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

New rankings! California test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Live Oak Elementary

Q: Is Live Oak Elementary a good school?

Live Oak Elementary ranks 2835 th of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

2835^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,804 California Elementary Schools

Better than 51% of California elementary schools

Summary

Live Oak Elementary is a K–5 school in Santa Cruz, serving 362 students in the Live Oak Elementary District. Its results vary sharply by grade: third graders are a bright spot, but fourth- and fifth-grade scores are much weaker, making this uneven performance the school’s most important academic concern.

Third-grade results stand out: students scored 58% in ELA and 68% in math, above state averages by 14 and 21 percentage points, respectively. Third-grade math was the highest among nine nearby K–5 schools, and ELA was second-highest. Results fall off in the upper grades: fourth-grade math was 29%, the lowest among those schools, and fifth-grade math was 20%, also the lowest. Across all grades, Live Oak scored 45% in ELA, 37% in math and 32% in science, below the average of nearby K–5 schools in all three subjects (50%, 44% and 44%). It was second-lowest among those schools in each subject, ahead only of Soquel Elementary. Math is its relative bright spot against the district and state: it was about 1 percentage point above the district and 1 below the state. ELA and science were below both; science was especially weak against the district and nearby-school average.

Scores have improved since 2024–25, rising 6 points in ELA, 7 in math and 4 in science, but all three remain below their 2022–23 levels. SchoolDigger ranks Live Oak at the 51st percentile with 3 stars for 2025–26, up from the 40th percentile the year before but down from the 68th percentile in 2022–23; among nearby K–5 schools, only Soquel ranks lower. Context includes a 24.1 student-teacher ratio in 2024–25, compared with a nearby K–5 average of 22.9, and 59% free/reduced lunch eligible that year—19 percentage points above the peer average; only Del Mar Elementary was higher. SchoolDigger’s statewide ranking for how well the school serves students of low socioeconomic status was at the 35th percentile in 2025–26, 16 points below its overall percentile. Its ranking for how well it serves English learner students was notably higher: the 77th percentile in 2023–24, compared with the school’s overall 50th percentile that year.

362

Students ?

24.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

58.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

1916 Capitola Rd.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062-3011

(831) 475-2000

District: Live Oak Elementary

Students who attend Live Oak Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

Shoreline Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

69.6%

White:

24.9%

Asian:

1.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Live Oak Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 62nd percentile in 2015 → 51st in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the California median (51st percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2015

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

!Near the bottom of Live Oak Elementary's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg42%

California avg42%

2,835^th of 5,804

California public elementary schools ?

Top 49%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From top 39% (2016) to top 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Elementary Schools in the Live Oak Elementary

324^th of 968Live Oak 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	46.2	2835 of 5804	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	35.7	3527 of 5857	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.3	2909 of 5869	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.9	1901 of 5859	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.4	2056 of 5883	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.0	1645 of 5789	71.6%	★★★★☆
2018	69.5	1587 of 5662	72.0%	★★★★☆
2017	67.0	1702 of 5692	70.1%	★★★★☆
2016	56.2	2169 of 5614	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	55.8	2139 of 5611	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	35.7	3624 of 5530	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	41.2	3196 of 5390	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	36.9	3472 of 5377	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	31.2	3760 of 5314	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	23.1	4203 of 5193	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	30.2	3568 of 5113	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	23.4	4042 of 5113	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	35.8	2954 of 4818	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2005	39.2	2773 of 4822	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2004	39.5	2663 of 4809	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	60.0	721 of 3162	77.2%	★★★★☆
2023	75.5	363 of 3245	88.8%	★★★★☆
2022	72.3	445 of 3311	86.6%	★★★★☆
2019	76.7	373 of 3275	88.6%	★★★★☆
2018	70.2	536 of 3246	83.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	44.5	2857 of 5569	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.5	4052 of 5597	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.7	3080 of 5612	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.3	2681 of 5609	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.3	2302 of 5635	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.1	1409 of 5492	74.3%	★★★★☆
2018	73.5	1348 of 5413	75.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	48.9	2395 of 5085	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	34.5	3414 of 5107	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.5	2380 of 5107	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.2	1023 of 5087	79.9%	★★★★☆
2022	62.8	1482 of 5084	70.8%	★★★★☆
2019	77.0	832 of 4963	83.2%	★★★★☆
2018	83.7	543 of 4830	88.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	35.6	3521 of 5412	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.5	3626 of 5460	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.2	2803 of 5517	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	70.4	1209 of 5363	77.5%	★★★★☆
2022	73.2	1025 of 5264	80.5%	★★★★☆
2019	84.0	544 of 5173	89.5%	★★★★☆
2018	85.9	454 of 5084	91.1%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	48.0	2592 of 5590	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.6	2845 of 5628	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.4	2555 of 5643	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.8	1379 of 5638	75.5%	★★★★☆
2022	63.9	1782 of 5663	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.7	1881 of 5510	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.0	1853 of 5431	65.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	50.1	1385 of 2532	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.1	1507 of 2598	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

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)77th percentile+27 vs school

Male (2026)54th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)53rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)49th percentile~ school

White (2026)45th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)35th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy45%-4 vs state

Mathematics37%~ state avg

Science32%-4 vs state

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Live Oak 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 Live Oak 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 (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)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Live Oak Elementary	Public	K-5	1916 Capitola Rd.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 475-2000	362	15	24.1	58.6%	90 (24.9%)	5 (1.4%)	252 (69.6%)	7 (1.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	46.2	2835^th of 5804 public elementary schools	51.2%		35.7	3527^th of 5857 public elementary schools	39.8%	692	32.3		32.3	58.0	40.8	38.5				45.1	68.0	28.6	20.0				37.2	93.9	96.3		96.3	95.1
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)
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
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	2124^th of 5804 public elementary schools	63.4%		51.2	2538^th of 5857 public elementary schools	56.7%	414	40.0		40.0	47.2	47.6	52.3				49.2	61.1	33.3	44.4				45.5	91.7	96.7	95.0		93.3
Del Mar Elementary	Public	K-5	1959 Merrill St.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 477-2063	322	14	23.0	62.4%	109 (33.9%)	7 (2.2%)	189 (58.7%)	7 (2.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	53.8	2391^st of 5804 public elementary schools	58.8%		42.3	3048^th of 5857 public elementary schools	48.0%	657	50.0		50.0	47.0	36.9	55.8				45.9	42.7	38.5	40.4				40.5	95.8	95.8			97.2
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	1916^th of 5804 public elementary schools	67.0%		66.6	1761^st of 5857 public elementary schools	69.9%	155	44.3		44.3	49.3	50.6	47.1				49.1	50.8	51.8	47.1				50.0	96.6	96.6			96.6	$24,104	$23,622	$482
Gault Elementary	Public	K-5	1320 Seabright Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3856	314	14	22.4	48.1%	100 (31.8%)	2 (0.6%)	192 (61.1%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.1%)	54.4	2363^rd of 5804 public elementary schools	59.3%		50.3	2573^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	56.1%	210	40.0		40.0	49.0	41.4	50.0				46.4	53.9	36.2	40.0				43.2	97.0					$29,954	$28,478	$1,476
Soquel Elementary	Public	K-5	2700 Porter St.	Soquel	95073	Santa Cruz County	Soquel Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 464-5655	337	15	22.0	40.1%	132 (39.2%)	6 (1.8%)	160 (47.5%)	14 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	22 (6.5%)	43.4	3018^th of 5804 public elementary schools	48.0%		49.7	2611^th of 5857 public elementary schools	55.4%	407	26.9		26.9	51.5	43.1	36.5				44.4	45.5	36.5	23.1				35.9	91.1	96.4	96.4		96.4	$19,611	$19,026	$585
Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-Monarch	Public	K-5	840 North Branciforte Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3898	114	5	22.8	27.2%	63 (55.3%)	1 (0.9%)	26 (22.8%)	3 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (18.4%)	68.4	1660^th of 5804 public elementary schools	71.4%		77.2	1270^th of 5857 public elementary schools	78.3%	390	58.3		58.3	43.8	55.0	66.7				56.7	37.5	45.0	50.0				45.0						$32,890	$32,316	$574
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	2290^th of 5804 public elementary schools	60.5%		53.2	2414^th of 5857 public elementary schools	58.8%	124	38.5		38.5	53.9	43.8	57.7				51.6	47.5	34.4	36.0				40.2						$18,864	$18,084	$780

Frequently Asked Questions about Live Oak Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Live Oak Elementary?

Students at Live Oak Elementary are 70% Hispanic, 25% White, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

Is Live Oak Elementary a good school?

Live Oak Elementary ranks 2835^th of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Live Oak Elementary attend?

Students who attend Live Oak Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Shoreline Middle

How many students attend Live Oak Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 362 students attended Live Oak Elementary.

What district is Live Oak Elementary in?

Live Oak Elementary

Rate Live Oak Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Santa Cruz, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Live Oak Elementary!

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.