Is Sandia Elementary a good school?

Sandia Elementary ranks in the bottom 2.6% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Sandia Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 884 students attended Sandia Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Sandia Elementary?

Students at Sandia Elementary are 66% Hispanic, 20% White, 8% African American, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Sandia Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sandia Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Apple Valley High

Sandia Elementary

Summary:

Sandia Elementary is a public elementary school located in Apple Valley, California, serving grades K-8 with a total enrollment of 874 students. The school is part of the Apple Valley Unified School District, which is ranked 1343 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sandia Elementary faces significant challenges, with a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism rates, from 16.4% in 2017-2018 to 58.8% in 2021-2022, notably higher than the district and state averages. The school's academic performance is also a concern, as it consistently performs below the district and state averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 3.96% to 18.6% in ELA and 2.94% to 14.77% in Math, compared to the district's 23.2% to 27.84% in ELA and 12.97% to 25.2% in Math. Additionally, Sandia Elementary's student groups, such as Hispanic, White, English Language Learners, and Low Socioeconomic Status students, consistently rank in the bottom 10-20% of California elementary schools in their respective categories, raising equity concerns.

When compared to other nearby schools within the Apple Valley Unified School District, Sandia Elementary stands out as an outlier, performing significantly worse than its counterparts. Schools like Rio Vista School of Applied Learning, Sitting Bull Academy, and Vanguard Preparatory demonstrate higher test scores, lower chronic absenteeism rates, and better overall performance, suggesting the need for a comprehensive, data-driven approach to address the challenges faced by Sandia Elementary and improve educational outcomes for all students.

Detail:

Public K-8

21331 Sandia Rd.
Apple Valley, CA 92308-7722

(760) 240-5125

District: Apple Valley Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
5709^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,173

Students who attend Sandia Elementary usually attend:

High:

Apple Valley High

Student/teacher ratio: 24.4

Number of students: 884

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

65.7%

White:

20.0%

African American:

8.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Sandia Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sandia Elementary ranks worse than 97.4% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 9^th among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Apple Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.26. (See more...)

Compare Details Sandia Elementary ranks worse than 97.9% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.44. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (65.7%), White (20%), African American (8.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 87.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Apple Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sandia Elementary is 24.4. 5 elementary schools in the Apple Valley Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Sandia Elementary employs 36.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sandia Elementary is $5,173. 8 elementary schools in the Apple Valley Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sandia Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sandia Elementary 5709^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Sandia Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Sandia Elementary 2720^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Sandia Elementary in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Apple Valley Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Apple Valley Unified 1343^rd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Sandia Elementary?

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Rank History for Sandia Elementary

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	25.22	3547^th	4809	26.2%
2005	40.47	2692^nd	4822	44.2%
2006	35.32	2976^th	4818	38.2%
2007	39.26	2949^th	5113	42.3%
2008	36.59	3161^st	5113	38.2%
2009	37.55	3206^th	5193	38.3%
2010	33.41	3587^th	5314	32.5%
2011	22.52	4504^th	5377	16.2%
2012	27.58	4126^th	5390	23.5%
2013	18.61	4828^th	5530	12.7%
2015	18.84	4748^th	5611	15.4%
2016	15.30	5017^th	5614	10.6%
2017	12.75	5305^th	5692	6.8%
2018	9.25	5476^th	5662	3.3%
2019	12.04	5446^th	5789	5.9%
2022	13.14	5518^th	5883	6.2%
2023	7.83	5801^st	5874	1.2%
2024	9.26	5709^th	5862	2.6%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	42.17	1650^th	3246	49.2%
2019	40.01	1786^th	3275	45.5%
2022	24.43	2982^nd	3311	9.9%
2023	27.67	2698^th	3250	17.0%
2024	25.09	2833^rd	3160	10.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	28.97	1697^th	2420	29.9%
2024	25.62	2085^th	2634	20.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	12.06	4871^st	5084	4.2%
2019	16.66	4752^nd	5173	8.1%
2022	17.25	4823^rd	5264	8.4%
2023	9.34	5298^th	5374	1.4%
2024	11.84	5319^th	5511	3.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	7.65	5330^th	5413	1.5%
2019	11.53	5229^th	5492	4.8%
2022	11.90	5432^nd	5635	3.6%
2023	7.62	5579^th	5617	0.7%
2024	8.30	5532^nd	5605	1.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	16.08	2124^th	2128	0.2%
2019	17.02	2535^th	2585	1.9%
2022	32.92	1355^th	2227	39.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	13.00	5091^st	5431	6.3%
2019	14.88	5063^rd	5510	8.1%
2022	15.85	5135^th	5663	9.3%
2023	9.44	5551^st	5650	1.8%
2024	11.52	5396^th	5636	4.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	14.17	4543^rd	4830	5.9%
2019	16.62	4582^nd	4963	7.7%
2022	15.36	4777^th	5084	6.0%
2023	8.77	5051^st	5098	0.9%
2024	11.02	4965^th	5102	2.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	1.74	2728^th	2737	0.3%
2019	2.99	2792^nd	2834	1.5%
2022	5.96	2622^nd	2726	3.8%
2023	2.73	2642^nd	2662	0.8%
2024	2.63	2622^nd	2647	0.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Sandia Elementary

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Rank History for all middle school students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2012	14.49	2034^th	2259	10.0%
2013	25.24	1874^th	2379	21.2%
2015	19.10	2042^nd	2477	17.6%
2016	12.80	2263^rd	2497	9.4%
2017	9.21	2405^th	2508	4.1%
2018	6.48	2428^th	2480	2.1%
2019	11.92	2492^nd	2715	8.2%
2022	9.33	2658^th	2740	3.0%
2023	6.99	2764^th	2802	1.4%
2024	7.44	2720^th	2777	2.1%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.62	917^th	1364	32.8%
2019	30.73	1074^th	1442	25.5%
2022	20.63	1540^th	1540	0.0%
2023	24.64	1495^th	1529	2.2%
2024	28.67	1306^th	1477	11.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	19.53	1463^rd	1538	4.9%
2024	22.97	1353^rd	1550	12.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	7.21	2194^th	2230	1.6%
2019	14.13	2177^th	2369	8.1%
2022	12.58	2339^th	2458	4.8%
2023	7.83	2514^th	2549	1.4%
2024	8.61	2522^nd	2575	2.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	5.04	2248^th	2262	0.6%
2019	7.72	2324^th	2380	2.4%
2022	12.18	2370^th	2509	5.5%
2023	5.54	2541^st	2547	0.2%
2024	6.09	2531^st	2546	0.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	18.36	1335^th	1369	2.5%
2019	19.99	1401^st	1491	6.0%
2022	23.49	1321^st	1531	13.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	9.23	2202^nd	2273	3.1%
2019	16.88	2102^nd	2407	12.7%
2022	8.85	2482^nd	2527	1.8%
2023	9.37	2493^rd	2558	2.5%
2024	9.35	2486^th	2547	2.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	11.13	619^th	626	1.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	8.18	2035^th	2072	1.8%
2019	18.29	1942^nd	2213	12.2%
2022	9.68	2307^th	2359	2.2%
2023	7.12	2361^st	2391	1.3%
2024	7.33	2352^nd	2383	1.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Sandia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	1.94	1491^st	1496	0.3%
2019	1.80	1594^th	1602	0.5%
2022	4.51	1518^th	1555	2.4%
2023	3.32	1535^th	1552	1.1%
2024	4.41	1500^th	1535	2.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Sandia Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	695	12	11	102	2	n/a	n/a	0	822
1990	678	55	16	130	1	n/a	n/a	0	880
1991	753	66	19	186	3	n/a	n/a	0	1027
1992	768	57	24	191	0	n/a	n/a	0	1040
1993	457	57	12	141	0	n/a	n/a	0	667
1994	416	78	26	172	0	n/a	n/a	0	692
1995	461	59	11	190	0	n/a	n/a	0	721
1996	461	59	11	190	0	n/a	n/a	0	721
1997	450	47	14	157	1	n/a	n/a	0	669
1998	418	41	14	151	0	n/a	n/a	0	624
1999	366	57	11	144	0	n/a	n/a	0	578
2000	357	60	11	177	0	n/a	n/a	0	605
2001	330	46	8	176	0	n/a	n/a	0	560
2002	231	65	7	174	0	n/a	n/a	0	477
2003	231	65	7	174	0	n/a	n/a	0	477
2004	243	71	9	199	0	n/a	n/a	4	526
2005	255	79	9	227	1	n/a	n/a	16	587
2006	306	98	21	323	0	n/a	n/a	33	781
2007	293	98	16	312	0	n/a	n/a	33	752
2008	259	98	17	329	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	703
2009	236	87	14	323	1	3	39	0	703
2010	229	67	14	348	1	5	18	0	682
2011	245	77	14	409	3	10	18	0	776
2012	274	66	10	450	1	8	21	0	830
2013	292	95	13	534	1	6	19	0	960
2014	258	92	9	543	5	19	18	0	944
2015	249	95	6	564	7	16	19	0	956
2016	250	67	8	573	3	11	19	0	931
2017	233	62	7	578	2	6	13	0	901
2018	0	68	10	567	4	7	250	0	906
2019	213	71	11	548	4	3	23	0	873
2020	230	65	10	554	3	3	32	0	897
2021	221	69	9	528	3	4	26	0	860
2022	208	50	7	520	3	6	34	0	828
2023	190	60	6	571	2	6	39	0	874
2024	177	74	6	581	3	5	38	0	884

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sandia Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	822	31.0	26.5	n/a
1990	880	34.0	25.8	n/a
1991	1027	36.0	28.5	n/a
1992	1040	36.6	28.4	37.2
1993	667	25.0	26.7	45.9
1994	692	26.0	26.6	47.7
1995	721	28.0	25.8	57.3
1996	721	28.0	25.8	57.3
1997	669	29.0	23.1	54.6
1998	624	30.0	20.8	53.7
1999	578	33.0	17.5	60.9
2000	605	32.0	18.9	64.8
2001	560	30.0	18.7	57.7
2002	477	25.0	19.1	78
2003	477	25.0	19.1	78
2004	526	27.0	19.5	77.8
2005	587	29.0	20.2	79
2006	781	38.0	20.6	81.7
2007	752	38.0	19.8	75.9
2008	703	39.0	18.0	83.1
2009	703	35.0	19.0	83.9
2010	682	32.0	21.3	83.9
2011	776	n/a	n/a	84.4
2012	830	31.0	26.7	87.8
2013	960	34.5	27.8	86.4
2014	944	34.5	27.3	89.1
2015	956	36.0	26.5	88.9
2016	931	36.0	25.8	89.7
2017	901	34.0	26.5	88.8
2018	906	36.0	25.1	87.2
2019	873	36.0	24.2	88.5
2020	897	n/a	n/a	87.7
2021	860	36.6	23.4	88.4
2022	828	36.6	22.5	86.8
2023	874	35.6	24.5	85.7
2024	884	36.1	24.4	87.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Sandia Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	822	31.0	26.5	n/a
1990	880	34.0	25.8	n/a
1991	1027	36.0	28.5	n/a
1992	1040	36.6	28.4	37.2
1993	667	25.0	26.7	45.9
1994	692	26.0	26.6	47.7
1995	721	28.0	25.8	57.3
1996	721	28.0	25.8	57.3
1997	669	29.0	23.1	54.6
1998	624	30.0	20.8	53.7
1999	578	33.0	17.5	60.9
2000	605	32.0	18.9	64.8
2001	560	30.0	18.7	57.7
2002	477	25.0	19.1	78
2003	477	25.0	19.1	78
2004	526	27.0	19.5	77.8
2005	587	29.0	20.2	79
2006	781	38.0	20.6	81.7
2007	752	38.0	19.8	75.9
2008	703	39.0	18.0	83.1
2009	703	35.0	19.0	83.9
2010	682	32.0	21.3	83.9
2011	776	n/a	n/a	84.4
2012	830	31.0	26.7	87.8
2013	960	34.5	27.8	86.4
2014	944	34.5	27.3	89.1
2015	956	36.0	26.5	88.9
2016	931	36.0	25.8	89.7
2017	901	34.0	26.5	88.8
2018	906	36.0	25.1	87.2
2019	873	36.0	24.2	88.5
2020	897	n/a	n/a	87.7
2021	860	36.6	23.4	88.4
2022	828	36.6	22.5	86.8
2023	874	35.6	24.5	85.7
2024	884	36.1	24.4	87.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates