Monte Bella Elementary

As a high-enrollment elementary-level community in Salinas, California, Monte Bella Elementary educates 812 students from grades K through 6, one of the schools within Alisal Union. Enrollment runs roughly 75% above the state mean of about 465.

Monte Bella Elementary is one of 13 schools operated by Alisal Union, a district that hosts 7,303 students overall.

On demographics, Monte Bella Elementary logs that the student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic (97%). That is meaningfully more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 62%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school reports having 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 26.2:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 22.3:1 average. Roughly 86% of students at Monte Bella Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is noticeably above Monterey County's rate of about 76%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Monte Bella Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 28.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 32.8%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Monterey County put the typical household earns roughly $97,230 per year, 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Across Monterey County's 153 public schools (combined enrollment of about 73,845 students), Monte Bella Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Alisal High is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Monte Bella Elementary at 3rd of 9; the average score across the group is 26.0%.

The school occupies an urban site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Monte Bella Elementary has expanded 5%, going from 776 students in 2018 to 812 in 2025.

On this page, the feed for Monte Bella Elementary typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.