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Ortega Elementary

Q: Is Ortega Elementary a good school?

Ortega Elementary ranks 1994 th of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1994^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,804 California Elementary Schools

Better than 66% of California elementary schools

Summary

Ortega Elementary serves 404 students in kindergarten through grade 5 in Pacifica, California. Its results are mixed: in 2025–2026, students were more likely to meet proficiency standards than students statewide in English language arts, math and science, but less likely than students across the district. The most important comparison for families considering nearby elementary schools is that Ortega ranked near the bottom of its K–5 peers in all three subjects.

Ortega’s strongest result against the state was math: 49% met proficiency, compared with 38% statewide; in ELA, the figures were 52% and 49%, and in science, 40% and 36%. However, Ortega fell below the Pacifica district in every subject: by 4 points in ELA, 4 in math and 8 in science. Among seven nearby K–5 schools, Ortega was second-lowest in each subject, ahead of only Allen. The peer averages were 67% in ELA, 65% in math and 61% in science—15, 16 and 21 points above Ortega, respectively. Within Ortega, fourth-grade ELA stood out at 70%, while third-grade ELA was 37%, below both state and district results.

Over the four years from 2022–2023 to 2025–2026, ELA rose 2 percentage points, but math fell 8 points and science fell 5, even as statewide results in those subjects improved. SchoolDigger placed Ortega at the 66th statewide percentile and gave it 3 stars in 2025–2026, below the district’s 80th percentile and 4 stars; among nearby schools with rankings, Ortega was second-lowest. Attendance improved: chronic absenteeism dropped from 22% to 7%. The 2024–2025 student–teacher ratio was 21.2, and 14% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible that school year. SchoolDigger’s ranking for how well Ortega serves Hispanic students fell from the 76th percentile in 2022–2023 to the 40th in 2024–2025; its ranking for serving Multi-racial students shifted from the 66th percentile in 2024–2025 to the 21st in 2025–2026.

404

Students ?

21.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,928

Per pupil spending ?

13.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

1283 Terra Nova Blvd.
Pacifica, CA 94044-4341

(650) 738-6670

District: Pacifica

Students who attend Ortega Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Ingrid B. Lacy Middle
High:	Terra Nova High

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.5%

Hispanic:

19.1%

Two or more races:

18.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Ortega Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 75th percentile in 2016 → 66th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (49% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Above the California median (66th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016

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

!Near the bottom of Pacifica's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg53%

California avg42%

1,994^th of 5,804

California public elementary schools ?

Top 34%▼ down 9 pts since 2016

From top 25% (2016) to top 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Pacifica

197^th of 968Pacifica 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	61.9	1994 of 5804	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.5	1624 of 5857	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	64.9	1826 of 5869	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.2	1525 of 5859	74.0%	★★★★☆
2022	64.7	1822 of 5883	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	71.9	366 of 1417	74.2%	★★★★☆
2019	81.5	1097 of 5789	81.1%	★★★★☆
2018	76.1	1312 of 5662	76.8%	★★★★☆
2017	64.7	1814 of 5692	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	72.2	1429 of 5614	74.5%	★★★★☆
2015	84.9	887 of 5611	84.2%	★★★★☆
2013	70.2	1567 of 5530	71.7%	★★★★☆
2012	75.3	1255 of 5390	76.7%	★★★★☆
2011	78.6	1078 of 5377	80.0%	★★★★☆
2010	65.1	1715 of 5314	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	52.4	2335 of 5193	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	49.9	2377 of 5113	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	54.7	2079 of 5113	59.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	67.9	1589 of 5569	71.5%	★★★★☆
2025	74.1	1329 of 5597	76.3%	★★★★☆
2024	75.4	1274 of 5612	77.3%	★★★★☆
2023	71.3	1445 of 5609	74.2%	★★★★☆
2022	70.3	1511 of 5635	73.2%	★★★★☆
2021	75.5	286 of 1267	77.4%	★★★★☆
2019	81.9	991 of 5492	82.0%	★★★★☆
2018	81.2	979 of 5413	81.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.6	3054 of 5107	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.4	1760 of 5107	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.2	1209 of 5087	76.2%	★★★★☆
2022	50.0	2199 of 5084	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.1	1453 of 4963	70.7%	★★★★☆
2018	63.4	1469 of 4830	69.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	75.9	968 of 5460	82.3%	★★★★☆
2019	71.1	1128 of 5173	78.2%	★★★★☆
2018	52.6	2194 of 5084	56.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	53.9	2292 of 5590	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.2	1876 of 5628	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.3	2354 of 5643	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.3	1576 of 5638	72.0%	★★★★☆
2022	55.9	2151 of 5663	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.4	406 of 1272	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.0	1173 of 5510	78.7%	★★★★☆
2018	67.8	1573 of 5431	71.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	26.6	592 of 752	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	67.7	244 of 718	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.7	498 of 670	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.2	409 of 669	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.8	299 of 610	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.1	257 of 339	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	46.8	1071 of 2635	59.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	36.4	1716 of 2532	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.9	1754 of 2598	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.6	1716 of 2651	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.3	1685 of 2661	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.3	1755 of 2726	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.7	951 of 2834	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.0	1167 of 2737	57.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)82nd percentile+10 vs school

Female (2026)71st percentile+6 vs school

Special Education (2024)59th percentile-10 vs school

Male (2026)59th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2025)40th percentile-32 vs school

White (2026)32nd percentile-33 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)21st percentile-44 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy52%~ state avg

Mathematics49%+11 vs state

Science40%+4 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Thus far, I give Ortega Elementary 5-stars not for being technologically advanced or academically rigorous, but for being well-organized and efficient. It is said that great management starts at the top, and works its way downward. I believe Debra Skiles, school principal, is directly responsible for creating an excellent climate for making learning fun. Close Quote

Schools Near Ortega 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 Immunizations 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)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (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/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	% 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
Ortega Elementary	Public	K-5	1283 Terra Nova Blvd.	Pacifica	94044	San Mateo County	Pacifica	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 738-6670	404	19	21.2	13.6%	204 (50.5%)	2 (0.5%)	77 (19.1%)	43 (10.6%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (1.0%)	73 (18.1%)	61.9	1994^th of 5804 public elementary schools	65.6%		69.5	1624^th of 5857 public elementary schools	72.3%	370	40.0		40.0	36.9	70.4	50.8				51.7	50.8	55.6	41.0				48.9							$19,928	$18,046	$1,882
Pacifica Independent Home Study	Public	K-8	1283 Terra Nova Blvd	Pacifica	94044	San Mateo County	Pacifica	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 738-6670	12	1	12.5	58.3%	4 (33.3%)	2 (16.7%)	5 (41.7%)	1 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																								$29,164	$28,338	$826
Cabrillo Elementary	Public	K-8	601 Crespi Dr.	Pacifica	94044	San Mateo County	Pacifica	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 738-6660	524	23	22.4	13.5%	265 (50.6%)	1 (0.2%)	127 (24.2%)	45 (8.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (16.2%)	67.8	1696^th of 5804 public elementary schools	70.8%		67.3	1723^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	70.6%	27	45.2	63.5	54.4	47.5	42.6	66.1	55.6	67.2	65.1	57.3	49.2	55.7	54.8	45.3	56.9	60.3	53.7							$17,119	$15,736	$1,383
Vallemar Elementary	Public	K-8	377 Reina del Mar Ave.	Pacifica	94044	San Mateo County	Pacifica	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 738-6655	500	21	23.9	15.6%	202 (40.4%)	3 (0.6%)	137 (27.4%)	68 (13.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	89 (17.8%)	85.5	883^rd of 5804 public elementary schools	84.8%		80.4	1146^th of 5857 public elementary schools	80.4%	263	64.5		64.5	58.3	57.1	67.7				61.1	68.3	67.2	71.0				68.8							$17,322	$15,920	$1,402
Portola Elementary	Public	K-5	300 Amador Ave.	San Bruno	94066	San Mateo County	San Bruno Park Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 624-3175	378	14	27.0	36.0%	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.1%)	97 (25.7%)	178 (47.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	88 (23.3%)	85.5	884^th of 5804 public elementary schools	84.8%		77.6	1261^st of 5857 public elementary schools	78.5%	377	67.2		67.2	61.2	68.2	66.7				65.3	58.3	64.4	63.2				62.0
John Muir Elementary	Public	K-5	130 Cambridge Ln.	San Bruno	94066	San Mateo County	San Bruno Park Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 624-3160	486	17	28.9	29.8%	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	125 (25.7%)	177 (36.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.2%)	173 (35.6%)	89.1	697^th of 5804 public elementary schools	88.0%		83.3	999^th of 5857 public elementary schools	82.9%	302	74.6		74.6	53.9	73.1	79.6				68.3	72.3	68.7	64.8				68.8	96.8
Meadows Elementary	Public	K-5	1101 Helen Dr.	Millbrae	94030	San Mateo County	Millbrae Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 583-7590	360	16	22.4	14.7%	57 (15.8%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (12.2%)	218 (60.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	34 (9.4%)	91.5	566^th of 5804 public elementary schools	90.2%		90.4	637^th of 5857 public elementary schools	89.1%	71	57.1		57.1	72.0	81.0	68.8				73.5	72.0	86.7	67.1				74.7	87.5	92.9	92.9	87.5		89.3	$16,378	$15,384	$994
Farallone View Elementary	Public	K-5	250 LaConte and Kanoff	Montara	94037	San Mateo County	Cabrillo Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 712-7170	177	7	25.2	6.2%	120 (67.8%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (19.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (13.0%)	72.7	1453^rd of 5804 public elementary schools	75.0%		85.5	903^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	84.6%	550	65.6		65.6	50.0	48.0	75.0				59.0	30.8	52.0	68.8				51.8							$25,315	$24,066	$1,249
Monte Verde Elementary	Public	K-5	2551 St. Cloud Dr.	San Bruno	94066	San Mateo County	South San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 877-8838	517	22	23.6	21.9%	39 (7.5%)	4 (0.8%)	62 (12.0%)	334 (64.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	73 (14.1%)	96	233^rd of 5804 public elementary schools	96.0%		95.3	300^th of 5857 public elementary schools	94.9%	67	67.4		67.4	79.1	78.0	80.9				79.3	81.4	82.4	76.4				80.1							$18,556	$17,094	$1,462
Green Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	401 Ludeman Ln.	Millbrae	94030	San Mateo County	Millbrae Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 588-6485	338	15	22.5	14.8%	35 (10.4%)	2 (0.6%)	52 (15.4%)	213 (63.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	33 (9.8%)	92.2	528^th of 5804 public elementary schools	90.9%		95.1	324^th of 5857 public elementary schools	94.5%	204	60.0		60.0	56.6	83.0	84.5				75.0	79.3	79.3	70.0				75.9	81.8			90.9	93.2		$17,290	$16,272	$1,018

Frequently Asked Questions about Ortega Elementary

Is Ortega Elementary a good school?

Ortega Elementary ranks 1994^th of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Ortega Elementary?

Students at Ortega Elementary are 50% White, 19% Hispanic, 18% Two or more races, 11% Asian.

What district is Ortega Elementary in?

Pacifica

How many students attend Ortega Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 404 students attended Ortega Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Ortega Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ortega Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ingrid B. Lacy Middle
High : Terra Nova High

Rate Ortega Elementary!

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Latest California data All new data »

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

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

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 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.