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Lillian Larsen Elementary

Q: Is Lillian Larsen Elementary a good school?

Lillian Larsen Elementary ranks 3659 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

3659^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 38% of California elementary schools

Summary

Lillian Larsen Elementary is a K-8 public school serving 448 students in San Miguel, CA, within the San Miguel Joint Union school district, and it has shown a strong, decade-long trend of improvement despite serving a community with significant economic need.

The school has clear strengths, particularly in maintaining excellent student attendance with chronic absenteeism rates (12.0%) that are much better than the state average and most nearby schools like Pat Butler Elementary or Glen Speck Elementary. It also provides smaller class sizes (18:1 ratio) than many comparison schools and has historically been very effective in supporting English Language Learners. When compared to its sister school in the same district, Cappy Culver Elementary, Lillian Larsen has a much higher percentage of students in need but achieves better attendance and lower student-teacher ratios.

Academically, the school's performance is below state averages but is on a positive trajectory, with 4th and 8th-grade math nearing or matching state levels. There is notable variability between grades, with 8th-grade English being a strength and 6th-grade math an area for focus. While the school's per-student spending is the highest among its comparison group, translating those resources into higher test scores remains a challenge, indicating the complex work of supporting its student population.

448

Students ?

18.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,543

Per pupil spending ?

79.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1601 L St.
San Miguel, CA 93451-9107

(805) 467-3216

District: San Miguel Joint Union

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

87.5%

White:

10.0%

Asian:

1.3%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Lillian Larsen Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 33rd percentile in 2013 → 38th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2013

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (34% vs 41% meeting standards)

!English Language Arts/Literacy scores 13 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg37%

California avg41%

Elementary school

3,659^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 38%▲ up 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 22% (2015) to bottom 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,421^st of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 49%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 41% (2015) to bottom 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the San Miguel Joint Union

737^th of 1,543San Miguel Joint Union 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	33.8	3659 of 5857	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.2	3760 of 5869	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.7	3082 of 5859	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.7	3473 of 5883	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.3	4679 of 5789	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.4	4900 of 5662	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	24.5	4310 of 5692	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	28.7	3874 of 5614	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	22.7	4354 of 5611	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	34.9	3682 of 5530	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	23.7	4405 of 5390	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	26.4	4228 of 5377	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	24.2	4288 of 5314	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	28.8	3790 of 5193	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	22.4	4165 of 5113	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	27.4	3741 of 5113	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	39.1	2757 of 4818	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2005	39.5	2742 of 4822	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	55.9	1881 of 4809	60.9%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	43.9	1555 of 3162	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.0	496 of 3245	84.7%	★★★★☆
2022	59.8	764 of 3311	76.9%	★★★★☆
2019	54.6	1017 of 3275	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	30.9	2320 of 3246	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	41.7	2970 of 5597	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.8	3808 of 5612	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.2	3197 of 5609	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.1	3814 of 5635	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.2	4610 of 5492	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.2	4684 of 5413	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	42.8	2809 of 5107	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.7	3065 of 5107	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.9	2009 of 5087	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.6	2700 of 5084	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.5	3663 of 4963	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.3	3955 of 4830	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	39.2	212 of 356	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	41.9	3023 of 5460	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.7	3317 of 5517	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.4	2341 of 5363	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.2	2320 of 5264	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	32.6	3676 of 5173	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.8	4134 of 5084	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	28.0	4021 of 5628	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.1	3341 of 5643	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.4	2781 of 5638	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.4	2976 of 5663	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.2	4269 of 5510	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.4	4621 of 5431	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	28.7	2001 of 2651	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	42.3	1421 of 2761	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.7	1603 of 2783	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.8	1464 of 2781	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.7	1794 of 2740	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.1	2054 of 2715	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.1	1395 of 2480	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	41.0	1364 of 2508	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	35.2	1482 of 2497	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	35.2	1470 of 2477	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	33.6	1599 of 2379	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	29.6	1655 of 2259	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	47.4	1161 of 2236	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	37.1	1387 of 2179	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	45.5	1071 of 2063	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	60.2	702 of 2005	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	35.0	1255 of 1999	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	28.2	1296 of 1804	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	25.4	1327 of 1777	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	32.1	1159 of 1769	34.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	62.5	239 of 1478	83.8%	★★★★☆
2023	66.1	207 of 1521	86.4%	★★★★☆
2022	48.6	509 of 1540	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.6	502 of 1442	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	32.4	881 of 1364	35.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	42.9	1286 of 2533	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.6	1422 of 2551	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.8	1450 of 2531	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.8	1637 of 2509	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.7	1767 of 2380	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.4	1256 of 2262	44.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.8	834 of 2395	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.8	1072 of 2388	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.2	924 of 2374	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.4	1279 of 2359	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.5	1590 of 2213	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	51.9	856 of 2072	58.7%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	76.8	62 of 477	87.0%	★★★★☆
2024	63.8	89 of 394	77.4%	★★★★☆
2023	78.2	38 of 320	88.1%	★★★★☆
2022	50.9	132 of 336	60.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.8	1017 of 2542	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	1147 of 2579	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.3	1042 of 2531	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.4	1319 of 2458	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.1	1592 of 2369	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.7	1237 of 2230	44.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.3	1370 of 2534	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.8	1568 of 2552	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.3	1272 of 2538	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.5	1628 of 2527	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.3	1975 of 2407	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.6	1349 of 2273	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

English Language Learner (2024)51st percentile+15 vs school

Female (2025)47th percentile+9 vs school

Hispanic (2025)45th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)45th percentile+7 vs school

Homeless (2022)40th percentile~ school

Male (2025)29th percentile-9 vs school

White (2024)25th percentile-11 vs school

Middle school

Homeless (2025)87th percentile+38 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)84th percentile+41 vs school

Hispanic (2025)65th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)60th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2025)49th percentile~ school

Male (2025)46th percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy36%-13 vs state

Mathematics33%-4 vs state

Science32%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Lillian Larsen 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 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
Lillian Larsen Elementary	Public	K-8	1601 L St.	San Miguel	93451	San Luis Obispo County	San Miguel Joint Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 467-3216	448	25	18.1	79.7%	45 (10.0%)	1 (0.2%)	392 (87.5%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	33.8	3659^th of 5857 public elementary schools	37.5%		32.2	3760^th of 5869 public elementary schools	35.9%	101	26.7	38.1	32.2	18.2	27.0	46.5	25.5	43.9	53.7	36.2	37.1	51.3	35.6	16.7	31.0	33.3	33.1							$20,543	$3,093	$17,450
Pleasant Valley Elementary	Public	K-6	2025 Ranchita Canyon Rd.	San Miguel	93451	San Luis Obispo County	Pleasant Valley Joint Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 467-3453	58	4	14.5	24.1%	37 (63.8%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (25.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (8.6%)	46.8	2776^th of 5857 public elementary schools	52.6%					(n/a)	27.3		27.3			72.7				54.6			9.1				36.4							$22,369	$2,535	$19,834
Kermit King Elementary	Public	K-6	700 Schoolhouse Cir.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Paso Robles Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 769-1700	507	19	26.8	55.8%	281 (55.4%)	0 (0.0%)	173 (34.1%)	9 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (8.3%)	67.4	1718^th of 5857 public elementary schools	70.7%		76.5	1311^th of 5869 public elementary schools	77.7%	407	53.3		53.3	50.8	39.3	65.5	70.1			55.7	46.0	36.9	51.7	56.6			47.4	96.4				96.4		$16,454	$1,955	$14,499
Paso Robles Independent Study Center	Public	K-8	2405 Spring St.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Paso Robles Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 769-1675	37	2	18.1	45.9%	12 (32.4%)	1 (2.7%)	22 (59.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.4%)								(n/a)		0.0	0.0					35.3	25.0	30.8					11.8	8.3	10.0							$14,093	$1,315	$12,778
Glen Speck Elementary	Public	K-6	401 17th St.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Paso Robles Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 769-1350	454	17	27.4	83.5%	101 (22.2%)	4 (0.9%)	307 (67.6%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (8.1%)	29.4	4004^th of 5857 public elementary schools	31.6%		29.3	3991^st of 5869 public elementary schools	32.0%	13	21.8		21.8	13.8	33.9	37.3	63.2			36.9	17.2	21.0	24.1	23.7			21.5							$23,024	$2,688	$20,336
Georgia Brown Dual Immersion Magnet Elementary	Public	K-6	900 Creston Rd.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Paso Robles Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 769-1200	682	25	27.3	69.4%	122 (17.9%)	6 (0.9%)	516 (75.7%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.5%)	42.9	3016^th of 5857 public elementary schools	48.5%		34.4	3566^th of 5869 public elementary schools	39.2%	550	44.6		44.6	30.7	45.2	59.3	26.5			39.4	29.4	45.2	39.8	18.0			32.5	97.1			97.1			$15,734	$1,463	$14,271
Bradley Elementary	Public	K-8	65600 Dixie St.	Bradley	93426	Monterey County	Bradley Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 472-2310	54	3	18.1	31.5%	33 (61.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.6%)								(n/a)			31.6							39.5							21.1							$33,211	$930	$32,281
Winifred Pifer Elementary	Public	K-6	1350 Creston Rd.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Paso Robles Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 769-1300	492	20	24.9	81.7%	123 (25.0%)	1 (0.2%)	333 (67.7%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.1%)	28.7	4082^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	30.3%		31.8	3798^th of 5869 public elementary schools	35.3%	284	21.7		21.7	39.0	33.3	30.5	37.5			35.4	30.9	31.8	21.7	13.9			24.9	92.5	97.2	98.1	95.3	97.2	96.2	$19,523	$1,767	$17,756
Almond Acres Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1145 Niblick Rd.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	Almond Acres Charter Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 221-8550	478	18	26.5	47.1%	255 (53.3%)	2 (0.4%)	174 (36.4%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (8.8%)	23.1	4586^th of 5857 public elementary schools	21.7%		30.2	3914^th of 5869 public elementary schools	33.3%	672	18.4	30.6	24.5	17.4	25.0	30.6	35.0	39.0	36.7	31.3	30.4	27.3	16.3	25.0	28.8	22.5	25.1	84.4	91.1			86.7		$14,441	$684	$13,757
Cappy Culver Elementary	Public	K-8	11011 Heritage Ranch Loop Rd.	Paso Robles	93446	San Luis Obispo County	San Miguel Joint Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 227-1040	220	10	22.1	48.2%	149 (67.7%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (23.6%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.4%)	1 (0.5%)	14 (6.4%)	65.7	1807^th of 5857 public elementary schools	69.1%		65.1	1814^th of 5869 public elementary schools	69.1%	7	42.3	6.3	28.6	34.6	35.7	64.0	59.1	45.0	12.5	43.1	69.2	60.7	44.0	45.5	25.0	25.0	47.5	92.3						$19,990	$3,141	$16,849

Frequently Asked Questions about Lillian Larsen Elementary

Is Lillian Larsen Elementary a good school?

Lillian Larsen Elementary ranks 3659^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Lillian Larsen Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 448 students attended Lillian Larsen Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Lillian Larsen Elementary?

Students at Lillian Larsen Elementary are 88% Hispanic, 10% White, 1% Asian.

What district is Lillian Larsen Elementary in?

San Miguel Joint Union

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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.