Summary:
ZIP code 93463 has four schools: Ballard Elementary (K–6), Solvang Elementary (K–8), and two high schools serving grades 9–12, Santa Ynez Valley Union High and Refugio High; there are no middle schools. The reported results show substantial differences between schools, especially in math. The clearest overall standout is Ballard, which leads the other schools with reported scores in every tested subject.
Ballard is strongest across the board in 2025–2026, with 75% proficient in ELA, 69% in math, and 60% in science. Compared with Solvang, its all-grades results are higher by 24 percentage points in ELA, 34 in math, and 21 in science; it also leads in every reported shared elementary grade and subject. Santa Ynez has 56% in ELA and 44% in science, both above state results, but its 31% in math is below the state’s 38%. Solvang is near the state in ELA and above it in science, but below it in math. Refugio cannot be placed by achievement: its school-level test scores are suppressed.
Recent trends differ by school: Ballard gained 3 points in math and 10 in science, while its ELA fell 2 points; Santa Ynez improved 4 points in science but declined in ELA and math, and Solvang declined in all three. SchoolDigger ranks Ballard at the 87th percentile with 4 stars, Santa Ynez at the 68th percentile with 3 stars, and Solvang at the 49th percentile with 2 stars. Context also differs: 2024–2025 student-teacher ratios were 16.1 at Ballard and 19.3 at Solvang; free/reduced lunch eligible shares were 11% and 38%, respectively. Refugio’s 2025–2026 chronic absenteeism was 73%, compared with 18% statewide, and its enrollment was 11. These figures describe differences between schools but do not establish what causes them.
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