Summary:
ZIP code 93108 has two elementary schools, Montecito Union and Cold Spring Elementary, and both serve kindergarten through grade 6. In 2025–26, both schools’ all-grades proficiency rates were well above California’s in English language arts (ELA), math and science: even Montecito Union, the lower-scoring school in this pair, had rates of 95% in ELA, 95% in math and 89% in science, compared with statewide rates of 49%, 38% and 36%. The most important finding is that both schools performed far above the state in all three subjects.
Cold Spring Elementary stands out at the top of the pair, leading all three subjects: its rates were 100% in ELA, 99% in math and 97% in science, compared with 95%, 95% and 89% at Montecito Union. The gap was about 5 percentage points in ELA, 4 in math and 8 in science. Both schools were strong relative to California, with each at least 46 points above the state in ELA, 57 points above in math and 53 points above in science. The overall lead does not hold in every grade: in grade 6 math, Montecito Union had 98% proficiency versus 94% at Cold Spring Elementary.
Both schools improved from 2024–25 to 2025–26. Montecito Union made its biggest gain in science, up 10 percentage points; Cold Spring Elementary rose 4 points in ELA, 4 in math and 2 in science. SchoolDigger’s latest statewide rankings place Cold Spring at number 1 and Montecito Union at number 3, and both receive five stars. For context, 2024–25 free/reduced lunch eligible shares were 6% at Cold Spring and 5% at Montecito Union; student–teacher ratios were 13.6 and 12, respectively. These figures describe the schools but do not explain their test results.
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