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Melinda Heights Elementary

Q: Is Melinda Heights Elementary a good school?

Melinda Heights Elementary ranks 1209 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

1209^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 79% of California elementary schools

Summary

Melinda Heights Elementary is a large public K-6 school serving about 950 students in the Saddleback Valley Unified district of Rancho Santa Margarita, consistently earning a 4-star rating and performing well above state averages in all subjects.

The school is a solid, mid-tier performer within its district, with particular strengths in mathematics and an exceptionally strong record of student attendance. While it outperforms the state, its ranking has gradually declined over the past several years. Compared to nearby schools like top-performing Portola Hills Elementary or Philip J. Reilly Elementary, Melinda Heights sits in the middle, though it achieves its outcomes efficiently with a higher student-teacher ratio and moderate per-student spending.

Notably, the school's effectiveness varies significantly for different student groups; it shows very strong results for special education students and has historically done well with Hispanic students, but current data indicates a need for targeted support for Asian students and English Language Learners, whose performance has declined. Parents can expect a school with a strong foundational culture but one that is actively working to address performance gaps and reverse its sliding statewide rank.

950

Students ?

28.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,918

Per pupil spending ?

27.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

21001 Rancho Trabuco
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688-3444

(949) 888-7311

District: Saddleback Valley Unified

Students who attend Melinda Heights Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate
High:	Trabuco Hills High

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.3%

Hispanic:

23.8%

Asian:

13.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Melinda Heights Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 93rd percentile in 2013 → 79th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (58% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of California elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2013

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

!Large classes — about 28 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school58%

District avg54%

California avg41%

1,209^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 21%▼ down 14 pts since 2015

From top 6% (2015) to top 21% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 22Elementary Schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified

377^th of 1,543Saddleback Valley 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	78.6	1209 of 5857	79.4%	★★★★☆
2024	80.3	1139 of 5869	80.6%	★★★★☆
2023	84.4	979 of 5859	83.3%	★★★★☆
2022	87.5	829 of 5883	85.9%	★★★★☆
2019	87.6	770 of 5789	86.7%	★★★★☆
2018	89.8	645 of 5662	88.6%	★★★★☆
2017	92.5	487 of 5692	91.4%	★★★★★
2016	94.3	352 of 5614	93.7%	★★★★★
2015	94.6	356 of 5611	93.7%	★★★★★
2013	91.3	378 of 5530	93.2%	★★★★★
2012	88.5	518 of 5390	90.4%	★★★★★
2011	89.4	464 of 5377	91.4%	★★★★★
2010	90.9	397 of 5314	92.5%	★★★★★
2009	91.9	357 of 5193	93.1%	★★★★★
2008	92.7	328 of 5113	93.6%	★★★★★
2007	94.4	265 of 5113	94.8%	★★★★★
2006	95.4	200 of 4818	95.8%	★★★★★
2005	94.9	230 of 4822	95.2%	★★★★★
2004	93.7	299 of 4809	93.8%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.5	670 of 1203	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.8	760 of 1205	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.4	791 of 1190	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.5	721 of 1154	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.6	639 of 1149	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	75.1	256 of 1071	76.1%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	68.6	435 of 2227	80.5%	★★★★☆
2019	73.0	457 of 2585	82.3%	★★★★☆
2018	75.2	341 of 2128	84.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	36.9	2040 of 3162	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	66.2	605 of 3245	81.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	79.9	1086 of 5597	80.6%	★★★★☆
2024	81.4	1038 of 5612	81.5%	★★★★☆
2023	85.6	863 of 5609	84.6%	★★★★☆
2022	86.4	800 of 5635	85.8%	★★★★☆
2019	87.9	666 of 5492	87.9%	★★★★☆
2018	89.4	596 of 5413	89.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.9	1451 of 5107	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	75.0	941 of 5107	81.6%	★★★★☆
2023	87.3	459 of 5087	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	89.9	364 of 5084	92.8%	★★★★★
2019	81.9	638 of 4963	87.1%	★★★★☆
2018	83.6	545 of 4830	88.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	68.5	1358 of 5460	75.1%	★★★★☆
2024	75.5	1040 of 5517	81.1%	★★★★☆
2023	76.0	945 of 5363	82.4%	★★★★☆
2022	84.1	593 of 5264	88.7%	★★★★☆
2019	71.0	1134 of 5173	78.1%	★★★★☆
2018	85.7	462 of 5084	90.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	73.4	1363 of 5628	75.8%	★★★★☆
2024	76.1	1233 of 5643	78.1%	★★★★☆
2023	80.5	1069 of 5638	81.0%	★★★★☆
2022	85.9	828 of 5663	85.4%	★★★★☆
2019	84.4	846 of 5510	84.6%	★★★★☆
2018	87.8	703 of 5431	87.1%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	49.3	422 of 718	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.7	387 of 670	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.2	321 of 669	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.5	192 of 610	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.1	185 of 445	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.0	237 of 339	30.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	69.4	552 of 2847	80.6%	★★★★☆
2024	68.5	521 of 2635	80.2%	★★★★☆
2023	74.9	390 of 2420	83.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	58.0	1152 of 2598	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.9	1216 of 2651	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.0	985 of 2661	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.4	973 of 2726	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.9	828 of 2834	70.8%	★★★★☆
2018	75.6	619 of 2737	77.4%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2025)81st percentile~ school

Female (2025)81st percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)80th percentile-5 vs school

Male (2025)76th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)75th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)72nd percentile-8 vs school

White (2025)56th percentile-24 vs school

Asian (2025)44th percentile-35 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)41st percentile-38 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)35th percentile-45 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics60%+23 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy58%+9 vs state

Science51%+19 vs state

4.0

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, April 25, 2021

The school is too large so your just a number. My daughter was doing her work till 9 pm and at lunch. I would find a school with fewer kids. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, March 10, 2017

We've been at Melinda Heights for 5 years now and couldn't be any more impressed with the teachers, the administrators, and the families that are part of this school. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, October 15, 2016

We are new to Melinda Heights this year. It is a very organized and impressive school. Even with the large size student body, it has a tight knit community feel. The new principal is all smiles and we have 3 amazing teachers from kinder to 5th grade. From the programs the school offers, to the welcoming atmosphere, we are very happy to be here. The teachers all seem to work hard to thrive and be great. The school we came from was complete opposite so this is a nice breath of fresh air. Close Quote

Schools Near Melinda Heights 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 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
Melinda Heights Elementary	Public	K-6	21001 Rancho Trabuco	Rancho Santa Margarita	92688	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 888-7311	950	34	28.1	27.8%	487 (51.3%)	7 (0.7%)	226 (23.8%)	130 (13.7%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	96 (10.1%)	78.6	1209^th of 5857 public elementary schools	79.4%		80.3	1139^th of 5869 public elementary schools	80.6%	70	51.4	51.4	54.2	48.6	65.5	63.6	58.0	62.6	57.6	58.4	60.5	59.9	97.3	98.0		97.3	98.0	98.0	$17,918	$1,361	$16,557
Trabuco Elementary	Public	K-6	31052 Trabuco Canyon Rd.	Trabuco Canyon	92679	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 858-0343	90	5	18.2	37.8%	45 (50.0%)	1 (1.1%)	26 (28.9%)	2 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (17.8%)	65.7	1811^th of 5857 public elementary schools	69.1%		65.4	1798^th of 5869 public elementary schools	69.4%	13	60.0	60.0	42.9	53.3	50.0		52.7	50.0	33.3	60.0		50.9							$21,965	$1,406	$20,559
Portola Hills Elementary	Public	K-6	19422 Saddleback Ranch Rd.	Trabuco Canyon	92679	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 459-9370	809	31	26.3	19.9%	354 (43.8%)	8 (1.0%)	126 (15.6%)	195 (24.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	125 (15.5%)	95.9	249^th of 5857 public elementary schools	95.7%		92.1	562^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	90.4%	313	80.4	80.4	74.3	74.4	87.7	85.9	80.2	76.2	76.8	77.6	73.7	76.2							$17,858	$1,362	$16,496
Cielo Vista Elementary	Public	K-6	21811 Avenida De Los Fundadore	Rancho Santa Margarita	92688	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 589-7456	487	21	23.4	65.3%	114 (23.4%)	2 (0.4%)	289 (59.3%)	51 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.4%)	44.8	2899^th of 5857 public elementary schools	50.5%		53.8	2356^th of 5869 public elementary schools	59.9%	543	36.8	36.8	38.1	40.0	45.6	45.0	42.3	39.7	30.0	33.8	31.7	34.0	87.8	90.5		89.8	90.5	90.5	$19,174	$1,680	$17,494
Trabuco Mesa Elementary	Public	K-6	21301 Avenida de los Flores	Rancho Santa Margarita	92688	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 858-3339	640	26	25.0	37.2%	285 (44.5%)	5 (0.8%)	184 (28.8%)	89 (13.9%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	74 (11.6%)	88.1	767^th of 5857 public elementary schools	86.9%		90.6	658^th of 5869 public elementary schools	88.8%	109	58.5	58.5	85.3	67.1	64.2	61.9	69.5	84.2	72.0	58.5	56.7	67.4	94.0	95.0	98.0	95.0	94.0	95.0	$17,230	$1,361	$15,869
Tijeras Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	23072 Avenida Empresa	Rancho Santa Margarita	92688	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5300	315	12	26.2	21.6%	159 (50.5%)	2 (0.6%)	59 (18.7%)	40 (12.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (17.1%)	88.8	725^th of 5857 public elementary schools	87.6%		88.6	777^th of 5869 public elementary schools	86.8%	52	50.9	50.9	71.6	77.1	70.7		72.8	77.0	77.1	50.9		68.5	96.0			97.3			$18,156	$1,489	$16,667
Arroyo Vista Elementary	Public	K-5	23371 Arroyo Vista	Rancho Santa Margarita	92688	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5951	508	21	24.1	28.0%	285 (56.1%)	2 (0.4%)	75 (14.8%)	55 (10.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	91 (17.9%)	89.7	677^th of 5857 public elementary schools	88.4%		88.7	771^st of 5869 public elementary schools	86.9%	94	55.8	55.8	67.2	70.3	77.9		72.5	76.1	63.7	63.5		66.8	94.3				96.2		$17,781	$1,165	$16,616
Robinson Elementary	Public	K-6	21400 Lindsay Dr.	Trabuco Canyon	92679	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 589-2446	486	20	24.1	27.6%	308 (63.4%)	4 (0.8%)	108 (22.2%)	23 (4.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (8.6%)	77.6	1262^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	78.5%		75.8	1342^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	77.1%	80	51.6	51.6	60.3	63.6	50.0	66.1	59.8	65.1	63.6	56.3	39.3	56.6	93.3	96.7		95.0	93.3		$20,050	$1,369	$18,681
Del Lago Elementary	Public	K-6	27181 Entidad St.	Mission Viejo	92691	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 855-1125	362	18	20.0	49.2%	118 (32.6%)	7 (1.9%)	151 (41.7%)	46 (12.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (11.0%)	46.4	2805^th of 5857 public elementary schools	52.1%		39.3	3218^th of 5869 public elementary schools	45.2%	413	40.4	40.4	46.3	38.5	48.9	36.1	42.9	39.0	35.9	31.9	30.6	34.4							$18,945	$1,361	$17,584
Foothill Ranch Elementary	Public	K-6	1 Torino Dr.	Foothill Ranch	92610	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 470-4885	990	37	26.9	28.4%	306 (30.9%)	9 (0.9%)	197 (19.9%)	324 (32.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.4%)	150 (15.2%)	92.2	533^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	90.9%		89.2	735^th of 5869 public elementary schools	87.5%	202	58.9	58.9	75.4	72.2	83.3	76.0	76.7	72.6	64.7	72.6	62.7	68.0							$18,485	$1,363	$17,122

Frequently Asked Questions about Melinda Heights Elementary

How many students attend Melinda Heights Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 950 students attended Melinda Heights Elementary.

Is Melinda Heights Elementary a good school?

Melinda Heights Elementary ranks 1209^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Melinda Heights Elementary in?

Saddleback Valley Unified

What schools do graduates of Melinda Heights Elementary attend?

Students who attend Melinda Heights Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate
High : Trabuco Hills High

What is the racial makeup of Melinda Heights Elementary?

Students at Melinda Heights Elementary are 51% White, 24% Hispanic, 14% Asian, 10% Two or more races.

Rate Melinda Heights Elementary!

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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.