Westlake Elementary

Westlake Elementary is a moderately sized K-5 school in Santa Cruz, California, operated by Santa Cruz City Elementary. The school serves 453 students in grades K through 5.

Westlake Elementary is one of 5 schools operated by Santa Cruz City Elementary, a district that serves 1,756 students overall.

Demographically, Westlake Elementary shows that White students make up the majority at 61%. Other groups include 22% Hispanic, 10% multiracial, 5% Asian. Compared to Santa Cruz County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Westlake Elementary has 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 20.6:1. The state averages around 22.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 25% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Santa Cruz County runs at roughly 52%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat below the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, Westlake Elementary performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 64.9%, the actual is 68.6%, a residual of +3.7 points.

Around the school, ACS estimates for Santa Cruz County put median household income runs about $111,093, 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. Across Santa Cruz County's 83 public schools (combined enrollment of about 36,316 students), Westlake Elementary is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Mission Hill Middle, roughly 0.8 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 4 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Westlake Elementary ranks 1st on composite proficiency, above the local average of 49.9%.

The campus sits in an urban setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Westlake Elementary has edged down 18%, going from 555 students in 2018 to 453 in 2025. Class-load math has narrowed: from 23.6:1 in 2018 to 20.6:1 in 2025.

On allk12, members of the Westlake Elementary community share and discuss classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.