Santa Margarita Elementary

Set in Oceanside, California, Santa Margarita Elementary is a mid-sized elementary campus, part of Oceanside Unified. It instructs 544 students across grades K through 8.

Oceanside Unified runs 23 schools in total, collectively educating 14,866 students. Santa Margarita Elementary is one of those campuses.

Demographically, Santa Margarita Elementary reports that 43% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. The remainder reads as 34% White, 11% multiracial, 8% Black, 3% Asian. By comparison, San Diego County as a whole is about 35% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Santa Margarita Elementary logs 25 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 22.1:1. The state averages about 22.3:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 66% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is noticeably above San Diego County's rate of about 54%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Santa Margarita Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 40.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 40.9%.

Around the school, ACS estimates for San Diego County put median household earnings sit near $106,268, about 43% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. In all, San Diego County runs 766 public schools (combined enrollment of about 467,437 students), of which Santa Margarita Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is North Terrace Elementary, roughly 1.1 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Santa Margarita Elementary at 2nd of 8; the average score across the group is 29.3%.

Santa Margarita Elementary operates from a low-density location.

Looking at the recent track record. Santa Margarita Elementary's enrollment has shrank 11% since 2018, when it stood at 608 (now 544). White enrollment moved from 43% to 34% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio rose from 20.3:1 in 2018 to 22.1:1 today.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.