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Happy Valley Elementary

Public Grades K-6

173^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,817 California Elementary Schools

Better than 97% of California elementary schools

Summary

Happy Valley Elementary is a K–6 school in Santa Cruz, California, with 106 students. It is also its own district, and its school and district test results are identical. Its clearest distinction is leading the nine nearby schools in both 2025–26 ELA and math, with proficiency rates of 84% in each subject—13 points above the next-highest nearby ELA result and 14 points above the next-highest math result.

Results are strong against California’s, too: Happy Valley exceeded the state by 35 percentage points in ELA, 46 in math and 24 in science. Locally, the school’s science performance is less exceptional: it ranks third, behind Brook Knoll Elementary at 64% and Vine Hill Elementary at 61%, compared with Happy Valley’s 60%. The school’s results match those of the Happy Valley Elementary district in all three subjects.

Results have moved in different directions: from 2022–23 to 2025–26, math rose 12 points, science fell 15 points, and ELA ended 6 points lower despite recovering from a dip. SchoolDigger ranks the school 172nd of 5,804, in the 97th percentile with five stars—the highest current percentile among nearby schools with a ranking. In 2024–25, the student-teacher ratio was 16.5, the lowest reported nearby. That year, 8% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible, the lowest same-measure rate among nearby schools; Vine Hill Elementary was next at 11%. Chronic absenteeism was 17% in 2025–26, 2 points below California’s rate, but higher than at several nearby schools, including Brook Knoll Elementary at 3% and Vine Hill at 6%. These figures describe the school’s context but do not explain its test results.

106

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,080

Per pupil spending ?

7.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

Not published

Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2024-25)

3125 Branciforte Dr.
Santa Cruz, CA 95065-9775

(831) 429-1456

District: Happy Valley Elementary

Students who attend Happy Valley Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Branciforte Middle
High:	Harbor High

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.4%

Two or more races:

13.2%

Hispanic:

7.5%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 92nd percentile in 2015 → 97th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (82% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 3% of California elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school82%

District avg82%

California avg42%

173^rd of 5,817

California public elementary schools ?

Top 3%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

24^th of 1,530Happy Valley 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
2026	96.6	173 of 5817	97.0%	★★★★★
2025	95.1	323 of 5857	94.5%	★★★★★
2024	95.5	305 of 5869	94.8%	★★★★★
2023	96.4	236 of 5859	96.0%	★★★★★
2022	92.2	580 of 5883	90.1%	★★★★★
2019	96.2	209 of 5789	96.4%	★★★★★
2018	93.9	381 of 5662	93.3%	★★★★★
2017	92.9	460 of 5692	91.9%	★★★★★
2016	96.6	195 of 5614	96.5%	★★★★★
2015	92.7	467 of 5611	91.7%	★★★★★
2013	88.8	542 of 5530	90.2%	★★★★★
2012	89.4	458 of 5390	91.5%	★★★★★
2011	85.4	712 of 5377	86.8%	★★★★☆
2010	91.8	338 of 5314	93.6%	★★★★★
2009	91.1	409 of 5193	92.1%	★★★★★
2008	91.8	379 of 5113	92.6%	★★★★★
2007	88.0	627 of 5113	87.7%	★★★★☆
2006	93.3	313 of 4818	93.5%	★★★★★
2005	93.4	304 of 4822	93.7%	★★★★★
2004	89.8	519 of 4809	89.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	96.1	180 of 5612	96.8%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	87.6	733 of 5643	87.0%	★★★★☆
2019	94.1	307 of 5510	94.4%	★★★★★
2018	92.9	397 of 5431	92.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	86.9	186 of 2536	92.7%	★★★★★
2025	87.3	156 of 2598	94.0%	★★★★★
2024	83.1	314 of 2651	88.2%	★★★★☆
2023	89.8	112 of 2661	95.8%	★★★★★
2022	81.2	406 of 2726	85.1%	★★★★☆
2019	91.1	72 of 2834	97.5%	★★★★★
2018	86.5	201 of 2737	92.7%	★★★★★

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)

Female (2024)97th percentile~ school

White (2026)93rd percentile-4 vs school

Male (2024)87th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics84%+46 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy84%+35 vs state

Science60%+24 vs state

★

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Schools Near Happy Valley Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)							Vaccination (2024-25)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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	Vaccination: Kindergartners with all required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Happy Valley Elementary	Public	K-6	3125 Branciforte Dr.	Santa Cruz	95065	Santa Cruz County	Happy Valley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-1456	106	6	16.5	7.5%	82 (77.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (7.5%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (13.2%)	96.6	173^rd of 5817 public elementary schools	97.0%		95.1	323^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	94.5%	150	60.0		60.0	82.4	75.0	86.7	100.0			84.1	94.1	81.0	80.0	81.8			84.4			$19,080	$490	$18,590
Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary	Public	K-5	8005 Winkle Ave.	Santa Cruz	95065	Santa Cruz County	Soquel Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 464-5670	214	9	24.3	30.4%	113 (52.8%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (38.3%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.5%)	55.6	2294^th of 5817 public elementary schools	60.6%		53.2	2414^th of 5857 public elementary schools	58.8%	120	38.5		38.5	53.9	43.8	57.7				51.6	47.5	34.4	36.0				40.2	92%	0%	$11,949	$780	$11,169
Mountain Elementary	Public	K-6	3042 Old San Jose Rd.	Soquel	95073	Santa Cruz County	Mountain Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 475-6812	143	8	17.8	14.7%	97 (67.8%)	1 (0.7%)	26 (18.2%)	6 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (9.1%)	88.9	707^th of 5817 public elementary schools	87.8%		83.1	1009^th of 5857 public elementary schools	82.8%	302	59.1		59.1	63.6	90.0	63.6	83.3			73.7	76.2	75.0	54.6	58.3			66.7	81%	0%	$38,274	$1,756	$36,518
Brook Knoll Elementary	Public	K-5	151 Brook Knoll Dr.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Scotts Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 423-2454	498	22	22.4	13.9%	332 (66.7%)	3 (0.6%)	75 (15.1%)	31 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	50 (10.0%)	89.7	668^th of 5817 public elementary schools	88.5%		86.2	871^st of 5857 public elementary schools	85.1%	203	64.4		64.4	66.2	71.1	71.2				69.5	63.2	79.0	66.1				70.0	96%	1%	$15,641	$824	$14,817
De Laveaga Elementary	Public	K-5	1145 Morrissey Blvd.	Santa Cruz	95065	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3807	481	20	23.5	27.7%	221 (45.9%)	6 (1.2%)	200 (41.6%)	19 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.1%)	63.1	1920^th of 5817 public elementary schools	67.0%		66.6	1761^st of 5857 public elementary schools	69.9%	159	44.3		44.3	49.3	50.6	47.1				49.1	50.8	51.8	47.1				50.0	≥ 98%		$21,775	$482	$21,293
Green Acres Elementary	Public	K-5	966 Bostwick Ln.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 475-0111	262	12	21.8	54.2%	104 (39.7%)	7 (2.7%)	128 (48.9%)	10 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.6%)	58.7	2128^th of 5817 public elementary schools	63.4%		51.2	2538^th of 5857 public elementary schools	56.7%	410	40.0		40.0	47.2	47.6	52.3				49.2	61.1	33.3	44.4				45.5	95%	0%
Ocean Alternative Education Center	Public	K-8	984 Bostwick Ln. Ste. 6	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 475-0767	76	4	21.5	47.4%	40 (52.6%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (31.6%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (14.5%)								(n/a)		33.3	36.4						44.4	47.2				27.3		16.7	32.1
Tierra Pacifica Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	986 Bostwick Ln.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Tierra Pacifica Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 462-9404	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)																		≥ 95%		$14,222	$00	$14,222
Main Street Elementary	Public	K-5	3400 North Main St.	Soquel	95073	Santa Cruz County	Soquel Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 464-5650	383	17	23.2	24.8%	234 (61.1%)	3 (0.8%)	105 (27.4%)	8 (2.1%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	29 (7.6%)	74.6	1382^nd of 5817 public elementary schools	76.2%		66	1788^th of 5857 public elementary schools	69.5%	406	57.1		57.1	63.6	54.2	64.3				60.2	56.8	48.6	47.1				50.0	90%	0%	$11,189	$466	$10,723
Vine Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	151 Vine Hill School Rd.	Scotts Valley	95066	Santa Cruz County	Scotts Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 438-1090	549	22	24.9	11.3%	339 (61.7%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (18.0%)	38 (6.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	69 (12.6%)	87.6	762^nd of 5817 public elementary schools	86.9%		88.2	762^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	87.0%		60.8		60.8	64.0	69.7	81.0				71.3	61.6	74.2	54.4				63.8	≥ 99%		$15,111	$300	$14,811

Frequently Asked Questions about Happy Valley Elementary

Is Happy Valley Elementary a good school?

Yes! Happy Valley Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 173^rd of 5817 California elementary schools.

How many students attend Happy Valley Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 106 students attended Happy Valley Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Happy Valley Elementary?

Students at Happy Valley Elementary are 77% White, 13% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.

What district is Happy Valley Elementary in?

Happy Valley Elementary

What schools do graduates of Happy Valley Elementary attend?

Students who attend Happy Valley Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Branciforte Middle
High : Harbor High

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresOct 15, 2026

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.