Enrollment
297
Elementary
DISTRICT 272 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·ATASCADERO UNIFIED·NCES 060330000254
Santa Margarita Elementary
22070 H St., Santa Margarita, CA 93453 · (805) 438-5633 · San Luis Obispo County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL297 STUDENTS
C+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 43% 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.
- CBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- DThree-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
25.6:1
12 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 21.9:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
34%
100 students
DISTRICT 51% · STATE 65%
Community
0
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 | 78 | 26% |
| Grade 1 | 41 | 14% |
| Grade 2 | 60 | 20% |
| Grade 3 | 45 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 41 | 14% |
| Grade 5 | 32 | 11% |
This year's kindergarten class (78) is 144% larger than its 5th grade class (32).
Student demographics
48%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 56% · 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
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Santa Margarita Elementary→Atascadero Middle
Based on grade levels within Atascadero Unified. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
57.0%
CA avg 49.1% . -5.0pp since 2014
Math
53.3%
CA avg 37.7% . -0.7pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 57 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 down about 5 points since 2014, while math scores have held steady.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 26.4% | 30.6% | 20.7% | 22.3% |
| Math | 23.8% | 29.5% | 22.9% | 23.8% |
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 | 57.0% | 53.3% |
| 2023-24 | 53.9% | 51.9% |
| 2022-23 | 52.5% | 58.2% |
| 2021-22 | 57.8% | 63.7% |
| 2018-19 | 59.4% | 51.9% |
| 2017-18 | 56.1% | 43.9% |
| 2016-17 | 55.9% | 46.2% |
| 2015-16 | 61.0% | 54.0% |
| 2014-15 | 62.0% | 54.0% |
% 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
53.2%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
59.8%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-6.6pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 53% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 60% 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 Santa Margarita Elementary
Santa Margarita Elementary's state test result (53.2% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 4 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Margarita Elementary this school | 297 | 33.7% | 53.2% |
| Golden Valley Orchard Orangevale | 292 | 31.5% | N/A |
| Pierpont Elementary Ventura | 304 | 34.9% | 60.7% |
| Old Adobe Elementary Charter Petaluma | 278 | 34.5% | 49.3% |
| Pacific Beach Elementary San Diego | 312 | 34.9% | 65.6% |
| Alta Sierra Elementary Grass Valley | 338 | 34.3% | 52.0% |
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 Santa Margarita Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In San Luis Obispo County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 53.2% | #1,504 of 5,151 | #16 of 37 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 53.3% | #1,391 of 5,172 ▲ 14 | #10 of 37 ▲ 4 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 57.0% | #1,539 of 5,172 ▲ 86 | #13 of 37 ▲ 5 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -5.6pp | #469 of 5,116 | #3 of 37 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 297 | #4,787 of 5,915 | #32 of 45 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 25.6:1 | #4,707 of 5,352 | #29 of 37 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 48.1% | #2,906 of 5,354 | #28 of 37 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 33.7% | #4,618 of 5,625 | #33 of 40 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +11.2% | #471 of 1,139 | #7 of 17 |
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
297
+76 (+34%) vs 2020
-36% since 1990-91, when it was 462
Student : Teacher
25.6:1
was 24.6:1
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 | 297 | 11.6 | 25.6:1 | 34% (100) |
| 2023-24 | 284 | 11.6 | 24.5:1 | 37% (105) |
| 2022-23 | 267 | 11.2 | 23.8:1 | 38% (102) |
| 2020-21 | 221 | 9 | 24.6:1 | 20% (44) |
| 2017-18 | 267 | 10 | 26.7:1 | 28% (74) |
| 2015-16 | 292 | 10 | 29.2:1 | 24% (70) |
| 2010-11 | 283 | N/A | N/A | 35% (100) |
| 2000-01 | 391 | 19 | 20.6:1 | 20% (77) |
| 1990-91 | 462 | 21 | 22.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Santa Margarita Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students up 11% (267 to 297); teachers up 16% (10 to 11.6).
About Santa Margarita Elementary
Federal records list Santa Margarita Elementary as an elementary school in Santa Margarita, California. It enrolled 297 students in kindergarten through 5 for the 2024-25 school year. Enrollment is 36% lower than the average for elementary schools in California, which is about 465.
Santa Margarita Elementary belongs to Atascadero Unified, a district of 12 schools and 4,355 students.
Santa Margarita Elementary's enrollment is 69% White. Other groups include 19% Hispanic and 10% multiracial. The county population is about 69% White, within a few points of the school. By the diversity index, Santa Margarita Elementary comes in at 48%.
Santa Margarita Elementary employs 11.6 full-time-equivalent teachers. That gives a ratio of about 25.6:1. That ratio is over the 22.3:1 average for elementary schools in California. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility was 34% in 2024-25. On average, public schools in San Luis Obispo County report 54%.
Measured against California public elementary schools, Santa Margarita Elementary receives a C+. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
A school with Santa Margarita Elementary's lunch-eligibility share in California is predicted to score 59.8%. Santa Margarita Elementary scores 53.2%, 6.6 points below that line.
County data help place the school in context: in San Luis Obispo County, median household income is about $97,446, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 40%, and roughly 6% of residents are in poverty. Santa Margarita Elementary is among the 83 public schools in San Luis Obispo County.
Nearest public school: Atascadero Choices in Education Academy (ACE), about 4.9 miles away. Other public schools within five miles: 2. Compared with its nearest neighbors, Santa Margarita Elementary ranks 2nd of 7 on average proficiency.
In the federal locale system, Santa Margarita Elementary is coded Rural: Fringe, for schools in rural territory close to an urban area.
Enrollment was 221 in 2020-21 and 297 in 2024-25, a gain of 76 students. There were more students per teacher in 2024-25 (25.6:1) than in 2020-21 (24.6:1).
Topics for discussion here include school safety, transportation, and start times. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
San Luis Obispo County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
281,555
Census ACS
Median income
$97,446
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
40%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
83
33,339 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Atascadero Unified
- Atascadero HighHigh · 1,157 students
- Atascadero MiddleMiddle · 845 students
- San Benito ElementaryElementary · 403 students
- Monterey Road ElementaryElementary · 382 students
- Santa Rosa Road Academic AcademyElementary · 377 students
- San Gabriel ElementaryElementary · 360 students
Other schools in Santa Margarita
- Carrisa Plains ElementaryElementary · 21 students
Other Santa Margarita Elementary schools
One other US public school is named Santa Margarita Elementary. Santa Margarita Elementary is the 2nd largest of the 2.
- Santa Margarita ElementaryOceanside, CA · 544 students
Nearby schools
- Atascadero Choices in Education Academy (ACE)4.9 mi · 159
- Paloma Creek High4.9 mi · 55
- Santa Rosa Road Academic Academy5.8 mi · 377
- San Gabriel Elementary5.8 mi · 360
- Atascadero High7.3 mi · 1,157
- Teach Elementary7.4 mi · 193
Frequently asked questions
About Santa Margarita ElementaryWhat is the total enrollment at Santa Margarita Elementary?
Santa Margarita Elementary enrolls approximately 297 students in grades KG-05.
What age range does Santa Margarita Elementary serve?
Santa Margarita Elementary serves students from grade KG through grade 05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Santa Margarita Elementary?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Santa Margarita Elementary is approximately 25.6:1 (12 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Santa Margarita Elementary?
At Santa Margarita Elementary, the student body is approximately 69% White, 19% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 10% Two or more.
Who oversees Santa Margarita Elementary?
Santa Margarita Elementary is overseen by Atascadero Unified in San Luis Obispo County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.