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Westlake Elementary

Q: Is Westlake Elementary a good school?

Westlake Elementary ranks 801 st of 5817 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

801^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,817 California Elementary Schools

Better than 86% of California elementary schools

Summary

Westlake Elementary is a K–5 school with 453 students in Santa Cruz, serving families in an area with several nearby elementary schools. Its 2025–26 proficiency rates were above the state and district in English, math and science. The clearest standout is science: Westlake ranked first among nine nearby K–5 schools, with 72% of students proficient.

Westlake is near the top locally in all three subjects, though Brook Knoll Elementary had higher ELA and math results. Westlake’s ELA rate was 68%, compared with 49% statewide, 55% in the Santa Cruz City Elementary district and a 52% nearby-school average; its math rate was 63%, versus 38%, 51% and 47%, respectively. In science, Westlake’s 72% was above the state’s 36%, the district’s 54% and the nearby average of 47%; Brook Knoll was next highest at 64%. Attendance is a less favorable part of the picture: chronic absenteeism was 15% in 2025–26, above the nearby-school average of 12%, although below the state’s 18%.

Scores remain strong, but Westlake’s advantage over the state has narrowed since 2022–23: its state gaps are now 18 percentage points in ELA, 25 in math and 36 in science. Over that period, Westlake’s science proficiency rose from 69% to 72%, while ELA and math edged down. SchoolDigger ranks Westlake 799th of 5,804 schools, at the 86th percentile with four stars. In 2024–25, its student–teacher ratio was 20.5, compared with a nearby-peer average of 22.3, and 25% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible. SchoolDigger’s group rankings show a notable difference for Hispanic students: the 2025–26 percentile was 50, compared with 86 overall, and had fallen 28 percentile points since 2023–24. Its measure for Multi-racial Students rose from the 66th percentile in 2021–22 to the 95th in 2023–24.

453

Students ?

20.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$28,128

Per pupil spending ?

24.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

≥ 98%

Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2024-25)

1000 High St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060-2596

(831) 429-3878

District: Santa Cruz City Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.1%

Hispanic:

22.3%

Two or more races:

9.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Westlake Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 93rd percentile in 2015 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (66% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of California elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Santa Cruz City Elementary

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school66%

District avg53%

California avg42%

801^st of 5,817

California public elementary schools ?

Top 14%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From top 10% (2016) to top 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5Elementary Schools in the Santa Cruz City Elementary

368^th of 1,530Santa Cruz City 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	87.0	801 of 5817	86.2%	★★★★☆
2025	86.7	836 of 5857	85.7%	★★★★☆
2024	89.0	752 of 5869	87.2%	★★★★☆
2023	88.6	788 of 5859	86.6%	★★★★☆
2022	87.9	810 of 5883	86.2%	★★★★☆
2019	90.0	645 of 5789	88.9%	★★★★☆
2018	82.6	1000 of 5662	82.3%	★★★★☆
2017	87.6	779 of 5692	86.3%	★★★★☆
2016	90.8	562 of 5614	90.0%	★★★★★
2015	93.4	419 of 5611	92.5%	★★★★★
2013	91.1	392 of 5530	92.9%	★★★★★
2012	89.6	447 of 5390	91.7%	★★★★★
2011	90.8	392 of 5377	92.7%	★★★★★
2010	92.9	273 of 5314	94.9%	★★★★★
2009	86.7	662 of 5193	87.3%	★★★★☆
2008	85.4	735 of 5113	85.6%	★★★★☆
2007	87.7	639 of 5113	87.5%	★★★★☆
2006	91.6	400 of 4818	91.7%	★★★★★
2005	88.2	581 of 4822	88.0%	★★★★☆
2004	84.1	743 of 4809	84.5%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	69.9	417 of 2227	81.3%	★★★★☆
2019	84.7	270 of 2585	89.6%	★★★★☆
2018	80.5	275 of 2128	87.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	87.0	724 of 5581	87.0%	★★★★☆
2025	88.9	648 of 5597	88.4%	★★★★☆
2024	89.3	656 of 5612	88.3%	★★★★☆
2023	90.2	607 of 5609	89.2%	★★★★☆
2022	88.7	704 of 5635	87.5%	★★★★☆
2019	92.9	369 of 5492	93.3%	★★★★★
2018	88.3	654 of 5413	87.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	46.7	2556 of 5094	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	64.5	1468 of 5107	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	71.0	1143 of 5107	77.6%	★★★★☆
2023	70.8	1146 of 5087	77.5%	★★★★☆
2022	70.1	1156 of 5084	77.3%	★★★★☆
2019	74.3	952 of 4963	80.8%	★★★★☆
2018	60.9	1583 of 4830	67.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	63.6	1663 of 5423	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.7	1821 of 5460	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.2	917 of 5517	83.4%	★★★★☆
2023	61.7	1655 of 5363	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.0	2156 of 5264	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.2	1619 of 5173	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.9	2173 of 5084	57.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	84.2	844 of 5603	84.9%	★★★★☆
2025	76.8	1204 of 5628	78.6%	★★★★☆
2024	85.6	845 of 5643	85.0%	★★★★☆
2023	84.8	876 of 5638	84.5%	★★★★☆
2022	85.1	861 of 5663	84.8%	★★★★☆
2019	84.1	858 of 5510	84.4%	★★★★☆
2018	73.9	1326 of 5431	75.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	88.1	34 of 670	94.9%	★★★★★
2023	68.8	213 of 669	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.4	207 of 610	66.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	64.3	691 of 2927	76.4%	★★★★☆
2025	53.2	969 of 2847	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	74.7	433 of 2635	83.6%	★★★★☆
2023	62.0	608 of 2420	74.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	79.9	407 of 2536	84.0%	★★★★☆
2025	74.2	618 of 2598	76.2%	★★★★☆
2024	74.5	648 of 2651	75.6%	★★★★☆
2023	78.8	480 of 2661	82.0%	★★★★☆
2022	77.1	556 of 2726	79.6%	★★★★☆
2019	81.9	397 of 2834	86.0%	★★★★☆
2018	72.3	741 of 2737	72.9%	★★★★☆

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)

Multi-racial (2024)95th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)87th percentile~ school

Male (2026)85th percentile~ school

White (2026)84th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)81st percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)76th percentile-10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)69th percentile-17 vs school

Hispanic (2026)50th percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

Science72%+36 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy68%+18 vs state

Mathematics63%+25 vs state

★

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Schools Near Westlake Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination 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)							Vaccination (2024-25)		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	Vaccination: Kindergartners with all required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Westlake Elementary	Public	K-5	1000 High St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3878	453	22	20.5	24.5%	277 (61.1%)	5 (1.1%)	101 (22.3%)	24 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	44 (9.7%)	87	801^st of 5817 public elementary schools	86.2%		86.7	836^th of 5857 public elementary schools	85.7%	35	72.2		72.2	69.1	58.9	73.3				67.5	66.2	54.8	67.8				63.2	≥ 98%		$28,128	$26,044	$2,084
Bay View Elementary	Public	K-5	1231 Bay St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3991	394	21	18.7	45.2%	162 (41.1%)	1 (0.3%)	198 (50.3%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.4%)	63.8	1890^th of 5817 public elementary schools	67.5%		64.5	1860^th of 5857 public elementary schools	68.2%	30	46.0		46.0	42.2	54.6	55.6				51.7	53.3	53.0	36.5				47.1	95%	1%	$36,370	$33,756	$2,614
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	1663^rd of 5817 public elementary schools	71.4%		77.2	1270^th of 5857 public elementary schools	78.3%	393	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
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	2367^th of 5817 public elementary schools	59.3%		50.3	2573^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	56.1%	206	40.0		40.0	49.0	41.4	50.0				46.4	53.9	36.2	40.0				43.2	≥ 98%		$29,954	$28,478	$1,476
Brook Knoll Elementary	Public	K-5	151 Brook Knoll Dr.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Scotts Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 423-2454	498	22	22.4	13.9%	332 (66.7%)	3 (0.6%)	75 (15.1%)	31 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	50 (10.0%)	89.7	668^th of 5817 public elementary schools	88.5%		86.2	871^st of 5857 public elementary schools	85.1%	203	64.4		64.4	66.2	71.1	71.2				69.5	63.2	79.0	66.1				70.0	96%	1%	$18,754	$17,930	$824
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	1920^th of 5817 public elementary schools	67.0%		66.6	1761^st of 5857 public elementary schools	69.9%	159	44.3		44.3	49.3	50.6	47.1				49.1	50.8	51.8	47.1				50.0	≥ 98%		$24,104	$23,622	$482
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	2128^th of 5817 public elementary schools	63.4%		51.2	2538^th of 5857 public elementary schools	56.7%	410	40.0		40.0	47.2	47.6	52.3				49.2	61.1	33.3	44.4				45.5	95%	0%
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
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)																		≥ 95%
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	2395^th of 5817 public elementary schools	58.8%		42.3	3048^th of 5857 public elementary schools	48.0%	653	50.0		50.0	47.0	36.9	55.8				45.9	42.7	38.5	40.4				40.5	≥ 98%

Frequently Asked Questions about Westlake Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Westlake Elementary?

Students at Westlake Elementary are 61% White, 22% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 1% African American.

How many students attend Westlake Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 453 students attended Westlake Elementary.

What district is Westlake Elementary in?

Santa Cruz City Elementary

Is Westlake Elementary a good school?

Westlake Elementary ranks 801^st of 5817 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Westlake Elementary!

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Latest California data All new data »

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 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.