Buena Vista Elementary

Summary:

Buena Vista Elementary is a public elementary school in Carlsbad, California, serving 276 students in grades K-5. This high-performing school consistently ranks in the top 20% of California elementary schools and is part of the Carlsbad Unified School District, which is ranked 160 out of 1,568 districts in the state.

Buena Vista Elementary's academic performance is impressive, with 70.27% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy and 73.15% in Mathematics, outperforming the state averages. The school also excels in Science, with 58.49% of students proficient or better on the CAST assessment, compared to the state average of 30.7%. Notably, Buena Vista performs exceptionally well for its Hispanic and low-income student populations, ranking in the top 5% and top 10% of California elementary schools, respectively, in these categories.

While Buena Vista Elementary outperforms other Carlsbad Unified schools, including Calavera Hills Elementary, Hope Elementary, and Kelly Elementary, it lags behind the top-performing Magnolia Elementary. However, Buena Vista's ability to maintain strong academic outcomes despite serving a more economically disadvantaged student population is commendable. The recent increase in chronic absenteeism, from 8.8% in 2018-2019 to 30% in 2022-2023, is a concern that the school and district should address.


Detail:

Public K-5

 1330 Buena Vista Way
       Carlsbad, CA  92008-1535


(760) 331-5400

District: Carlsbad Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
609th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $21,243 Help


Students who attend Buena Vista Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Valley Middle
High:    Carlsbad High

Student/teacher ratio:  22.1 Help
Number of students:  288

Racial breakdown:

White:
49.7%
Hispanic:
34.4%
Two or more races:
9.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  26.7% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Buena Vista Elementary ranks better than 89.6% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 6th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Carlsbad Unified School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 91.43. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Buena Vista Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Carlsbad Unified School District. Racial makeup is: White (49.7%), Hispanic (34.4%), two or more races (9.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 26.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Buena Vista Elementary is 22.1, which is the 4th best among 9 elementary schools in the Carlsbad Unified School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Buena Vista Elementary employs 13 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Buena Vista Elementary is $21,243, which is the highest among 9 elementary schools in the Carlsbad Unified School District! (See more...)
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Buena Vista Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Buena Vista Elementary 609th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Buena Vista Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Carlsbad Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Carlsbad Unified 160th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Buena Vista Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 73.28 1182nd 4809 75.4%
2005 70.53 1313th 4822 72.8%
2006 72.80 1224th 4818 74.6%
2007 71.50 1307th 5113 74.4%
2008 50.97 2319th 5113 54.6%
2009 82.74 845th 5193 83.7%
2010 72.98 1330th 5314 75.0%
2011 72.05 1391st 5377 74.1%
2012 72.46 1394th 5390 74.1%
2013 69.48 1597th 5530 71.1%
2015 89.60 636th 5611 88.7%
2016 81.65 1061st 5614 81.1%
2017 92.53 486th 5692 91.5%
2018 85.19 878th 5662 84.5%
2019 84.24 953rd 5789 83.5%
2022 85.92 897th 5883 84.8%
2023 74.07 1425th 5874 75.7%
2024 91.43 609th 5862 89.6%
See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.32 967th 5084 81.0%
2019 76.42 873rd 5173 83.1%
2022 80.10 755th 5264 85.7%
2023 81.30 725th 5374 86.5%
2024 86.97 552nd 5511 90.0%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.20 1029th 5413 81.0%
2019 80.58 1046th 5492 81.0%
2022 84.40 898th 5635 84.1%
2023 77.26 1203rd 5617 78.6%
2024 92.54 458th 5605 91.8%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 86.86 747th 5431 86.2%
2019 85.42 802nd 5510 85.4%
2022 83.82 927th 5663 83.6%
2023 67.21 1633rd 5650 71.1%
2024 86.13 810th 5636 85.6%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 79.44 716th 4830 85.2%
2019 87.79 396th 4963 92.0%
2022 87.76 444th 5084 91.3%
2023 67.09 1314th 5098 74.2%
2024 94.19 201st 5102 96.1%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Buena Vista Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.41 438th 2737 84.0%
2019 72.73 714th 2834 74.8%
2022 73.34 685th 2726 74.9%
2023 59.96 1113th 2662 58.2%
2024 82.78 325th 2647 87.7%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Buena Vista Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Buena Vista Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 299 14 20 94 2 n/a n/a 0 429
1989 413 42 12 135 0 n/a n/a 0 602
1990 458 37 11 149 0 n/a n/a 0 655
1991 478 30 12 178 1 n/a n/a 0 699
1992 416 29 18 210 0 n/a n/a 0 673
1993 392 26 12 226 1 n/a n/a 0 657
1994 350 25 15 210 0 n/a n/a 0 600
1995 314 29 13 250 0 n/a n/a 0 606
1996 314 29 13 250 0 n/a n/a 0 606
1997 300 27 18 221 0 n/a n/a 0 566
1998 280 21 20 224 1 n/a n/a 0 546
1999 268 16 22 195 0 n/a n/a 0 501
2000 269 12 28 195 0 n/a n/a 0 504
2001 257 12 33 188 1 n/a n/a 7 498
2002 206 13 25 169 1 n/a n/a 8 422
2003 206 13 25 169 1 n/a n/a 8 422
2004 192 12 19 136 1 n/a n/a 21 381
2005 199 11 17 155 0 n/a n/a 18 400
2006 128 15 16 131 3 n/a n/a 25 318
2007 121 9 17 117 1 n/a n/a 27 292
2008 116 12 13 107 1 n/a n/a 0 249
2009 126 9 16 103 1 3 29 0 287
2010 113 6 11 103 1 1 20 0 255
2011 132 4 14 112 1 0 13 0 276
2012 133 4 21 113 2 1 12 0 286
2013 141 6 19 107 2 0 14 0 289
2014 141 11 14 100 3 1 13 0 283
2015 169 6 9 121 0 3 10 0 318
2016 143 2 8 107 0 3 19 0 282
2017 148 1 12 107 0 1 19 0 288
2018 169 6 15 113 0 1 20 0 324
2019 174 6 24 135 1 0 21 0 361
2020 190 5 17 141 1 0 30 0 384
2021 141 3 11 108 1 0 23 0 287
2022 142 1 11 111 1 0 23 0 289
2023 131 2 11 107 1 0 24 0 276
2024 143 4 12 99 1 1 28 0 288

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Buena Vista Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 429 18.3 23.4 n/a
1989 602 23.7 25.4 n/a
1990 655 25.7 25.4 n/a
1991 699 25.3 27.6 n/a
1992 673 25.7 26.1 40.3
1993 657 23.0 28.6 40.8
1994 600 23.0 26.1 43.5
1995 606 23.0 26.3 50.5
1996 606 23.0 26.3 50.5
1997 566 23.5 24.1 48.8
1998 546 25.0 21.8 52.9
1999 501 25.8 19.4 45.7
2000 504 24.0 21.0 40.7
2001 498 24.0 20.8 44.4
2002 422 20.0 21.1 42.8
2003 422 20.0 21.1 42.8
2004 381 18.5 20.6 37.2
2005 400 17.0 23.5 49.7
2006 318 17.0 18.7 35.5
2007 292 18.0 16.2 66.8
2008 249 15.6 16.0 56.2
2009 287 11.6 18.4 42.9
2010 255 19.1 13.3 43.1
2011 276 n/a n/a 43.1
2012 286 10.0 28.6 n/a
2013 289 10.5 27.5 38.4
2014 283 10.0 28.3 31.1
2015 318 12.0 26.5 30.8
2016 282 10.0 28.2 32.6
2017 288 11.0 26.1 25.7
2018 324 13.0 24.9 31.2
2019 361 14.0 25.7 29.1
2020 384 n/a n/a 30.2
2021 287 13.0 22.0 28.2
2022 289 14.0 20.6 24.9
2023 276 13.0 21.2 30.1
2024 288 13.0 22.1 26.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Buena Vista Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 429 18.3 23.4 n/a
1989 602 23.7 25.4 n/a
1990 655 25.7 25.4 n/a
1991 699 25.3 27.6 n/a
1992 673 25.7 26.1 40.3
1993 657 23.0 28.6 40.8
1994 600 23.0 26.1 43.5
1995 606 23.0 26.3 50.5
1996 606 23.0 26.3 50.5
1997 566 23.5 24.1 48.8
1998 546 25.0 21.8 52.9
1999 501 25.8 19.4 45.7
2000 504 24.0 21.0 40.7
2001 498 24.0 20.8 44.4
2002 422 20.0 21.1 42.8
2003 422 20.0 21.1 42.8
2004 381 18.5 20.6 37.2
2005 400 17.0 23.5 49.7
2006 318 17.0 18.7 35.5
2007 292 18.0 16.2 66.8
2008 249 15.6 16.0 56.2
2009 287 11.6 18.4 42.9
2010 255 19.1 13.3 43.1
2011 276 n/a n/a 43.1
2012 286 10.0 28.6 n/a
2013 289 10.5 27.5 38.4
2014 283 10.0 28.3 31.1
2015 318 12.0 26.5 30.8
2016 282 10.0 28.2 32.6
2017 288 11.0 26.1 25.7
2018 324 13.0 24.9 31.2
2019 361 14.0 25.7 29.1
2020 384 n/a n/a 30.2
2021 287 13.0 22.0 28.2
2022 289 14.0 20.6 24.9
2023 276 13.0 21.2 30.1
2024 288 13.0 22.1 26.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates

Buena Vista Elementary

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionConditionalPolioHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMMR
201285.0%15.0%0.0%0.0%85.0%85.0%85.0%85.0%85.0%
201381.0%13.0%2.0%4.0%85.0%85.0%85.0%81.0%85.0%
201486.0%9.0%0.0%5.0%91.0%88.0%91.0%91.0%88.0%
201587.0%8.0%0.0%6.0%89.0%91.0%92.0%89.0%89.0%
201691.0%9.0%0.0%0.0%91.0%91.0%91.0%91.0%91.0%
2017≥95.0%≤5.0%≤5.0%≤5.0%≥95.0%≥95.0%≥95.0%≥95.0%≥95.0%
201889.0%0.0%2.0%8.0%92.0%96.0%≥98.0%92.0%94.0%
201993.0%2.0%0.0%95.0%93.0%≥98.0%95.0%97.0%
202096.3%1.9%0.0%
202294.3%0.0%0.0%94.3%

Data source: California Department of Public Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Buena Vista Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,063 (8.8%) $11,029 (91.2%) $12,092
2020 $1,200 (9.2%) $11,882 (90.8%) $13,082
2021 $2,642 (15.0%) $14,989 (85.0%) $17,631
2022 $712 (6.2%) $10,850 (93.8%) $11,562
2023 $960 (7.4%) $12,081 (92.6%) $13,041
2024 $1,524 (7.2%) $19,719 (92.8%) $21,243

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Buena Vista Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 953rd of 5789 Elementary schoolsRanks 1425th of 5874 Elementary schools
 7.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Buena Vista Elementary)7054.9
 15.1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Carlsbad Unified)7875.6
 2.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.543
 5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Buena Vista Elementary)7062
 8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Carlsbad Unified)79.279.9
 0.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (California)50.245.1
 5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Buena Vista Elementary)72.766.1
 6.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Carlsbad Unified)77.575.1
 2.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.543.7
 5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Buena Vista Elementary)74.671.9
 2.7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Carlsbad Unified)73.875.3
 1.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (California)44.940.8
 4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Buena Vista Elementary)73.747.8
 25.9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Carlsbad Unified)82.478.9
 3.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.746.7
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Buena Vista Elementary)53.937
 16.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Carlsbad Unified)72.865.3
 7.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (California)3833.4
 4.6%
5th Grade Science (Buena Vista Elementary)35.939.1
 3.2%
   5th Grade Science (Carlsbad Unified)63.763.4
 0.3%
   5th Grade Science (California)31.731.9
 0.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students361276
 23.5%
African American62
 66.7%
American Indian11
Asian2411
 54.2%
Hispanic135107
 20.7%
Pacific Islander00
White174131
 24.7%
Two or More Races2124
 14.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients29.1%30.1%
 1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Buena Vista Elementary

Students at Buena Vista Elementary are 50% White, 34% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 1% African American.

Buena Vista Elementary ranks 609th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Buena Vista Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Valley Middle
High : Carlsbad High

In the 2023-24 school year, 288 students attended Buena Vista 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.





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