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

Capistrano Elementary

Public Grades K-6

4803^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 18% of California elementary schools

Summary

Capistrano Elementary is a K-6 public school serving 469 students in Modesto, part of the Empire Union Elementary district, which faces significant academic challenges across its schools.

The school is contending with serious issues, most notably a chronic absenteeism rate of 29.8%, which is far higher than the state average and nearly double the rate of nearby schools like Alice N. Stroud Elementary. Academically, its performance has declined over several years, with only about 28% of students proficient in English and 21% in Math, placing it in the bottom tier of California schools. This is occurring despite a substantial increase in per-student spending, suggesting challenges in translating resources into results.

When compared to other local schools, Capistrano's situation stands out. Other schools in the same district with similar student demographics, such as Christine Sipherd Elementary and Bernard L. Hughes Elementary, achieve stronger academic results. Furthermore, the exceptional performance of nearby Lakewood Elementary in the Modesto City Elementary district shows what is possible in the area. A notable strength for Capistrano has been its historical effectiveness with English Language Learner students, indicating an area of expertise that could inform broader improvement efforts.

469

Students ?

26.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,406

Per pupil spending ?

89.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

400 Capistrano Dr.
Modesto, CA 95354-3243

(209) 521-8664

District: Empire Union Elementary

Students who attend Capistrano Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Norman N. Glick Middle
High:	Peter Johansen High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

76.3%

White:

9.6%

Two or more races:

4.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Capistrano Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 24th percentile in 2013 → 18th in 2025

Worth a look

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

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (30% vs 19% California)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school23%

District avg29%

California avg41%

4,803^rd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 18%▼ down 14 pts since 2015

From bottom 32% (2015) to bottom 18% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Empire Union Elementary

1163^rd of 1,543Empire Union Elementary 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	20.3	4803 of 5857	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.7	4397 of 5869	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.9	3890 of 5859	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.4	4109 of 5883	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.7	3025 of 5789	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.9	3225 of 5662	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.3	3349 of 5692	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	29.7	3793 of 5614	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	28.4	3836 of 5611	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	27.7	4227 of 5530	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	27.5	4131 of 5390	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	28.7	4076 of 5377	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	28.2	3996 of 5314	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	36.6	3270 of 5193	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	49.6	2390 of 5113	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	45.4	2600 of 5113	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	39.3	2751 of 4818	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2005	40.9	2663 of 4822	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2004	34.2	2992 of 4809	37.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	24.8	1750 of 2227	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.4	1523 of 2585	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.9	1820 of 2128	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	50.0	1179 of 3162	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.3	740 of 3245	77.2%	★★★★☆
2022	38.7	1893 of 3311	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.9	1353 of 3275	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.1	1653 of 3246	49.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	28.0	4013 of 5597	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.7	3913 of 5612	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.7	4164 of 5609	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.4	3888 of 5635	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.3	3031 of 5492	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.0	3274 of 5413	39.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	32.1	3603 of 5107	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.6	2990 of 5107	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.6	2382 of 5087	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.8	3161 of 5084	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.6	1602 of 4963	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.2	2104 of 4830	56.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.6	4161 of 5460	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.9	3706 of 5517	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.2	3053 of 5363	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.0	3098 of 5264	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.2	1885 of 5173	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.0	2033 of 5084	60.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	16.1	5031 of 5628	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.1	4524 of 5643	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.7	3433 of 5638	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.9	3962 of 5663	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.2	2828 of 5510	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.6	3000 of 5431	44.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	4.1	2612 of 2661	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.6	2450 of 2834	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.0	1635 of 2737	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)63rd percentile+38 vs school

Hispanic (2025)29th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2025)28th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)24th percentile+6 vs school

Disabled (2022)21st percentile-9 vs school

Male (2025)11th percentile-7 vs school

White (2023)2nd percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy28%-21 vs state

Mathematics21%-16 vs state

Science12%-20 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Capistrano Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Capistrano 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

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Capistrano 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 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 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 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
Capistrano Elementary	Public	K-6	400 Capistrano Dr.	Modesto	95354	Stanislaus County	Empire Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 521-8664	469	18	26.0	89.8%	45 (9.6%)	22 (4.7%)	358 (76.3%)	20 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (4.9%)	20.3	4803^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	18.0%		24.7	4397^th of 5869 public elementary schools	25.1%	406	12.5	12.5	21.7	26.7	26.6	36.4	27.8	20.3	33.3	10.9	21.2	21.2	94.5			97.3	95.9		$17,406	$2,832	$14,574
Bernard L. Hughes Elementary	Public	K-6	512 North McClure Rd.	Modesto	95357	Stanislaus County	Empire Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 527-1330	455	17	26.7	82.4%	58 (12.7%)	22 (4.8%)	289 (63.5%)	46 (10.1%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (5.3%)	14 (3.1%)	35.1	3572^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	39.0%		27.8	4129^th of 5869 public elementary schools	29.6%	557	26.2	26.2	34.3	28.8	42.9	43.1	37.1	42.3	16.7	33.9	24.6	29.6	94.9	95.9	96.9	95.9	95.9	96.9	$17,383	$2,744	$14,639
El Vista Elementary	Public	K-6	450 El Vista Ave.	Modesto	95354	Stanislaus County	Modesto City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-1972	447	22	20.6	86.6%	57 (12.8%)	13 (2.9%)	340 (76.1%)	9 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.3%)	24.7	4435^th of 5857 public elementary schools	24.3%		40.4	3158^th of 5869 public elementary schools	46.2%	1277	17.9	17.9	28.6	26.3	49.3	31.7	34.4	19.1	19.0	22.4	18.3	19.8	90.2	95.1		95.1	91.5	95.1	$23,799	$3,572	$20,227
Lakewood Elementary	Public	K-6	2920 Middleboro Pl.	Modesto	95355	Stanislaus County	Modesto City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-8152	395	18	22.2	42.5%	129 (32.7%)	9 (2.3%)	183 (46.3%)	22 (5.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	50 (12.7%)	80.7	1130^th of 5857 public elementary schools	80.7%		80.6	1130^th of 5869 public elementary schools	80.7%		52.4	52.4	61.9	62.7	61.9	74.0	64.6	54.7	53.7	55.6	67.4	57.2							$20,897	$3,284	$17,613
Sonoma Elementary	Public	K-6	1325 Sonoma Ave.	Modesto	95355	Stanislaus County	Modesto City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-8432	536	25	21.1	57.8%	136 (25.4%)	8 (1.5%)	291 (54.3%)	45 (8.4%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	51 (9.5%)	63	1921^st of 5857 public elementary schools	67.2%		67.2	1720^th of 5869 public elementary schools	70.7%	201	29.2	29.2	63.6	42.4	59.4	66.7	57.6	55.4	36.4	40.6	46.3	44.6	78.5	93.9	96.9	95.4	95.4	95.4	$21,966	$3,349	$18,617
Christine Sipherd Elementary	Public	K-6	3420 East Orangeburg Ave.	Modesto	95355	Stanislaus County	Empire Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 524-4844	505	21	24.0	82.4%	122 (24.2%)	31 (6.1%)	291 (57.6%)	32 (6.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	26 (5.1%)	41.4	3125^th of 5857 public elementary schools	46.6%		33.8	3616^th of 5869 public elementary schools	38.4%	491	19.1	19.1	57.8	31.3	32.3	41.9	41.2	59.7	25.4	19.1	34.9	35.5	94.3	95.7		94.3	95.7	94.3	$17,294	$2,740	$14,554
Rose Avenue Elementary	Public	K-6	1120 Rose Ave.	Modesto	95355	Stanislaus County	Modesto City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-8412	561	24	23.0	74.9%	128 (22.8%)	12 (2.1%)	355 (63.3%)	17 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (8.7%)	28.5	4096^th of 5857 public elementary schools	30.1%		27.2	4183^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	28.7%	87	17.1	17.1	37.0	26.0	32.9	37.8	33.6	42.0	16.9	15.8	28.9	26.2							$19,753	$2,846	$16,907
Alice N. Stroud Elementary	Public	K-6	815 Frazine Rd.	Modesto	95357	Stanislaus County	Empire Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 491-0754	379	16	23.6	81.3%	71 (18.7%)	7 (1.8%)	275 (72.6%)	13 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	10 (2.6%)	26.4	4289^th of 5857 public elementary schools	26.8%		21.8	4696^th of 5869 public elementary schools	20.0%	407	13.7	13.7	34.8	23.8	21.6	37.3	29.2	50.0	26.6	8.0	27.1	27.4	94.8	96.1		96.1	94.8	96.1	$17,385	$2,779	$14,606
Orville Wright Elementary	Public	K-6	1602 Monterey St.	Modesto	95354	Stanislaus County	Modesto City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-8462	399	16	24.6	92.5%	47 (11.8%)	7 (1.8%)	329 (82.5%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.5%)	8.4	5714^th of 5857 public elementary schools	2.4%		9.6	5700^th of 5869 public elementary schools	2.9%	14	3.9	3.9	10.3	18.6	10.0	14.5	13.4	19.1	16.4	3.9	9.0	12.5	96.2						$23,032	$4,441	$18,591
Orchard Elementary	Public	K-5	1800 Wisdom Way	Modesto	95355	Stanislaus County	Sylvan Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 552-3100	579	28	20.6	70.1%	120 (20.7%)	32 (5.5%)	324 (56.0%)	39 (6.7%)	3 (0.5%)	9 (1.6%)	52 (9.0%)	41.1	3148^th of 5857 public elementary schools	46.3%		32.1	3776^th of 5869 public elementary schools	35.7%	628	28.4	28.4	40.3	31.9	40.9		37.5	51.3	30.9	34.1		38.1	94.7	96.5	97.4	98.3	95.6		$13,957	$863	$13,094

Frequently Asked Questions about Capistrano Elementary

What district is Capistrano Elementary in?

Empire Union Elementary

How many students attend Capistrano Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 469 students attended Capistrano Elementary.

Is Capistrano Elementary a good school?

Capistrano Elementary ranks in the bottom 18.0% of California elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Capistrano Elementary?

Students at Capistrano Elementary are 76% Hispanic, 10% White, 5% Two or more races, 5% African American, 4% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Capistrano Elementary attend?

Students who attend Capistrano Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Norman N. Glick Middle
High : Peter Johansen High

Rate Capistrano Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Modesto, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Capistrano 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.