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

Sonora Elementary

Q: Is Sonora Elementary a good school?

Sonora Elementary ranks 1741 st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

1741^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 70% of California elementary schools

Summary

Sonora Elementary is a K-6 public school serving 367 students in Costa Mesa, part of the Newport-Mesa Unified district, and it stands out for its strong academic results with students who face economic challenges.

The school earns a 4-star rating, placing it in the top third of California elementary schools, and it shows remarkable effectiveness with its student population. For instance, it significantly outperforms other nearby schools with similar demographics, like Paularino Elementary and College Park Elementary, in English and math. Sonora has also made impressive strides, cutting chronic absenteeism by more than half in recent years and showing a strong upward trend in its statewide ranking.

Some interesting patterns include students performing particularly well in science—beating the district average—and the school demonstrating great efficiency, achieving these outcomes with resources similar to other schools. While there is a performance gap between male and female students that the school may be addressing, the overall picture is of a school that is successfully supporting its community and showing consistent improvement.

367

Students ?

18.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,945

Per pupil spending ?

74.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

966 Sonora Rd.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626-5710

(714) 424-7955

District: Newport-Mesa Unified

Students who attend Sonora Elementary usually attend:

High:

Costa Mesa High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

71.7%

White:

15.3%

Two or more races:

5.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Sonora Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 60th percentile in 2015 → 70th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (50% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the California median (70th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg53%

California avg41%

1,741^st of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 30%▲ up 10 pts since 2015

From top 40% (2015) to top 30% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th of 21Elementary Schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified

437^th of 1,543Newport-Mesa Unified 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	67.1	1741 of 5857	70.3%	★★★★☆
2024	58.4	2129 of 5869	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.4	2037 of 5859	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.1	2236 of 5883	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.5	430 of 1417	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.2	1371 of 5789	76.3%	★★★★☆
2018	68.8	1626 of 5662	71.3%	★★★★☆
2017	72.6	1443 of 5692	74.6%	★★★★☆
2016	66.6	1687 of 5614	70.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.0	2242 of 5611	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	57.7	2252 of 5530	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	59.1	2097 of 5390	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	59.9	2043 of 5377	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	48.1	2688 of 5314	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	61.9	1824 of 5193	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.3	1669 of 5113	67.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	51.5	1104 of 3162	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.4	1075 of 3245	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.1	791 of 3311	76.1%	★★★★☆
2021	66.2	99 of 602	83.6%	★★★★☆
2019	76.9	369 of 3275	88.7%	★★★★☆
2018	57.5	950 of 3246	70.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.2	2145 of 5597	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.8	1924 of 5612	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.4	1744 of 5609	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.7	2031 of 5635	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.5	426 of 1267	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.1	1596 of 5492	70.9%	★★★★☆
2018	67.2	1647 of 5413	69.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	75.3	936 of 5107	81.7%	★★★★☆
2024	65.2	1409 of 5107	72.4%	★★★★☆
2023	65.4	1389 of 5087	72.7%	★★★★☆
2022	61.5	1548 of 5084	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	83.7	567 of 4963	88.6%	★★★★☆
2018	72.4	1020 of 4830	78.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	75.1	1005 of 5460	81.6%	★★★★☆
2024	61.5	1705 of 5517	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.5	1417 of 5363	73.6%	★★★★☆
2022	55.2	1967 of 5264	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	76.9	172 of 1110	84.5%	★★★★☆
2019	86.7	417 of 5173	91.9%	★★★★★
2018	78.4	752 of 5084	85.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	73.3	1368 of 5628	75.7%	★★★★☆
2024	52.7	2329 of 5643	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.6	2354 of 5638	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.7	2404 of 5663	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.9	355 of 1272	72.1%	★★★★☆
2019	79.3	1110 of 5510	79.9%	★★★★☆
2018	66.2	1659 of 5431	69.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)82nd percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)82nd percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)76th percentile+5 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)65th percentile~ school

Female (2025)62nd percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy58%+9 vs state

Mathematics45%+8 vs state

Science43%+11 vs state

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Sonora 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 Sonora 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)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)					% 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/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	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	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sonora Elementary	Public	K-6	966 Sonora Rd.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7955	367	19	18.8	74.7%	56 (15.3%)	1 (0.3%)	263 (71.7%)	19 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	21 (5.7%)	67.1	1741^st of 5857 public elementary schools	70.3%		58.4	2129^th of 5869 public elementary schools	63.7%	388	43.2	43.2	48.9	64.8	57.1	58.8	57.7	44.7	51.8	40.9	41.2	45.0	96.7						$25,945	$23,788	$2,157
Maude B. Davis Elementary	Public	K-6	1050 Arlington Dr.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7930	570	24	23.3	33.2%	252 (44.2%)	4 (0.7%)	164 (28.8%)	64 (11.2%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	82 (14.4%)	93.5	440^th of 5857 public elementary schools	92.5%		90.5	669^th of 5869 public elementary schools	88.6%	229	57.1	57.1	84.4	80.8	70.2	80.0	78.7	81.8	79.5	61.9	68.8	72.7	97.0	97.0			97.0		$18,500	$17,092	$1,408
Paularino Elementary	Public	K-6	1060 Paularino Ave.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7950	371	23	15.8	70.6%	63 (17.0%)	8 (2.2%)	242 (65.2%)	28 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	28 (7.5%)	44.3	2928^th of 5857 public elementary schools	50.0%		46.6	2755^th of 5869 public elementary schools	53.1%	173	23.5	23.5	51.2	40.4	33.3	38.1	41.1	48.8	44.7	36.4	22.0	38.3							$22,635	$20,562	$2,073
Killybrooke Elementary	Public	K-6	3155 Killybrooke Ln.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7945	473	26	18.1	71.0%	98 (20.7%)	10 (2.1%)	294 (62.2%)	32 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (8.0%)	76	1330^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.3%		77	1292^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	78.0%	38	37.5	37.5	74.1	50.0	56.3	70.5	63.0	69.0	51.6	43.8	57.4	55.9	95.3			96.9			$23,963	$21,868	$2,095
College Park Elementary	Public	K-6	2380 Notre Dame Rd.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7960	473	25	18.6	78.4%	68 (14.4%)	2 (0.4%)	368 (77.8%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	27 (5.7%)	42.1	3062^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	47.7%		32.7	3717^th of 5869 public elementary schools	36.7%	655	25.7	25.7	43.8	35.2	47.1	36.1	41.1	51.3	27.3	37.1	19.4	35.2							$25,408	$23,362	$2,046
Greenville Fundamental Elementary	Public	K-5	3600 South Raitt St.	Santa Ana	92704	Orange County	Santa Ana Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 558-3400	817	34	23.9	79.9%	19 (2.3%)	6 (0.7%)	725 (88.7%)	46 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (2.6%)	45.4	2858^th of 5857 public elementary schools	51.2%		47.9	2669^th of 5869 public elementary schools	54.5%	189	25.9	25.9	39.0	50.0	49.7		46.2	36.3	41.9	30.1		35.8	92.1	94.1	96.1	96.7	94.7	96.7	$26,445	$25,458	$987
Taft Elementary	Public	K-6	500 West Keller	Santa Ana	92707	Orange County	Santa Ana Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 431-7700	408	26	15.6	85.3%	15 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	366 (89.7%)	17 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (2.0%)	10.6	5594^th of 5857 public elementary schools	4.5%		11.3	5597^th of 5869 public elementary schools	4.6%	3	5.9	5.9	19.0	7.8	28.6	18.0	17.6	25.0	9.4	5.9	12.2	13.4	81.6	81.6		81.6	81.6	81.6	$44,718	$41,836	$2,882
Jim Thorpe Fundamental	Public	K-5	2450 West Alton	Santa Ana	92704	Orange County	Santa Ana Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 430-5800	738	29	25.3	71.8%	14 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	661 (89.6%)	45 (6.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	15 (2.0%)	49.2	2640^th of 5857 public elementary schools	54.9%		56.5	2214^th of 5869 public elementary schools	62.3%	426	26.5	26.5	40.3	54.4	48.7		47.7	41.5	43.7	30.8		38.9	97.4	97.4		98.0	97.4	98.0	$24,886	$24,124	$762
California Elementary	Public	K-6	3232 California Ave.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7940	373	21	17.3	41.3%	178 (47.7%)	7 (1.9%)	139 (37.3%)	18 (4.8%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	27 (7.2%)	82.6	1039^th of 5857 public elementary schools	82.3%		74.9	1368^th of 5869 public elementary schools	76.7%	329	41.5	41.5	68.2	67.6	69.8	58.5	65.8	72.7	56.8	64.2	54.7	62.0							$23,363	$21,946	$1,417
Adams Elementary	Public	K-6	2850 Club House Rd.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7935	321	23	13.7	73.8%	54 (16.8%)	6 (1.9%)	237 (73.8%)	12 (3.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.1%)	73	1473^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	74.9%		59.6	2081^st of 5869 public elementary schools	64.5%	608	40.0	40.0	65.6	65.6	57.6	68.2	64.5	48.5	59.4	45.7	40.0	47.6							$26,133	$23,990	$2,143

Frequently Asked Questions about Sonora Elementary

Is Sonora Elementary a good school?

Sonora Elementary ranks 1741^st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Sonora Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sonora Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Costa Mesa High

What is the racial makeup of Sonora Elementary?

Students at Sonora Elementary are 72% Hispanic, 15% White, 6% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander.

What district is Sonora Elementary in?

Newport-Mesa Unified

How many students attend Sonora Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 367 students attended Sonora Elementary.

Rate Sonora Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Costa Mesa, CA

Sign up for updates!

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

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.