Santa Ynez Elementary

Located at 3325 Pine St., in Santa Ynez, California, Santa Ynez Elementary is a micro-enrollment primary school that enrolls 147 students (grades 1 through 8), operated by College Elementary. Enrollment runs roughly 68% smaller than the state mean of about 465.

Across the 2 schools in College Elementary (175 students total), Santa Ynez Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Santa Ynez Elementary lists that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 56% of enrollment. The remainder consists of 37% White, 5% multiracial, 3% Native American.

On the resource side, Santa Ynez Elementary logs 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 14.1:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 22.3:1 average. Around 46% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is south of Santa Barbara County's rate of about 68%.

With demographic context factored in, Santa Ynez Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 52.4%; this one delivers 49.2%.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Santa Barbara County indicate the typical household earns roughly $98,161 per year, about 37% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. Across Santa Barbara County's 129 public schools (combined enrollment of about 66,191 students), Santa Ynez Elementary is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is College Elementary, roughly 0.3 miles away. Within five miles, there are 7 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Santa Ynez Elementary at 4th of 5; the average score across the group is 55.0%.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Santa Ynez Elementary's enrollment has shrank 14% since 2018, when it stood at 170 (now 147). White enrollment moved from 25% to 37% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 16.0:1 in 2018 to 14.1:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the feed for Santa Ynez Elementary typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.