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

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the California Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the California Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

Mary Buren Elementary

Public Grades K-4

5579^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of California elementary schools

Summary

Mary Buren Elementary is a K-4 school serving 738 students in Guadalupe, California, operating within the Guadalupe Union Elementary district, which ranks among the lowest in the state.

Academically, the school faces significant challenges, consistently ranking in the bottom 10% of California elementary schools for the past decade, with proficiency rates in English and math well below state averages. While the school serves a high-need population, its performance lags behind nearby schools with similar demographics, such as Lange (Dorothea) Elementary and Ontiveros (Juan Pacifico) Elementary, which achieve better results. A notable positive trend is a dramatic improvement in chronic absenteeism, which has fallen from over 50% to 15.2%, suggesting successful interventions in this area.

Key insights include that student performance varies by subgroup, with English Learners showing relative strength, and that the school spends slightly less per student than many nearby schools in the Santa Maria-Bonita district. The school's persistent low ranking indicates systemic challenges, though its recent attendance gains and relative strength in Spanish listening skills are assets that could be built upon for future improvement.

738

Students ?

18.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$30,531

Per pupil spending ?

90.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1050 Peralta St.
Guadalupe, CA 93434-0788

(805) 343-2411

District: Guadalupe Union Elementary

Students who attend Mary Buren Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Kermit McKenzie Intermediate
High:	Ernest Righetti High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

95.1%

White:

3.4%

Two or more races:

0.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Mary Buren Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 2nd percentile in 2015 → 5th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (18% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!English Language Arts/Literacy scores 29 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school18%

District avg19%

California avg42%

5,579^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

From bottom 2% (2015) to bottom 5% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1479^th of 1,543Guadalupe 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	10.9	5579 of 5857	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.8	5495 of 5869	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.1	5468 of 5859	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.4	5575 of 5883	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.3	1368 of 1417	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.6	5482 of 5789	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.7	5127 of 5662	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.8	5600 of 5692	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	10.7	5399 of 5614	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	9.3	5514 of 5611	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	6.6	5423 of 5530	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	5.9	5321 of 5390	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	6.1	5321 of 5377	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	4.4	5280 of 5314	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	6.8	5113 of 5193	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	10.9	4882 of 5113	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	12.9	4774 of 5113	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	17.3	4190 of 4818	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	21.7	3847 of 4822	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	14.8	4351 of 4809	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	21.9	1925 of 2227	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.6	285 of 293	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	51.1	747 of 2128	64.9%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	36.0	2110 of 3162	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.1	2664 of 3245	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.5	2653 of 3311	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.6	453 of 602	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.0	2568 of 3275	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.2	1809 of 3246	44.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	9.9	5441 of 5597	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.8	5310 of 5612	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.8	5243 of 5609	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	5325 of 5635	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.0	1192 of 1267	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.8	5368 of 5492	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.5	4941 of 5413	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	13.9	4813 of 5107	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.0	4594 of 5107	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.5	4640 of 5087	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.0	4747 of 5084	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.3	4550 of 4963	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	20.5	4218 of 4830	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	14.1	5117 of 5460	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.3	5128 of 5517	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.3	4940 of 5363	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.2	4897 of 5264	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.0	1062 of 1110	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.6	4804 of 5173	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.8	4716 of 5084	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	13.5	5218 of 5628	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	5227 of 5643	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.5	5267 of 5638	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.9	5377 of 5663	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.8	1239 of 1272	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.4	4949 of 5510	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.7	4911 of 5431	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	19.7	2610 of 2847	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	30.1	1811 of 2635	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.6	1875 of 2420	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)33rd percentile+27 vs school

Disabled (2022)14th percentile+8 vs school

Special Education (2025)8th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)7th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)6th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)6th percentile~ school

Female (2025)3rd percentile~ school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Listening35%+10 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy20%-29 vs state

Writing19%~ state avg

Mathematics15%-22 vs state

Overall10%~ state avg

Reading6%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Mary Buren 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 Mary Buren Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	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	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mary Buren Elementary	Public	K-4	1050 Peralta St.	Guadalupe	93434	Santa Barbara County	Guadalupe Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 343-2411	738	39	18.9	90.1%	25 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	702 (95.1%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.7%)	10.9	5579^th of 5857 public elementary schools	4.7%		12.8	5495^th of 5869 public elementary schools	6.4%	84	12.8	7.5	10.1	51.3	20.0	35.4	18.0	20.0	19.0	7.7	5.0	6.3			19.8	20.6			20.2	17.9	12.3			14.8				$30,531	$27,332	$3,199
Bonita Elementary	Public	K-6	2715 West Main St.	Santa Maria	93458	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria-Bonita	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 361-8290	535	30	18.1	97.8%	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	529 (98.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	11.3	5548^th of 5857 public elementary schools	5.3%		12.7	5504^th of 5869 public elementary schools	6.2%	44													4.3	4.3	14.3	11.1	14.3	27.0	16.7	19.5	13.9	11.4	18.9	16.0				$25,957	$24,212	$1,745
Lange (Dorothea) Elementary	Public	K-6	1661 Via Alta Mesa	Nipomo	93444	San Luis Obispo County	Lucia Mar Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 474-3670	577	26	22.4	67.2%	209 (36.2%)	0 (0.0%)	340 (58.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.3%)	46.7	2781^st of 5857 public elementary schools	52.5%		41.3	3102^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	47.1%	321													23.5	23.5	49.4	44.7	40.2	43.9	44.4	54.3	40.0	23.5	38.3	38.3				$14,626	$11,834	$2,792
Dana Elementary	Public	K-6	920 West Tefft St.	Nipomo	93444	San Luis Obispo County	Lucia Mar Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 474-3790	612	31	19.9	77.1%	161 (26.3%)	1 (0.2%)	418 (68.3%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.2%)	29.7	3989^th of 5857 public elementary schools	31.9%		37.8	3318^th of 5869 public elementary schools	43.5%	671													14.0	14.0	37.8	33.8	30.4	35.3	34.1	43.2	26.1	22.6	27.7	29.6	98.0			$14,152	$11,334	$2,818
Oakley (Calvin C.) Elementary	Public	K-6	1120 West Harding St.	Santa Maria	93458	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria-Bonita	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 361-7620	849	40	21.0	95.9%	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	830 (97.8%)	11 (1.3%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	15	5261^st of 5857 public elementary schools	10.2%		14.8	5321^st of 5869 public elementary schools	9.3%	60													13.5	13.5	14.2	25.9	20.0	17.2	19.4	18.2	33.0	12.7	11.1	19.0	95.6		96.4	$22,073	$20,412	$1,661
Ontiveros (Juan Pacifico) Elementary	Public	K-6	930 West Rancho Verde	Santa Maria	93458	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria-Bonita	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 361-7680	869	35	24.8	94.2%	8 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	840 (96.7%)	10 (1.2%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	40.6	3177^th of 5857 public elementary schools	45.8%		44.8	2878^th of 5869 public elementary schools	51.0%	299													22.1	22.1	32.5	44.4	40.2	37.7	38.5	49.6	46.3	30.1	22.8	37.2				$21,512	$19,834	$1,678
Fairlawn Elementary	Public	K-6	120 Mary Dr.	Santa Maria	93458	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria-Bonita	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 361-7500	716	34	20.8	97.6%	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	705 (98.5%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14.9	5272^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	10.0%		18.4	4993^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	14.9%	279													11.8	11.8	21.1	22.2	16.8	29.7	22.4	16.5	18.9	14.7	18.5	17.1	96.5	97.4		$21,460	$19,810	$1,650
Liberty Elementary	Public	K-6	1300 West Sonya Ln.	Santa Maria	93458	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria-Bonita	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 361-4530	865	41	20.9	92.7%	28 (3.2%)	5 (0.6%)	799 (92.4%)	23 (2.7%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.7%)	12.8	5435^th of 5857 public elementary schools	7.2%		11.6	5575^th of 5869 public elementary schools	5.0%	140													10.7	10.7	15.6	19.1	31.5	21.0	21.6	24.6	13.9	13.3	4.8	14.5	97.9	97.9		$15,707	$13,458	$2,249
Arellanes (Don Juan Bautista) Elementary	Public	K-6	1890 Sandalwood Dr.	Santa Maria	93455	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria-Bonita	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 361-6860	298	17	17.0	95.3%	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	291 (97.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29	4038^th of 5857 public elementary schools	31.1%		33	3692^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	37.1%	346													30.6	30.6	12.8	23.8	41.7	41.5	29.8	28.2	19.1	19.4	36.6	26.0				$28,269	$26,596	$1,673
Bruce (Robert) Elementary	Public	K-6	601 West Alvin Ave.	Santa Maria	93458	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria-Bonita	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 361-6940	1,050	47	22.3	96.1%	10 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1,026 (97.7%)	4 (0.4%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.6%)	10.8	5583^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	4.7%		10.7	5651^st of 5869 public elementary schools	3.7%	68													8.6	8.6	12.0	17.1	26.3	11.9	16.5	17.6	20.5	14.2	6.7	14.6	98.1			$20,386	$18,294	$2,092

Frequently Asked Questions about Mary Buren Elementary

What schools do graduates of Mary Buren Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mary Buren Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Kermit McKenzie Intermediate
High : Ernest Righetti High

How many students attend Mary Buren Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 738 students attended Mary Buren Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Mary Buren Elementary?

Students at Mary Buren Elementary are 95% Hispanic, 3% White.

What district is Mary Buren Elementary in?

Guadalupe Union Elementary

Is Mary Buren Elementary a good school?

Mary Buren Elementary ranks in the bottom 4.7% of California elementary schools.

Rate Mary Buren Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Guadalupe, CA

Sign up for updates!

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

Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.