Tijeras Creek Elementary

Tijeras Creek Elementary is an elementary-level community of intimate scale in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, operated by Capistrano Unified, teacheing 315 students in grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 465 students per school, that is 32% smaller than typical.

Tijeras Creek Elementary is one of 58 schools operated by Capistrano Unified, a district that instructs 40,251 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Tijeras Creek Elementary records that the most-represented group is White (50%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. The remainder comes out to 19% Hispanic, 17% multiracial, 13% Asian.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school lists 12 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 26.3:1. The state averages around 22.3:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 22% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Orange County (around 55%), the school's rate is south of typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Tijeras Creek Elementary performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 66.7%, the actual is 68.4%, a residual of +1.8 points.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Orange County shows the typical household earns roughly $116,289 per year, about 44% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Tijeras Creek Elementary is one of 649 public schools in Orange County (combined enrollment of about 430,458 students).

The closest other public school is Arroyo Vista Middle, roughly 0.8 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Tijeras Creek Elementary ranks 4th on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 64.6%.

The school occupies a residential site.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 16%: 374 students in 2018 compared to 315 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share shrank from 68% to 50%. Class-load math has fell: from 31.2:1 in 2018 to 26.3:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.