Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Kinoshita Elementary

Public Grades K-5

4903^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 16% of California elementary schools

Summary

Kinoshita Elementary is a public K-5 school serving 302 students in San Juan Capistrano, part of the generally high-performing Capistrano Unified district, but it faces significant and persistent academic challenges that set it apart from its neighbors.

The school's academic results are dramatically lower than nearby schools, with proficiency rates in English and Math being 40-50 percentage points below schools like John Malcom Elementary and George White Elementary. A key factor is that over 90% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need, which is much higher than at most comparison schools. Despite receiving the highest per-student funding in the area, these resources have not yet translated into improved test scores, and chronic absenteeism remains a concern.

However, the school shows notable strengths in supporting specific student groups, with its special education and programs for homeless students ranking much higher. Its closest neighbor, Del Obispo Elementary, serves a population with similar economic challenges and performs significantly better, suggesting neighborhood boundaries create stark differences. The most urgent academic need is in science, where proficiency is critically low at just 10.71%.

302

Students ?

22.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,176

Per pupil spending ?

91.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2 Via Positiva
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-4318

(949) 489-2131

District: Capistrano Unified

Students who attend Kinoshita Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Marco Forster Middle
High:	San Juan Hills High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.4%

White:

2.0%

Two or more races:

1.0%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Kinoshita Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 18th percentile in 2013 → 16th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (23% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!Science scores 22 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school23%

District avg65%

California avg41%

4,903^rd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 16%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 20% (2015) to bottom 16% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

35^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	19.2	4903 of 5857	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.7	4902 of 5869	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.4	4315 of 5859	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.6	5003 of 5883	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.9	4553 of 5789	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.9	4088 of 5662	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	25.5	4212 of 5692	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	27.6	3966 of 5614	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	21.3	4489 of 5611	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	22.8	4543 of 5530	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	30.5	3907 of 5390	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	34.5	3654 of 5377	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	25.6	4178 of 5314	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	30.4	3684 of 5193	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	19.0	4399 of 5113	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	13.8	4723 of 5113	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	11.6	4555 of 4818	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	19.7	3988 of 4822	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	17.9	4119 of 4809	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	18.7	2063 of 2227	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.1	2391 of 2585	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	26.3	2778 of 3162	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	45.8	1436 of 3245	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.1	2519 of 3311	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.6	2160 of 3275	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.5	1478 of 3246	54.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	21.7	4544 of 5597	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.0	4512 of 5612	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.6	3455 of 5609	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.7	4350 of 5635	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.1	4531 of 5492	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.0	4239 of 5413	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	26.1	4040 of 5107	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.6	3989 of 5107	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.9	3138 of 5087	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.2	4014 of 5084	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.2	3371 of 4963	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.0	2931 of 4830	39.3%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	54.8	154 of 429	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.0	233 of 364	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.8	91 of 335	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	39.8	210 of 356	41.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	26.7	4234 of 5460	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.0	4454 of 5517	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.2	3296 of 5363	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.0	4077 of 5264	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.1	3565 of 5173	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.1	3006 of 5084	40.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	18.5	4827 of 5628	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.1	4907 of 5643	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.7	4836 of 5638	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.7	5229 of 5663	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.6	4134 of 5510	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.9	3636 of 5431	33.1%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	26.9	104 of 140	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	49.1	1092 of 2847	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	27.4	1977 of 2635	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)64th percentile+48 vs school

Special Education (2025)62nd percentile+45 vs school

Military Connected (2023)26th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)22nd percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)21st percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)19th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)14th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2024)12th percentile-4 vs school

Disabled (2022)7th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy29%-20 vs state

Mathematics21%-17 vs state

Science11%-22 vs state

4.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Kinoshita Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, July 14, 2017

What an incredibly caring staff. Everyone from the principal and teachers to the office staff and aides are willing to go so far above and beyond to help students and their families. I'm fortunate to have my children at this school. Close Quote

Schools Near Kinoshita 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
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		$22,176	$2,278	$19,898
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	$21,778	$2,468	$19,310
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							$21,306	$979	$20,327
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	$18,777	$2,334	$16,443
John Malcom Elementary	Public	K-5	32261 Charles Ave.	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 248-0542	553	23	24.0	24.6%	357 (64.6%)	4 (0.7%)	72 (13.0%)	14 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	106 (19.2%)	88.9	717^th of 5857 public elementary schools	87.8%		86	907^th of 5869 public elementary schools	84.5%	190	53.9		53.9	71.8	67.6	77.5				72.7	69.4	74.7	55.7				66.0	97.1			97.1	97.1	97.1	$18,769	$1,249	$17,520
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		$20,180	$1,807	$18,373
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	$19,118	$1,509	$17,609
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%)	80.6	1134^th of 5857 public elementary schools	80.6%		81.3	1096^th of 5869 public elementary schools	81.3%	38	53.7		53.7	65.1	52.3	69.1				62.0	53.5	70.5	58.5				60.9	93.3	96.2	98.1	93.3	94.2	94.2	$20,204	$1,376	$18,828
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							$13,770	$2,185	$11,585
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%)	77.9	1246^th of 5857 public elementary schools	78.7%		59.1	2106^th of 5869 public elementary schools	64.1%	860	45.8		45.8	63.6	65.3	60.4				63.2	70.7	57.1	39.6				56.8	96.7						$19,626	$1,630	$17,996

Frequently Asked Questions about Kinoshita Elementary

What district is Kinoshita Elementary in?

Capistrano Unified

Is Kinoshita Elementary a good school?

Kinoshita Elementary ranks in the bottom 16.3% of California elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Kinoshita Elementary?

Students at Kinoshita Elementary are 96% Hispanic, 2% White.

How many students attend Kinoshita Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 302 students attended Kinoshita Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Kinoshita Elementary attend?

Students who attend Kinoshita Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Marco Forster Middle
High : San Juan Hills High

Rate Kinoshita Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in San Juan Capistrano, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Kinoshita Elementary!

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.