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Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at Pine Grove Elementary?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
569
Elementary
DISTRICT 453 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·ORCUTT UNION ELEMENTARY·NCES 062871004467
Pine Grove Elementary
1050 East Rice Ranch Rd., Santa Maria, CA 93455 · (805) 938-8800 · Santa Barbara County
GRADES KG–06ELEMENTARY22-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL569 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 72% of California public elementary schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- BThree-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
25.9:1
22 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 25.2:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
59%
334 students
DISTRICT 67% · 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 | 118 | 21% |
| Grade 1 | 64 | 11% |
| Grade 2 | 60 | 11% |
| Grade 3 | 84 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 77 | 14% |
| Grade 5 | 88 | 15% |
| Grade 6 | 78 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (118) is 51% larger than its 6th grade class (78).
Student demographics
61%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 57% · 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
49.3%
CA avg 49.1% . +1.3pp since 2014
Math
53.4%
CA avg 37.7% . +22.4pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 49 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 53 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 1 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 22 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 23.7% | 25.5% | 20.2% | 30.6% |
| Math | 32.1% | 21.2% | 25.1% | 21.5% |
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 | 49.3% | 53.4% |
| 2023-24 | 49.7% | 53.0% |
| 2022-23 | 47.7% | 52.6% |
| 2021-22 | 50.5% | 45.1% |
| 2018-19 | 58.7% | 46.8% |
| 2017-18 | 62.3% | 54.8% |
| 2016-17 | 62.7% | 47.1% |
| 2015-16 | 54.0% | 43.0% |
| 2014-15 | 48.0% | 31.0% |
% 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
51.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
45.1%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+6.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 51% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 45% 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 Pine Grove Elementary
Pine Grove Elementary's state test result (51.4% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Grove Elementary this school | 569 | 58.7% | 51.4% |
| Northlake Hills Elementary Castaic | 556 | 59.2% | 53.8% |
| Monte Vista Elementary Vista | 556 | 55.6% | 39.1% |
| Chapman Heights Elementary Yucaipa | 597 | 58.8% | 43.9% |
| Ralph Dunlap Elementary Santa Maria | 502 | 56.2% | 33.1% |
| Citrus Glen Elementary Ventura | 491 | 58.7% | 33.8% |
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 Pine Grove Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Santa Barbara County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 51.4% | #1,625 of 5,151 | #16 of 66 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 53.4% | #1,384 of 5,172 ▼ 41 | #13 of 66 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 49.3% | #2,096 of 5,172 ▼ 177 | #29 of 66 ▼ 5 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +3.5pp | #2,122 of 5,116 | #21 of 66 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 569 | #1,661 of 5,915 | #23 of 75 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 25.9:1 | #4,807 of 5,352 | #60 of 63 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 60.5% | #1,773 of 5,354 | #10 of 63 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 58.7% | #3,535 of 5,625 | #40 of 70 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +8.0% | #602 of 1,139 | #7 of 13 |
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
569
+91 (+19%) vs 2020
+14% since 1990-91, when it was 499
Student : Teacher
25.9:1
was 25.2:1
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 | 569 | 22 | 25.9:1 | 59% (334) |
| 2023-24 | 547 | 22 | 24.9:1 | 44% (243) |
| 2022-23 | 510 | 20 | 25.5:1 | 38% (195) |
| 2020-21 | 478 | 19 | 25.2:1 | 32% (155) |
| 2017-18 | 527 | 19 | 27.7:1 | 34% (180) |
| 2015-16 | 589 | 20 | 29.4:1 | 33% (197) |
| 2010-11 | 398 | N/A | N/A | 26% (102) |
| 2000-01 | 491 | 24 | 20.5:1 | 29% (142) |
| 1990-91 | 499 | 19 | 26.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Pine Grove Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students up 8% (527 to 569); teachers up 16% (19 to 22).
About Pine Grove Elementary
Pine Grove Elementary is an elementary school in Santa Maria, California, reachable at (805) 938-8800. The grade span is kindergarten through 6, and enrollment is 569 students. Average enrollment for elementary schools in California is about 465, so this school runs 22% bigger than that.
Besides Pine Grove Elementary, Orcutt Union Elementary runs 9 other schools. The district enrolls 4,911 students.
A majority of students at Pine Grove Elementary, 52%, are Hispanic. The rest of enrollment is 33% White, 11% multiracial, and 3% Asian. By the diversity index, Pine Grove Elementary comes in at 61%.
At Pine Grove Elementary, 22 full-time-equivalent teachers work with students, a ratio of about 25.9:1. For comparison, elementary schools in California average 22.3:1. Roughly 59% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. That is 9 points below the 68% average for public schools in Santa Barbara County.
The allk12 Grade for Pine Grove Elementary is B+. Compared with California public elementary schools, the school scored higher than 72% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
In California, Pine Grove Elementary is in the middle band of BeatsExpectations: 51.4% actual against a predicted 45.1%.
Within Santa Barbara County, median household income is about $98,161, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 37%, and roughly 9% of residents are in poverty. The public schools of Santa Barbara County number 129 and enroll about 66,191.
The closest public school to Pine Grove Elementary is Olive Grove Charter - Orcutt/Santa Maria, about 0.5 miles away. Within five miles of Pine Grove Elementary, there are at least 8 other public schools. In a group of 5 nearby schools with scores, Pine Grove Elementary ranks 2nd on average proficiency.
Locale: Suburb: Mid-size. In NCES terms, the school is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population between 100,000 and 250,000.
Federal counts put enrollment at 478 in 2020-21 and 569 in 2024-25, a 19% gain.
Parents and students can post about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs at Pine Grove Elementary. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Santa Barbara County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
443,701
Census ACS
Median income
$98,161
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
37%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
129
66,191 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Orcutt Union Elementary
- Orcutt Academy CharterCombined · 812 students
- Joe Nightingale ElementaryElementary · 695 students
- Patterson Road ElementaryElementary · 662 students
- Alice Shaw ElementaryElementary · 530 students
- Ralph Dunlap ElementaryElementary · 502 students
- Orcutt Junior HighMiddle · 464 students
Other schools in Santa Maria
- Santa Maria HighHigh · 3,143 students
- Pioneer Valley HighHigh · 3,080 students
- Ernest Righetti HighHigh · 2,416 students
- JIMENEZ ROBERTO AND DR. FRANCISCO ELEMENTARYElementary · 1,177 students
- Bruce (Robert) ElementaryElementary · 1,050 students
- Alvin ElementaryElementary · 998 students
Other Pine Grove Elementary schools
10 other US public schools in 9 states are named Pine Grove Elementary. Pine Grove Elementary is the 3rd largest of the 11.
- Pine Grove ElementaryCrescent City, CA · 265 students
- PINE GROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLBROOKSVILLE, FL · 943 students
- Pine Grove Elementary SchoolValdosta, GA · 756 students
- Pine Grove Elementary SchoolPine Grove, PA · 563 students
- Pine Grove ElementaryColumbia, SC · 501 students
Nearby schools
- Olive Grove Charter - Orcutt/Santa Maria0.5 mi · 153
- Family Partnership Charter0.7 mi · 372
- Orcutt School for Independent Study1.0 mi · 44
- Ralph Dunlap Elementary1.0 mi · 502
- Delta High1.0 mi · 291
- Patterson Road Elementary1.0 mi · 662
Frequently asked questions
About Pine Grove ElementaryHow large is Pine Grove Elementary?
Pine Grove Elementary enrolls approximately 569 students in grades KG-06.
What grades does Pine Grove Elementary serve?
Pine Grove Elementary serves grades KG-06.
How many teachers does Pine Grove Elementary have?
Pine Grove Elementary employs 22 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 25.9:1.
How diverse is Pine Grove Elementary?
Pine Grove Elementary reports a student body of 33% White, 52% Hispanic, 1% Black, 3% Asian, 11% Two or more.
Who oversees Pine Grove Elementary?
Pine Grove Elementary is overseen by Orcutt Union Elementary in Santa Barbara County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.