Summary:
ZIP code 93108 has two K–6 elementary schools: Montecito Union (353 students) and Cold Spring Elementary (188 students). In 2025–26, both schools had high proficiency results in English language arts (ELA), math and science. Their average results were 98% in ELA, 97% in math and 93% in science, compared with California’s 49%, 38% and 36%. The area’s average lead over the state was 48 percentage points in ELA, 59 in math and 57 in science. The clearest shared strength is that both schools substantially outperformed state results in all three subjects.
Cold Spring Elementary led the 2025–26 all-grades results, with 100% proficient in ELA, 99% in math and 97% in science. Montecito Union followed at 95%, 95% and 89%, respectively; the schools’ gaps were 5 percentage points in ELA, 4 in math and 8 in science. Cold Spring’s all-grades lead does not hold in every grade: Montecito scored 98% in sixth-grade math, compared with Cold Spring’s 94%, a 4-point advantage. SchoolDigger ranked Cold Spring #1 and Montecito #3 statewide in 2025–26, out of 5,804 schools.
Results rose at both schools from 2024–25 to 2025–26, though science gains differed: Montecito improved 10 percentage points in science, while Cold Spring improved 2. The two-school average rose 4 points in ELA, 4 in math and 6 in science. SchoolDigger’s rankings show Cold Spring at #1, #3 and #1 across 2023–24 through 2025–26; Montecito improved from #26 to #18 to #3. Other reported measures offer context, not an explanation for scores: 2025–26 chronic absenteeism was 9% at Montecito and 3% at Cold Spring, versus 18% statewide, while 2024–25 student–teacher ratios were 12 and 13.6. Both reported free/reduced lunch eligible for 2024–25: 5% at Montecito and 6% at Cold Spring.
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