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Wood Canyon Elementary

Q: Is Wood Canyon Elementary a good school?

Wood Canyon Elementary ranks 1565 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1565^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 73% of California elementary schools

Summary

Wood Canyon Elementary is a K-5 public school serving about 425 students in Aliso Viejo, California, operating within the high-performing Capistrano Unified School District.

When compared to nearby schools in the same district, Wood Canyon serves a student population with significantly greater economic needs, as measured by the percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite this, the school consistently outperforms California state averages in English, Math, and Science. However, its overall academic proficiency rates are lower than the district average and notably lower than some neighboring schools like Canyon Vista Elementary and Laguna Niguel Elementary. The school also has a higher rate of chronic student absenteeism than the district average and most local peers.

An important strength of Wood Canyon is its exceptional effectiveness with specific student groups; it ranks in the top quartile statewide for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, Hispanic students, English learners, and those in special education. The school receives more funding per student than most comparison schools, which is likely allocated to support these higher needs. While there is a noticeable performance gap with other schools in the area, Wood Canyon has shown steady improvement, recently earning a 4-star rating and moving into the 73rd percentile among all California elementary schools.

425

Students ?

22.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,898

Per pupil spending ?

56%

Free/discounted lunch ?

23431 Knollwood
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656-4240

(949) 448-0012

District: Capistrano Unified

Students who attend Wood Canyon Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Don Juan Avila Middle
High:	Aliso Niguel High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

38.8%

White:

37.2%

Two or more races:

14.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Wood Canyon Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 42nd percentile in 2013 → 73rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (53% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 31 percentile points since 2013

✓Above the California median (73rd percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Capistrano Unified's ranking

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school53%

District avg65%

California avg41%

1,565^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 27%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From top 23% (2015) to top 27% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

27^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	70.8	1565 of 5857	73.3%	★★★★☆
2024	62.4	1962 of 5869	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.1	1664 of 5859	71.6%	★★★★☆
2022	61.0	1979 of 5883	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.2	2409 of 5789	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.0	2240 of 5662	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	53.1	2374 of 5692	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	72.4	1419 of 5614	74.7%	★★★★☆
2015	75.7	1296 of 5611	76.9%	★★★★☆
2013	41.4	3227 of 5530	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	42.6	3099 of 5390	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	60.4	1999 of 5377	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	46.1	2789 of 5314	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	49.7	2511 of 5193	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	49.5	2395 of 5113	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	56.8	1981 of 5113	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	62.1	1657 of 4818	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	63.4	1594 of 4822	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2004	73.8	1164 of 4809	75.8%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	39.4	1103 of 2227	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.3	862 of 2585	66.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	56.9	842 of 3162	73.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	67.9	1609 of 5597	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	71.9	1409 of 5612	74.9%	★★★★☆
2023	74.1	1321 of 5609	76.4%	★★★★☆
2022	63.7	1788 of 5635	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.6	2294 of 5492	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.1	2227 of 5413	58.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	75.0	954 of 5107	81.3%	★★★★☆
2024	61.1	1632 of 5107	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.3	1110 of 5087	78.2%	★★★★☆
2022	65.8	1351 of 5084	73.4%	★★★★☆
2019	60.1	1679 of 4963	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.6	1344 of 4830	72.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	78.2	855 of 5460	84.3%	★★★★☆
2024	67.7	1374 of 5517	75.1%	★★★★☆
2023	75.0	988 of 5363	81.6%	★★★★☆
2022	66.0	1360 of 5264	74.2%	★★★★☆
2019	51.7	2282 of 5173	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.9	1981 of 5084	61.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.8	1480 of 5628	73.7%	★★★★☆
2024	52.1	2358 of 5643	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.6	1970 of 5638	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.7	2110 of 5663	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.1	2406 of 5510	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.5	2196 of 5431	59.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.9	698 of 2847	75.5%	★★★★☆
2024	61.5	689 of 2635	73.9%	★★★★☆
2023	67.1	523 of 2420	78.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	50.6	1387 of 2598	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.9	1515 of 2651	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.9	1725 of 2661	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.7	1779 of 2726	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.0	2153 of 2834	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.7	1907 of 2737	30.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)84th percentile+11 vs school

Hispanic (2025)81st percentile+8 vs school

Special Education (2025)75th percentile~ school

Male (2025)74th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2024)73rd percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)71st percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)50th percentile-16 vs school

White (2025)47th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy60%+12 vs state

Mathematics51%+13 vs state

Science39%+7 vs state

5.0

11 ratings · 6 written reviews

5★11

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, April 14, 2025

Great school with excellent staff ! Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Wood Canyon is a great school! My son has been there for five years now and he has had the best teachers! He started there in the seals program and then transitioned to general Ed. He has come so far because of the amazing teachers and staff. Everyone is always so positive and great to be around. There are also so many fun events to be apart of. We love Wood Canyon! Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, March 31, 2025

Wood Canyon Elementary is an amazing school! It is a wonderful community of teachers and administration and families. My children have and are thriving! Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, March 31, 2025

I have one child and wood canyon and one who graduated last year. The school and staff are amazing! I couldn’t be happier! Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, April 28, 2018

Ever since the new principal came on board, this school has made a complete 180. The faculty/staff are eager to learn and eager to teach. The YMCA is right on campus, making it easy for working parents. The PTA does an amazing job hosting multiple events throughout the year with limited resources. Great school, great community! Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, October 16, 2016

I've been at Wood Canyon for seven years now and love it...couldn't be happier with the education my kids receive as well as the caring teachers and staff. Love our running club, the Family Fun Nights, the science lab with new instructional aide they have hired...all great! Close Quote

Schools Near Wood Canyon 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)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (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 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
Wood Canyon Elementary	Public	K-5	23431 Knollwood	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 448-0012	425	19	22.3	56.0%	158 (37.2%)	3 (0.7%)	165 (38.8%)	35 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	63 (14.8%)	70.8	1565^th of 5857 public elementary schools	73.3%		62.4	1962^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	66.6%	397	39.4		39.4	65.3	50.7	64.8				60.4	53.3	45.1	53.5				50.7	96.7	97.5	97.5	96.7	97.5	97.5	$19,898	$1,761	$18,137
Laguna Niguel Elementary	Public	K-5	27922 Niguel Heights Blvd.	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5308	456	20	22.8	32.9%	244 (53.5%)	2 (0.4%)	95 (20.8%)	53 (11.6%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	56 (12.3%)	93.4	446^th of 5857 public elementary schools	92.4%		95.2	330^th of 5869 public elementary schools	94.4%	116	59.7		59.7	78.7	77.6	72.6				76.4	85.7	77.2	61.3				75.0	94.3	96.2		94.3	94.3		$19,222	$1,437	$17,785
Canyon Vista Elementary	Public	K-5	27800 Oak View Dr.	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5941	533	22	24.2	19.7%	291 (54.6%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (12.2%)	87 (16.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	90 (16.9%)	98.1	66^th of 5857 public elementary schools	98.9%		94.4	392^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	93.3%	326	77.8		77.8	87.2	88.1	90.3				88.5	85.9	89.3	73.6				83.3	96.1			97.4		97.4	$18,394	$1,346	$17,048
Journey	Public, Charter	K-8	27102 Foxborough	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Journey District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 448-7232	617	25	24.6	35.2%	310 (50.2%)	6 (1.0%)	131 (21.2%)	49 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	120 (19.4%)	50.1	2586^th of 5857 public elementary schools	55.8%		62.6	1951^st of 5869 public elementary schools	66.8%	635	39.3	62.3	50.5	36.9	57.4	42.9	60.7	87.8	75.5	58.8	30.8	37.7	17.9	46.4	61.2	49.1	39.7	82.4	90.2	90.2	91.2	87.3	90.2	$11,890	$199	$11,691
Oak Grove Elementary	Public	K-5	22705 Sanborn	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 360-9001	569	24	23.7	32.2%	281 (49.4%)	1 (0.2%)	102 (17.9%)	83 (14.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (17.4%)	89	714^th of 5857 public elementary schools	87.8%		89.4	727^th of 5869 public elementary schools	87.6%	13	51.2		51.2	72.8	72.6	63.4				69.0	79.0	75.5	66.7				72.9							$17,949	$1,264	$16,685
Moulton Elementary	Public	K-5	29851 Highlands Ave.	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5980	538	22	24.4	30.5%	331 (61.5%)	5 (0.9%)	85 (15.8%)	35 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	81 (15.1%)	88.9	721^st of 5857 public elementary schools	87.7%		88.9	758^th of 5869 public elementary schools	87.1%	37	55.0		55.0	75.8	65.9	65.9				69.2	75.8	78.0	57.1				70.3	97.3			97.3			$18,293	$1,339	$16,954
Marian Bergeson Elementary	Public	K-5	25302 Rancho Niguel Rd.	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 643-1540	423	18	23.5	29.8%	84 (19.9%)	3 (0.7%)	67 (15.8%)	145 (34.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	123 (29.1%)	91	606^th of 5857 public elementary schools	89.7%		89.7	720^th of 5869 public elementary schools	87.7%	114	68.4		68.4	58.5	68.8	78.5				69.9	81.1	67.1	68.4				71.1	97.1				97.1		$17,947	$1,319	$16,628
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts	Public, Charter	K-5	29292 Crown Valley Pkwy.	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 269-3291	249	10	24.9	19.7%	146 (58.6%)	4 (1.6%)	55 (22.1%)	18 (7.2%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	22 (8.8%)	87.1	820^th of 5857 public elementary schools	86.0%		92.5	541^st of 5869 public elementary schools	90.8%	279	65.8		65.8	61.4	69.2	73.7				67.8	65.9	59.0	65.8				63.6	91.2	91.2	91.2	91.2	91.2	91.2	$18,921	$1,064	$17,857
Top of the World Elementary	Public	K-5	21601 Tree Top Ln.	Laguna Beach	92651	Orange County	Laguna Beach Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 497-7790	536	27	19.8	16.4%	373 (69.6%)	3 (0.6%)	67 (12.5%)	33 (6.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.8%)	96.4	200^th of 5857 public elementary schools	96.6%		96.8	185^th of 5869 public elementary schools	96.8%	15	72.0		72.0	78.3	80.0	81.7				79.9	82.1	80.0	79.6				80.6	96.3						$31,906	$961	$30,945
Community Roots Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	29292 Crown Valley Pkwy.	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Community Roots Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 831-4272	780	49	15.8	13.5%	501 (64.2%)	1 (0.1%)	116 (14.9%)	46 (5.9%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	112 (14.4%)	86.7	834^th of 5857 public elementary schools	85.8%		85.5	929^th of 5869 public elementary schools	84.2%	95	54.1	57.8	55.8	76.1	74.7	77.4	70.7	58.6	76.1	72.7	75.0	50.6	58.8	50.7	43.7	52.9	55.8	96.7						$14,216	$218	$13,998

Frequently Asked Questions about Wood Canyon Elementary

What schools do graduates of Wood Canyon Elementary attend?

Students who attend Wood Canyon Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Don Juan Avila Middle
High : Aliso Niguel High

What is the racial makeup of Wood Canyon Elementary?

Students at Wood Canyon Elementary are 39% Hispanic, 37% White, 15% Two or more races, 8% Asian.

Is Wood Canyon Elementary a good school?

Wood Canyon Elementary ranks 1565^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Wood Canyon Elementary in?

Capistrano Unified

How many students attend Wood Canyon Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 425 students attended Wood Canyon Elementary.

Rate Wood Canyon 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.