	73.3	72.4	63.3	70.8	75.0		70.7	56.7	75.9	46.7	41.7	47.6		54.5							$24,514	$23,434	$1,080

Frequently Asked Questions about Palisades Elementary

Is Palisades Elementary a good school?

Palisades Elementary ranks 1072^nd of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Palisades Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 332 students attended Palisades Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Palisades Elementary attend?

Students who attend Palisades Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Shorecliffs Middle
High : San Juan Hills High

What district is Palisades Elementary in?

Capistrano Unified

What is the racial makeup of Palisades Elementary?

Students at Palisades Elementary are 55% White, 27% Hispanic, 17% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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Latest California data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

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.