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Montemalaga Elementary

Public Grades K-5

127^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 98% of California elementary schools

Summary

Montemalaga Elementary is a high-performing public school serving about 416 students in grades K-5 within the highly-regarded Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District in the affluent community of Palos Verdes Estates.

By any statewide measure, Montemalaga is an exceptional school, consistently ranking in the top 3% of all California elementary schools with strong proficiency rates in English, math, and science. However, within its own elite district, it finds itself in a competitive middle tier, with schools like Soleado Elementary and Silver Spur Elementary often ranking slightly higher. One notable area for attention is its chronic absenteeism rate, which, at 10.5%, is higher than several nearby schools such as Vista Grande Elementary (4.8%).

The school's most distinctive strength is its extraordinary effectiveness with specific student groups; it has earned #1 statewide rankings for its Hispanic and Multi-racial students and a #6 ranking for its Special Education students, indicating highly successful support systems. Compared to schools in neighboring districts like Torrance Unified or Redondo Beach Unified, Montemalaga's academic performance is significantly stronger, reinforcing the advantage of being in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified district.

416

Students ?

21.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,243

Per pupil spending ?

5.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1121 Via Nogales
Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274-1671

(310) 378-5228

District: Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified

Students who attend Montemalaga Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Palos Verdes Intermediate
High:	Palos Verdes High
	Palos Verdes Peninsula High

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

42.5%

White:

29.6%

Hispanic:

14.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Montemalaga Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 95th percentile in 2013 → 98th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (82% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 2% of California elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school82%

District avg76%

California avg41%

127^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 2%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From top 14% (2015) to top 2% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 10Elementary Schools in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified

43^rd of 1,543Palos Verdes Peninsula 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	97.3	127 of 5857	97.8%	★★★★★
2024	98.2	67 of 5869	98.9%	★★★★★
2023	97.4	151 of 5859	97.4%	★★★★★
2022	97.9	107 of 5883	98.2%	★★★★★
2019	95.9	232 of 5789	96.0%	★★★★★
2018	93.6	411 of 5662	92.7%	★★★★★
2017	91.1	574 of 5692	89.9%	★★★★☆
2016	95.0	313 of 5614	94.4%	★★★★★
2015	87.1	777 of 5611	86.2%	★★★★☆
2013	92.4	293 of 5530	94.7%	★★★★★
2012	93.7	182 of 5390	96.6%	★★★★★
2011	95.9	71 of 5377	98.7%	★★★★★
2010	95.6	105 of 5314	98.0%	★★★★★
2009	96.9	56 of 5193	98.9%	★★★★★
2008	95.2	167 of 5113	96.7%	★★★★★
2007	96.9	108 of 5113	97.9%	★★★★★
2006	95.3	205 of 4818	95.7%	★★★★★
2005	97.0	110 of 4822	97.7%	★★★★★
2004	98.4	56 of 4809	98.8%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	81.4	132 of 1203	89.0%	★★★★☆
2024	77.6	230 of 1205	80.9%	★★★★☆
2023	82.0	109 of 1190	90.8%	★★★★★
2022	85.3	46 of 1154	96.0%	★★★★★
2019	67.0	439 of 1149	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.0	212 of 1071	80.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	95.9	185 of 5597	96.7%	★★★★★
2024	97.0	108 of 5612	98.1%	★★★★★
2023	97.4	100 of 5609	98.2%	★★★★★
2022	97.5	100 of 5635	98.2%	★★★★★
2019	95.1	219 of 5492	96.0%	★★★★★
2018	92.3	426 of 5413	92.1%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	99.9	1 of 5107	100.0%	★★★★★
2023	97.3	95 of 5087	98.1%	★★★★★
2022	96.8	122 of 5084	97.6%	★★★★★
2019	99.4	21 of 4963	99.6%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	97.2	98 of 5628	98.3%	★★★★★
2024	98.2	49 of 5643	99.1%	★★★★★
2023	96.3	205 of 5638	96.4%	★★★★★
2022	97.3	127 of 5663	97.8%	★★★★★
2019	95.1	239 of 5510	95.7%	★★★★★
2018	92.7	403 of 5431	92.6%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	95.3	1 of 670	99.9%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	99.9	6 of 2635	99.8%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	78.1	482 of 2598	81.4%	★★★★☆
2024	83.0	320 of 2651	87.9%	★★★★☆
2023	72.6	713 of 2661	73.2%	★★★★☆
2022	84.5	288 of 2726	89.4%	★★★★☆
2019	82.8	362 of 2834	87.2%	★★★★☆
2018	69.7	838 of 2737	69.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2024)100th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2024)100th percentile~ school

Special Education (2024)100th percentile~ school

Male (2025)98th percentile~ school

Female (2025)97th percentile~ school

Asian (2025)89th percentile-9 vs school

White (2025)81st percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy83%+34 vs state

Mathematics83%+46 vs state

Science75%+42 vs state

3.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Our school is overcrowded, but the district has found a way to work around that. Kids take attendance in one class and then go to another class for all the core subjects. Parents' complaints have fallen on deaf ears. Our test scores are getting worse by the year. If you want your child to do well in middle and high school, get a tutor in 3rd or 4th grade to make up for all the gaps in their education. Close Quote

Schools Near Montemalaga Elementary

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 (2024)
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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th 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
Montemalaga Elementary	Public	K-5	1121 Via Nogales	Palos Verdes Estates	90274	Los Angeles County	Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 378-5228	416	20	21.2	5.5%	123 (29.6%)	5 (1.2%)	62 (14.9%)	177 (42.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (11.8%)	97.3	127^th of 5857 public elementary schools	97.8%		98.2	67^th of 5869 public elementary schools	98.9%	60	75.0	75.0	79.7	80.3	88.8	83.3	81.2	83.3	85.0	83.3	97.4	97.4	97.4		97.4		$15,243	$489	$14,754
Cornerstone at Pedregal Elementary	Public	K-5	6069 Groveoak Pl.	Rancho Palos Verdes	90275	Los Angeles County	Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 378-0324	411	19	21.8	8.5%	101 (24.6%)	3 (0.7%)	39 (9.5%)	202 (49.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (16.1%)	98.9	17^th of 5857 public elementary schools	99.7%		98.6	40^th of 5869 public elementary schools	99.3%	23	80.7	80.7	83.6	95.2	95.2	92.0	90.9	90.4	91.9	91.0							$14,355	$489	$13,866
Silver Spur Elementary	Public	K-5	5500 Ironwood St.	Rancho Palos Verdes	90275	Los Angeles County	Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 378-5011	540	24	22.5	3.7%	288 (53.3%)	3 (0.6%)	65 (12.0%)	100 (18.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (15.0%)	98.2	51^st of 5857 public elementary schools	99.1%		98.5	51^st of 5869 public elementary schools	99.1%		81.0	81.0	86.5	87.9	94.9	89.5	86.7	81.8	82.3	83.6							$15,040	$522	$14,518
Vista Grande Elementary	Public	K-5	7032 Purpleridge Dr.	Rancho Palos Verdes	90275	Los Angeles County	Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 377-6066	355	16	22.1	11.0%	68 (19.2%)	4 (1.1%)	41 (11.5%)	196 (55.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (13.0%)	96.1	229^th of 5857 public elementary schools	96.1%		96.5	210^th of 5869 public elementary schools	96.4%	19	65.2	65.2	73.9	88.3	80.0	80.4	84.5	85.0	75.8	81.7							$16,394	$489	$15,905
Riviera Elementary	Public	K-5	365 Paseo de Arena	Torrance	90505	Los Angeles County	Torrance Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 533-4460	611	25	24.6	16.5%	286 (46.8%)	9 (1.5%)	118 (19.3%)	89 (14.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	109 (17.8%)	91.9	551^st of 5857 public elementary schools	90.6%		93.6	457^th of 5869 public elementary schools	92.2%	94	68.8	68.8	67.7	62.0	75.3	68.4	77.4	79.6	75.0	77.3	96.5	96.5					$16,046	$555	$15,491
Soleado Elementary	Public	K-5	27800 Longhill Dr.	Rancho Palos Verdes	90275	Los Angeles County	Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 377-6854	443	20	22.1	13.3%	78 (17.6%)	7 (1.6%)	74 (16.7%)	216 (48.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (15.1%)	98.3	41^st of 5857 public elementary schools	99.3%		98.2	64^th of 5869 public elementary schools	98.9%	23	81.8	81.8	76.8	89.5	90.9	86.2	92.9	88.6	84.4	88.5	94.8		96.6	96.6			$14,468	$489	$13,979
Lunada Bay Elementary	Public	K-5	520 Paseo Lunado	Palos Verdes Estates	90274	Los Angeles County	Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 377-3005	329	15	21.4	11.2%	193 (58.7%)	10 (3.0%)	52 (15.8%)	34 (10.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (11.9%)	94.3	378^th of 5857 public elementary schools	93.5%		93.7	453^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	92.3%	75	72.6	72.6	85.1	71.2	82.4	79.3	74.5	67.3	80.4	74.0							$15,590	$543	$15,047
Rancho Vista Elementary	Public	K-5	4323 Palos Verdes Dr. North	Rolling Hills Estates	90274	Los Angeles County	Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 378-8388	329	18	18.3	14.0%	122 (37.1%)	6 (1.8%)	56 (17.0%)	90 (27.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (16.7%)	95.1	327^th of 5857 public elementary schools	94.4%		98.5	50^th of 5869 public elementary schools	99.1%	277	72.4	72.4	63.0	87.2	91.4	80.1	74.1	87.2	82.8	80.8	93.4	93.4	95.1	93.4	93.4	93.4	$15,779	$489	$15,290
Tulita Elementary	Public	K-5	1520 Prospect Ave.	Redondo Beach	90277	Los Angeles County	Redondo Beach Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 798-8628	443	20	22.1	15.8%	210 (47.4%)	5 (1.1%)	89 (20.1%)	61 (13.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	77 (17.4%)	94.9	343^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	94.1%		96	261^st of 5869 public elementary schools	95.6%	82	69.4	69.4	66.1	83.0	77.1	75.0	79.0	88.9	80.3	82.5	98.2		98.2				$15,681	$1,051	$14,630
Point Vicente Elementary	Public	K-5	30540 Rue de La Pierre	Rancho Palos Verdes	90275	Los Angeles County	Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 377-6972	334	19	17.8	21.3%	105 (31.4%)	9 (2.7%)	66 (19.8%)	105 (31.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	47 (14.1%)	95.9	248^th of 5857 public elementary schools	95.8%		93.4	478^th of 5869 public elementary schools	91.9%	230	63.5	63.5	81.1	80.4	76.9	79.5	92.5	78.3	75.0	82.1	97.4	97.4		97.4	97.4	97.4	$15,195	$489	$14,706

Frequently Asked Questions about Montemalaga Elementary

Is Montemalaga Elementary a good school?

Yes! Montemalaga Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 127^th of 5857 California elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Montemalaga Elementary?

Students at Montemalaga Elementary are 43% Asian, 30% White, 15% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 1% African American.

How many students attend Montemalaga Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 416 students attended Montemalaga Elementary.

What district is Montemalaga Elementary in?

Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified

What schools do graduates of Montemalaga Elementary attend?

Students who attend Montemalaga Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Palos Verdes Intermediate
High : Palos Verdes High
High : Palos Verdes Peninsula High

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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.