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La Patera Elementary

Q: Is La Patera Elementary a good school?

La Patera Elementary ranks 2330 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

2330^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 60% of California elementary schools

Summary

La Patera Elementary is a K-6 public school serving 369 students in the Goleta Union Elementary district, presenting a profile of a school with some clear strengths alongside significant academic challenges.

The school's most notable strength is its strong attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 7.4%, which is better than the district average and notably lower than nearby schools like Brandon Elementary and Ellwood Elementary. However, academic performance is a key area for improvement, as test scores in English, math, and science are significantly below both the district average and top-performing schools such as Mountain View Elementary and Foothill Elementary. Furthermore, the school's statewide ranking has recently declined, and there are pronounced performance differences between different groups of students, with some subgroups showing sharp drops in achievement.

Interestingly, La Patera operates with the highest per-student spending in its district, yet its academic outcomes place it in the lower third compared to its eight peers within Goleta Union Elementary. This contrasts with schools like Hollister Elementary, which serves a similar student population but achieves higher scores. The school has shown historical success with English Learners, suggesting it has effective support systems that may need reinforcement to address current academic gaps and improve consistency across all grade levels.

369

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,095

Per pupil spending ?

45%

Free/discounted lunch ?

555 North La Patera Ln.
Goleta, CA 93117-1507

(805) 681-1280

District: Goleta Union Elementary

Students who attend La Patera Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Goleta Valley Junior High
High:	Dos Pueblos Senior High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.6%

White:

32.2%

Two or more races:

8.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare La Patera Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 49th percentile in 2013 → 60th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2013

✓Above the California median (60th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Goleta Union Elementary's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school43%

District avg58%

California avg41%

2,330^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 40%▲ up 17 pts since 2015

From bottom 44% (2015) to top 40% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 9Elementary Schools in the Goleta Union Elementary

295^th of 1,543Goleta 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	54.7	2330 of 5857	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.1	1725 of 5869	70.6%	★★★★☆
2023	68.1	1669 of 5859	71.5%	★★★★☆
2022	57.2	2167 of 5883	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.9	2429 of 5789	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.7	2632 of 5662	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	58.2	2106 of 5692	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	48.5	2568 of 5614	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	37.6	3159 of 5611	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	48.1	2798 of 5530	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	58.5	2123 of 5390	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	52.6	2442 of 5377	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	49.5	2590 of 5314	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	35.3	3348 of 5193	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	40.0	2941 of 5113	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	44.5	2650 of 5113	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	45.6	2404 of 4818	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	40.2	2701 of 4822	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2004	41.6	2563 of 4809	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	65.3	624 of 3245	80.8%	★★★★☆
2022	55.3	954 of 3311	71.2%	★★★★☆
2019	43.7	1566 of 3275	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	33.9	2135 of 3246	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.7	2540 of 5597	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.2	1801 of 5612	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.2	1709 of 5609	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.6	2185 of 5635	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.7	2449 of 5492	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.0	2831 of 5413	47.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	25.9	4055 of 5107	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.3	3092 of 5107	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.1	2421 of 5087	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.1	3138 of 5084	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.5	2390 of 4963	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.9	2623 of 4830	45.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	33.0	3749 of 5460	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.3	2581 of 5517	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.5	2800 of 5363	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.5	2362 of 5264	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.1	2963 of 5173	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.7	3425 of 5084	32.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	58.0	2063 of 5628	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.9	1665 of 5643	70.5%	★★★★☆
2023	66.6	1657 of 5638	70.6%	★★★★☆
2022	58.9	2015 of 5663	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.2	2302 of 5510	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.5	2308 of 5431	57.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	77.8	495 of 2598	80.9%	★★★★☆
2024	83.6	297 of 2651	88.8%	★★★★☆
2023	77.4	527 of 2661	80.2%	★★★★☆
2022	70.4	795 of 2726	70.8%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2025)81st percentile+21 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)81st percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)63rd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)55th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)31st percentile-29 vs school

Hispanic (2025)21st percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy50%~ state avg

Science45%+13 vs state

Mathematics36%~ state avg

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Great teachers, fantastic principal and a wonderfully welcoming community of families. All have our students best interest in mind, always. Low student to teacher ratios and great enrichment programs. We love La Patera School! Close Quote

Schools Near La Patera Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)			CSA Spanish Listening (2025)			CSA Spanish Writing (2025)			CSA Spanish Reading (2025)			CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)					% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (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	CSA Spanish Overall 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	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	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
La Patera Elementary	Public	K-6	555 North La Patera Ln.	Goleta	93117	Santa Barbara County	Goleta Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 681-1280	369	20	18.4	45.0%	119 (32.2%)	0 (0.0%)	209 (56.6%)	9 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.7%)	54.7	2330^th of 5857 public elementary schools	60.2%		67.1	1725^th of 5869 public elementary schools	70.6%	605													45.3	45.3	37.7	52.3	49.1	59.3	49.8	34.0	34.1	39.6	37.3	36.4						$21,095	$625	$20,470
Santa Barbara Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	6100 Stow Canyon Rd.	Goleta	93117	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 967-6522	269	12	22.2	24.5%	157 (58.4%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (26.4%)	16 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (9.3%)	68	1689^th of 5857 public elementary schools	71.2%		57.4	2173^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	63.0%	484													48.6	51.2	59.5	53.9	54.3	54.6	59.1	59.5	46.2	42.9	31.8	46.2						$7,677	$786	$6,891
Kellogg Elementary	Public	K-6	475 Cambridge Ave.	Goleta	93117	Santa Barbara County	Goleta Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 681-1277	369	17	21.7	24.9%	176 (47.7%)	1 (0.3%)	129 (35.0%)	22 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (11.1%)	84.8	930^th of 5857 public elementary schools	84.1%		78.9	1203^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	79.5%	273													53.9	53.9	77.8	63.4	70.0	71.9	70.7	66.7	58.5	47.5	55.4	56.6						$20,250	$625	$19,625
Mountain View Elementary	Public	K-6	5465 Queen Anne Ln.	Santa Barbara	93111	Santa Barbara County	Goleta Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 681-1284	351	18	19.5	16.8%	212 (60.4%)	1 (0.3%)	69 (19.7%)	22 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (13.4%)	95.1	316^th of 5857 public elementary schools	94.6%		96.4	229^th of 5869 public elementary schools	96.1%	87													60.3	60.3	91.7	85.7	76.3	81.6	83.4	83.3	73.8	66.1	86.8	76.5						$20,253	$625	$19,628
Isla Vista Elementary	Public	K-6	6875 El Colegio Rd.	Goleta	93117	Santa Barbara County	Goleta Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 685-4418	418	21	19.9	47.6%	104 (24.9%)	6 (1.4%)	196 (46.9%)	69 (16.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (10.0%)	85	924^th of 5857 public elementary schools	84.2%		89	750^th of 5869 public elementary schools	87.2%	174													46.0	46.0	64.3	67.4	63.9	77.1	68.3	66.1	64.6	60.9	57.4	62.1	97.0					$21,219	$625	$20,594
Foothill Elementary	Public	K-6	711 Ribera Dr.	Santa Barbara	93111	Santa Barbara County	Goleta Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 681-1268	413	19	21.7	17.7%	208 (50.4%)	2 (0.5%)	111 (26.9%)	26 (6.3%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	59 (14.3%)	90.2	649^th of 5857 public elementary schools	88.9%		94.3	401^st of 5869 public elementary schools	93.2%	248													71.4	71.4	79.6	59.3	79.1	82.5	74.7	85.2	51.7	73.8	68.4	69.0						$20,290	$625	$19,665
Brandon Elementary	Public	K-6	195 Brandon Dr.	Goleta	93117	Santa Barbara County	Goleta Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 571-3770	429	21	20.4	42.2%	162 (37.8%)	3 (0.7%)	206 (48.0%)	16 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.8%)	72.6	1492^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	74.5%		62.3	1968^th of 5869 public elementary schools	66.5%	476													55.3	55.3	41.7	38.6	70.7	70.8	57.6	58.3	43.9	50.0	52.3	50.8						$20,375	$625	$19,750
El Camino Elementary	Public	K-6	5020 San Simeon Dr.	Santa Barbara	93111	Santa Barbara County	Goleta Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 692-5574	350	17	20.5	46.6%	57 (16.3%)	3 (0.9%)	260 (74.3%)	8 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.0%)	44.3	2924^th of 5857 public elementary schools	50.1%		42.9	2998^th of 5869 public elementary schools	48.9%	74	21.6	22.7	22.1	51.0	18.2	35.8	27.5	31.8	29.5	13.7	25.0	19.0	20.0	20.0	45.1	39.6	43.3	54.6	44.9	47.1	35.2	16.7	33.3	35.1						$21,365	$625	$20,740
Ellwood Elementary	Public	K-6	7686 Hollister Ave.	Goleta	93117	Santa Barbara County	Goleta Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 571-3774	303	17	17.8	43.6%	97 (32.0%)	1 (0.3%)	161 (53.1%)	20 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.6%)	61.8	1975^th of 5857 public elementary schools	66.3%		71.6	1517^th of 5869 public elementary schools	74.2%	458													46.5	46.5	48.8	40.0	53.5	70.0	54.0	48.8	35.0	41.9	40.4	41.6	95.6	95.6	95.6	97.1	95.6	$20,375	$625	$19,750
Hollister Elementary	Public	K-6	4950 Anita Ln.	Santa Barbara	93111	Santa Barbara County	Goleta Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 681-1271	393	21	18.7	44.5%	124 (31.6%)	3 (0.8%)	203 (51.7%)	28 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (8.7%)	75	1369^th of 5857 public elementary schools	76.6%		74.7	1377^th of 5869 public elementary schools	76.5%	8													46.7	46.7	61.0	41.9	71.1	62.2	59.2	56.1	46.5	62.2	55.6	55.2						$20,568	$625	$19,943

Frequently Asked Questions about La Patera Elementary

Is La Patera Elementary a good school?

La Patera Elementary ranks 2330^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of La Patera Elementary attend?

Students who attend La Patera Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Goleta Valley Junior High
High : Dos Pueblos Senior High

How many students attend La Patera Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 369 students attended La Patera Elementary.

What district is La Patera Elementary in?

Goleta Union Elementary

What is the racial makeup of La Patera Elementary?

Students at La Patera Elementary are 57% Hispanic, 32% White, 9% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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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.