Mary Buren Elementary

Mary Buren Elementary is one of the substantial primary schools in Guadalupe, California, one of the schools within Guadalupe Union Elementary, with 738 students on its rolls from grades K through 4. That puts it 59% bigger than the typical public school in California, which averages around 465 students.

Across the 2 schools in Guadalupe Union Elementary (1,323 students total), Mary Buren Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Mary Buren Elementary logs that the student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic (95%); the rest reads as 3% White. The wider county runs roughly 48% Hispanic, putting the school's mix visibly more Hispanic than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, The school reports having 39 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 19.0:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 22.3:1, putting Mary Buren Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 90% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Santa Barbara County (around 68%), the school's rate is north of typical.

With demographic context factored in, Mary Buren Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 25.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 16.3%.

In the broader community, community-level numbers for Santa Barbara County indicate median household income runs about $98,161, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. In all, Santa Barbara County runs 129 public schools (combined enrollment of about 66,191 students), of which Mary Buren Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Kermit McKenzie Intermediate, roughly 1.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 3 other public schools. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Mary Buren Elementary ranks 6th on composite proficiency, beneath the local average of 26.5%.

Mary Buren Elementary operates from a town-based location.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Mary Buren Elementary has fell 14%, going from 862 students in 2018 to 738 in 2025. Class-load math has tightened: from 23.3:1 in 2018 to 19.0:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.