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Best kept secret at Manuel Esqueda Elementary?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
811
Elementary
DISTRICT 530 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SANTA ANA UNIFIED·NCES 063531010991
Manuel Esqueda Elementary
2240 South Main St., Santa Ana, CA 92707 · (714) 431-1500 · Orange County
GRADES KG–08ELEMENTARY11-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL811 STUDENTS
D
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 13% of California public elementary schools
- DTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- CBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- C+Three-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
21.7:1
37 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 21.3:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
94%
765 students
DISTRICT 91% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 92 | 11% |
| Grade 1 | 74 | 9% |
| Grade 2 | 69 | 9% |
| Grade 3 | 78 | 10% |
| Grade 4 | 74 | 9% |
| Grade 5 | 95 | 12% |
| Grade 6 | 116 | 14% |
| Grade 7 | 104 | 13% |
| Grade 8 | 109 | 13% |
This year's kindergarten class (92) is 16% smaller than its 8th grade class (109).
Student demographics
4%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 8% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
23.5%
CA avg 49.1% . +3.5pp since 2014
Math
14.7%
CA avg 37.7% . -5.3pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 24 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 15 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 4 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 5 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 6.7% | 16.8% | 28.8% | 47.7% |
| Math | 3.8% | 10.9% | 27.8% | 57.5% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 23.5% | 14.7% |
| 2023-24 | 20.8% | 14.2% |
| 2022-23 | 23.8% | 16.7% |
| 2021-22 | 22.2% | 14.5% |
| 2018-19 | 26.9% | 22.0% |
| 2017-18 | 22.1% | 18.6% |
| 2016-17 | 19.2% | 18.4% |
| 2015-16 | 21.0% | 19.0% |
| 2014-15 | 20.0% | 20.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
18.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
24.3%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-5.5pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 19% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 24% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Manuel Esqueda Elementary
Manuel Esqueda Elementary's state test result (18.8% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manuel Esqueda Elementary this school | 811 | 94.3% | 18.8% |
| Martin R. Heninger Elementary Santa Ana | 783 | 94.5% | 24.4% |
| Miles Avenue Elementary Huntington Park | 788 | 94.3% | 28.9% |
| Curren Elementary Oxnard | 817 | 93.0% | 25.3% |
| Romero-Cruz Academy Santa Ana | 827 | 95.8% | 10.4% |
| Kamala Elementary Oxnard | 842 | 95.8% | 24.1% |
Matched among California elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Manuel Esqueda Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Orange County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 18.8% | #4,677 of 5,151 | #368 of 381 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 14.7% | #4,768 of 5,172 ▼ 19 | #372 of 382 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 23.5% | #4,604 of 5,172 ▲ 69 | #368 of 382 ▲ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +0.8pp | #3,095 of 5,116 | #220 of 381 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 811 | #358 of 5,915 | #33 of 404 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 21.7:1 | #1,990 of 5,352 | #84 of 398 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 3.7% | #5,259 of 5,354 | #387 of 398 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 94.3% | #526 of 5,625 | #16 of 400 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -30.0% | #544 of 3,837 | #59 of 324 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
811
-190 (-19%) vs 2020
-10% since 2010-11, when it was 905
Student : Teacher
21.7:1
was 25.0:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 811 | 37.3 | 21.7:1 | 94% (765) |
| 2023-24 | 897 | 40.8 | 22.0:1 | 84% (754) |
| 2022-23 | 892 | 42 | 21.3:1 | 80% (716) |
| 2020-21 | 1,001 | 40 | 25.0:1 | 90% (896) |
| 2017-18 | 1,158 | 39.3 | 29.5:1 | 88% (1,015) |
| 2015-16 | 1,211 | 43 | 28.2:1 | 94% (1,139) |
| 2010-11 | 905 | N/A | N/A | 92% (829) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Manuel Esqueda Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students down 30% (1,158 to 811); teachers down 5% (39.3 to 37.3).
About Manuel Esqueda Elementary
Manuel Esqueda Elementary, located in Santa Ana, California, is a high-enrollment elementary school. Classes run from kindergarten through 8, and the school has 811 students. Against the 465-student average for elementary schools in California, enrollment here is 74% higher.
The 51 schools in Santa Ana Unified enroll 35,993 students altogether, Manuel Esqueda Elementary among them.
Most students at Manuel Esqueda Elementary are Hispanic: 98% of enrollment. For comparison, the population of Orange County is roughly 34% Hispanic. Manuel Esqueda Elementary has a diversity index of 4%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Its 37.3 full-time-equivalent teachers give the school a ratio of 21.7:1. Elementary schools in California average about 22.3:1, a similar figure. The school's lunch program data list 94% of students as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The rate at public schools in Orange County averages 55%, lower than here.
The allk12 Grade for Manuel Esqueda Elementary is D. Compared with California public elementary schools, the school scored higher than 13% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
BeatsExpectations compares each school's average proficiency rate on state tests with a prediction based on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility. For Manuel Esqueda Elementary, the prediction is 24.3% and the result is 18.8%.
Recent Census Bureau figures for Orange County show that median household income is about $116,289, 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 7% of people live in poverty. Federal data list 649 public schools in Orange County, with a combined enrollment of about 430,458.
The closest other public school is Cesar E. Chavez High, about 0.2 miles away. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. In a group of 8 nearby schools with scores, Manuel Esqueda Elementary ranks 7th on average proficiency.
The NCES locale for Manuel Esqueda Elementary is City: Large, which covers schools inside a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more.
Manuel Esqueda Elementary saw enrollment fall 19% between 2020-21 and 2024-25. The ratio was 25.0:1 in 2020-21 and 21.7:1 in 2024-25.
To ask about school safety, transportation, and start times, start a discussion on this page. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Orange County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
3,165,820
Census ACS
Median income
$116,289
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
44%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
649
430,458 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Santa Ana Unified
- Santa Ana HighHigh · 2,505 students
- Segerstrom HighHigh · 2,376 students
- Valley HighHigh · 1,908 students
- Hector G. GodinezHigh · 1,687 students
- Century HighHigh · 1,519 students
- Saddleback HighHigh · 1,451 students
Other schools in Santa Ana
- Santa Ana HighHigh · 2,505 students
- Segerstrom HighHigh · 2,376 students
- OCSAHigh · 2,346 students
- Foothill HighHigh · 2,126 students
- Valley HighHigh · 1,908 students
- Hector G. GodinezHigh · 1,687 students
Nearby schools
- Cesar E. Chavez High0.2 mi · 350
- Thomas A. Edison Elementary0.4 mi · 332
- Monroe Elementary0.4 mi · 217
- Washington Elementary0.4 mi · 529
- Saddleback High0.8 mi · 1,451
- Douglas MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate0.9 mi · 1,005
Frequently asked questions
About Manuel Esqueda ElementaryHow many students attend Manuel Esqueda Elementary?
Manuel Esqueda Elementary enrolls approximately 811 students in grades KG-08.
What age range does Manuel Esqueda Elementary serve?
Manuel Esqueda Elementary serves students from grade KG through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at Manuel Esqueda Elementary?
Approximately 21.7:1 students per teacher at Manuel Esqueda Elementary.
What is the student diversity at Manuel Esqueda Elementary?
Student demographics at Manuel Esqueda Elementary are roughly 0% White, 98% Hispanic, 0% Black, 1% Asian, 0% Two or more.
Who oversees Manuel Esqueda Elementary?
Manuel Esqueda Elementary is overseen by Santa Ana Unified in Orange County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.