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

Ernest Righetti High

Q: Is Ernest Righetti High a good school?

Ernest Righetti High ranks 877 th of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

877^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,162 California High Schools

Better than 59% of California high schools

Summary

Ernest Righetti High is a large public high school serving grades 9-12 to approximately 2,416 students in Santa Maria, operating within the Santa Maria Joint Union High district.

Within its own district, Righetti stands out as a strong performer, particularly in English Language Arts where it significantly outpaces both the district and state averages, and it boasts an excellent graduation rate over 95% with a very low dropout rate. The school shows notable strengths in supporting specific student groups, with exceptional outcomes for migrant students and dramatic recent improvements for students in special education. However, like other schools in the area, it faces a significant challenge with mathematics proficiency, which lags behind the state average, and it has a higher rate of chronic student absenteeism than both the state and some local peers like Pioneer Valley High.

When compared to high-performing schools in neighboring districts, such as Central Coast New Technical High in the Lucia Mar Unified district, Righetti's results appear more average, suggesting district resources and policies influence performance. Despite increased per-student spending in recent years, academic gains have not been dramatic, and the school's ability to maintain solid academic outcomes despite higher absenteeism is a notable characteristic of its current profile.

2,416

Students ?

21.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$29,708

Per pupil spending ?

55.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

941 East Foster Rd.
Santa Maria, CA 93455-3318

(805) 937-2051

District: Santa Maria Joint Union High

Feeder schools for Ernest Righetti High:

Elementary:	Alice Shaw Elementary
	Benjamin Foxen Elementary
	Joe Nightingale Elementary
	Mary Buren Elementary
	More...
	Olga L. Reed Elementary
	Patterson Road Elementary
	Pine Grove Elementary
	Ralph Dunlap Elementary
Middle:	Kermit McKenzie Intermediate
	Lakeview Junior High
	Orcutt Junior High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

75.1%

White:

17.5%

Asian:

3.2%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Ernest Righetti High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 38th percentile in 2017 → 59th in 2025

Strengths

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 59th (2025) from a 38th-percentile low (2017)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Santa Maria Joint Union High

Worth a look

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

!Mathematics scores 15 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg30%

California avg41%

877^th of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Top 41%▲ up 10 pts since 2015

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

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4High Schools in the Santa Maria Joint Union High

963^rd of 1,543Santa Maria Joint Union High 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	58.0	877 of 2162	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.4	711 of 2159	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.7	1038 of 2170	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.9	978 of 2123	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.8	881 of 2133	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.5	1042 of 2017	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	39.4	1252 of 2021	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	50.4	1011 of 2039	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	48.3	1015 of 1994	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	54.8	660 of 2426	72.8%	★★★★☆
2012	55.7	660 of 2354	72.0%	★★★★☆
2011	63.6	428 of 2367	81.9%	★★★★☆
2010	64.1	418 of 2281	81.7%	★★★★☆
2009	69.5	264 of 2238	88.2%	★★★★☆
2008	62.1	437 of 2117	79.4%	★★★★☆
2007	53.4	577 of 2063	72.0%	★★★★☆
2006	54.2	582 of 1968	70.4%	★★★★☆
2005	54.6	507 of 1901	73.3%	★★★★☆
2004	57.9	372 of 1653	77.5%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2018	44.7	287 of 582	50.7%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	45.7	362 of 585	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	85.2	60 of 581	89.7%	★★★★☆
2019	30.1	434 of 582	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	50.7	330 of 581	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	46.1	470 of 1161	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.3	533 of 1117	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.6	508 of 1052	51.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	42.2	530 of 1085	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.1	526 of 1064	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.8	681 of 1044	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.3	139 of 941	85.2%	★★★★☆
2018	30.6	619 of 938	34.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.8	690 of 1906	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.5	727 of 1915	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.4	1010 of 1915	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.4	856 of 1858	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.7	677 of 1833	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.7	881 of 1760	49.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	62.2	660 of 1900	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.2	560 of 1902	70.6%	★★★★☆
2023	45.9	1003 of 1917	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.1	891 of 1861	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.8	853 of 1814	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.3	1097 of 1742	37.0%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	37.4	246 of 410	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.5	135 of 328	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.7	115 of 290	60.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	54.4	867 of 2013	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.4	648 of 2026	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.0	1040 of 2030	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.8	924 of 1943	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.6	793 of 1937	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.7	1162 of 1862	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.3	891 of 1942	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.5	638 of 1948	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.7	942 of 1963	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.0	974 of 1916	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.4	971 of 1880	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.1	1082 of 1834	41.0%	★★☆☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	93.7	4 of 85	95.3%	★★★★★
2024	78.1	13 of 85	84.7%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.8	102 of 175	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.4	73 of 183	60.1%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	41.6	311 of 515	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.3	191 of 422	54.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	49.1	493 of 1252	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	34.8	718 of 1216	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.4	887 of 1197	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.4	679 of 1155	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.5	502 of 1173	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.1	721 of 1193	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.7	781 of 1204	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.8	729 of 1222	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.1	681 of 1173	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Migrant (2025)95th percentile+36 vs school

Hispanic (2025)65th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)64th percentile+4 vs school

Special Education (2025)61st percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)60th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)57th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)54th percentile-5 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)51st percentile-16 vs school

African American (2018)51st percentile~ school

Military Connected (2025)42nd percentile-18 vs school

White (2025)41st percentile-18 vs school

Homeless (2025)40th percentile-19 vs school

Multi-racial (2022)40th percentile-14 vs school

Asian (2025)38th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy61%+12 vs state

Science31%~ state avg

Mathematics23%-15 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Ernest Righetti High and help other families decide.

Rate Ernest Righetti High

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 Ernest Righetti High

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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)			CSA Spanish Listening (2025)			CSA Spanish Writing (2025)			CSA Spanish Reading (2025)			CSA Spanish Speaking (2025)		CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)		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	CSA Spanish Overall 9th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 10th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 9th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 10th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 9th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 10th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 9th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 10th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	CSA Spanish Speaking 9th Grade	CSA Spanish Speaking 10th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ernest Righetti High	Public	9-12	941 East Foster Rd.	Santa Maria	93455	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria Joint Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 937-2051	2,416	115	21.0	55.5%	424 (17.5%)	32 (1.3%)	1,815 (75.1%)	78 (3.2%)	17 (0.7%)	6 (0.2%)	34 (1.4%)	58	877^th of 2162 public high schools	59.4%		62.4	711^th of 2159 public high schools	67.1%	166															31.1	13.3	30.6	60.5	60.5	22.6	22.6	$29,708	$28,504	$1,204
Delta High	Public	9-12	4893 Bethany Ln.	Santa Maria	93455	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria Joint Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 937-6356	291	14	20.7	78.7%	11 (3.8%)	2 (0.7%)	274 (94.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10.9	1974^th of 2162 public high schools	8.7%		10.6	2033^rd of 2159 public high schools	5.8%	59															3.3		3.7	17.0	17.0	1.1	1.1	$33,469	$32,788	$681
Santa Maria High	Public	9-12	901 South Broadway	Santa Maria	93458	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria Joint Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 925-2567	3,143	144	21.9	76.1%	39 (1.2%)	6 (0.2%)	3,057 (97.3%)	29 (0.9%)	4 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.1%)	40.3	1251^st of 2162 public high schools	42.1%		38.7	1277^th of 2159 public high schools	40.9%	26															24.0		23.8	44.5	44.5	15.7	15.7	$27,920	$26,640	$1,280
Pioneer Valley High	Public	9-12	675 Panther Dr.	Santa Maria	93454	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria Joint Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 922-1305	3,080	140	22.0	71.9%	70 (2.3%)	13 (0.4%)	2,893 (93.9%)	87 (2.8%)	4 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	8 (0.3%)	47.2	1092^nd of 2162 public high schools	49.5%		52.1	952^nd of 2159 public high schools	55.9%	140															24.2	23.5	24.2	50.2	50.2	21.3	21.3	$26,979	$25,752	$1,227
Central Coast New Technical High	Public	9-12	523 North Thompson Ave.	Nipomo	93444	San Luis Obispo County	Lucia Mar Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 474-3350	318	17	19.1	50.3%	160 (50.3%)	2 (0.6%)	123 (38.7%)	7 (2.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.0%)	92.9	150^th of 2162 public high schools	93.1%		95.6	99^th of 2159 public high schools	95.4%	51															62.8		62.8	77.2	77.2	53.2	53.2	$19,079	$16,452	$2,627
Nipomo High	Public	9-12	525 North Thompson Rd.	Nipomo	93444	San Luis Obispo County	Lucia Mar Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 474-3300	819	43	19.0	70.2%	225 (27.5%)	5 (0.6%)	542 (66.2%)	10 (1.2%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	31 (3.8%)	61.4	785^th of 2162 public high schools	63.7%		49.7	1002^nd of 2159 public high schools	53.6%	217															34.0		33.3	67.7	67.7	19.8	19.8	$19,372	$16,590	$2,782
Cabrillo High	Public	9-12	4350 Constellation Rd.	Lompoc	93436	Santa Barbara County	Lompoc Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 742-2900	1,060	56	19.0	48.3%	322 (30.4%)	22 (2.1%)	544 (51.3%)	47 (4.4%)	11 (1.0%)	4 (0.4%)	108 (10.2%)	61.3	790^th of 2162 public high schools	63.5%		59.8	767^th of 2159 public high schools	64.5%	23															41.3	16.7	40.2	44.4	44.4	30.7	30.7	$26,829	$26,010	$819
Maple High	Public	9-12	4010 Jupiter Ave.	Lompoc	93436	Santa Barbara County	Lompoc Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 742-3150	135	9	14.7	85.2%	26 (19.3%)	2 (1.5%)	99 (73.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.2%)	9	2072^nd of 2162 public high schools	4.2%		8.8	2131^st of 2159 public high schools	1.3%	59															1.5		1.4	9.3	9.3	1.3	1.3	$38,111	$36,882	$1,229
Lopez Continuation High	Public	10-12	1055 Mesa View Dr.	Arroyo Grande	93420	San Luis Obispo County	Lucia Mar Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 474-3750	96	9	10.9	77.1%	27 (28.1%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (65.6%)	2 (2.1%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.1%)	11.2	1959^th of 2162 public high schools	9.4%		19.1	1716^th of 2159 public high schools	20.5%	243															0.0		0.0	15.2	15.2	4.6	4.6	$28,736	$24,444	$4,292
Lompoc High	Public	9-12	515 West College Ave.	Lompoc	93436	Santa Barbara County	Lompoc Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 742-3000	1,593	82	19.5	76.7%	151 (9.5%)	41 (2.6%)	1,312 (82.4%)	29 (1.8%)	7 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	51 (3.2%)	30	1485^th of 2162 public high schools	31.3%		32.2	1440^th of 2159 public high schools	33.3%	45	0.0	9.1	7.7	6.7	9.1	10.3	0.0	0.0	5.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	13.3	27.3	20.7	14.3	20.4	31.5	31.5	12.9	12.9	$24,402	$23,498	$904

Frequently Asked Questions about Ernest Righetti High

What is the racial makeup of Ernest Righetti High?

Students at Ernest Righetti High are 75% Hispanic, 18% White, 3% Asian, 1% Two or more races, 1% African American.

How many students attend Ernest Righetti High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,416 students attended Ernest Righetti High.

What district is Ernest Righetti High in?

Santa Maria Joint Union High

Is Ernest Righetti High a good school?

Ernest Righetti High ranks 877^th of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Ernest Righetti High?

Ernest Righetti High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Alice Shaw Elementary
Elementary : Benjamin Foxen Elementary
Elementary : Joe Nightingale Elementary
Elementary : Mary Buren Elementary
Elementary : Olga L. Reed Elementary
Elementary : Patterson Road Elementary
Elementary : Pine Grove Elementary
Elementary : Ralph Dunlap Elementary
Middle : Kermit McKenzie Intermediate
Middle : Lakeview Junior High
Middle : Orcutt Junior High

Rate Ernest Righetti High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia High School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Santa Maria, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Ernest Righetti High!

Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.