Richard Henry Dana Elementary

Richard Henry Dana Elementary, a medium-sized elementary campus in Dana Point, California, overseen by Capistrano Unified, caters to 461 students, covering grades K through 5.

Across the 58 schools in Capistrano Unified (40,251 students total), Richard Henry Dana Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Richard Henry Dana Elementary logs that the most-represented group is Hispanic (45%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Beyond that, the school shows 39% White, 14% multiracial. By comparison, Orange County as a whole is about 34% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Richard Henry Dana Elementary has 26 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 17.8:1. The state averages around 22.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 46% of students at Richard Henry Dana Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is south of Orange County's rate of about 55%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Richard Henry Dana Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 52.0%; this one delivers 46.1%.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Orange County) shows that median household earnings sit near $116,289, about 44% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. In all, Orange County runs 649 public schools (combined enrollment of about 430,458 students), of which Richard Henry Dana Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Dana Hills High, roughly 0.8 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Richard Henry Dana Elementary comes 4th of 6 in the immediate cluster, below the nearby-schools average of 48.2%.

The campus sits in a residential setting.

Five-year trend. Richard Henry Dana Elementary's enrollment has increased 115% since 2018, when it stood at 214 (now 461). Hispanic enrollment moved from 91% to 45% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 30.6:1 in 2018 to 17.8:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.