Is Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary a good school?

Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary ranks 1888 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 843 students attended Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary?

Students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary are 46% Hispanic, 27% White, 11% Two or more races, 10% Asian, 5% African American.

What schools do graduates of Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary attend?

Students who attend Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Warm Springs Middle High : Vista Murrieta High

Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

Summary:

Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary is a public elementary school in Murrieta, CA, serving 857 students in grades K-5 and part of the Murrieta Valley Unified School District.

While the school generally performs below the district and state averages on standardized tests, there are some bright spots. For example, the school's 4th-grade English Language Arts/Literacy proficiency rate of 53.38% is higher than the state's 47.37%, and its 4th-grade Mathematics proficiency rate of 65.54% exceeds the district's 55.36%. However, the school's overall performance lags behind nearby Alta Murrieta Elementary and Monte Vista Elementary, which have higher test scores and lower chronic absenteeism rates. The school's high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, at 55.66%, may be a contributing factor to its lower academic performance.

Another area of concern is the school's significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 8.2% in 2018-2019 to 27.9% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the nearby schools in the Murrieta Valley Unified School District. Additionally, the school's student-teacher ratio has increased from 24.5 in 2020-2021 to 26.9 in 2022-2023, which is higher than its counterparts. Addressing these challenges could be crucial for improving the overall educational experience and outcomes for the students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-5

40121 Torrey Pines Rd.
Murrieta, CA 92563-6384

(951) 696-1428

District: Murrieta Valley Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1888^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Students who attend Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Warm Springs Middle
High:	Vista Murrieta High

Student/teacher ratio: 24.9

Number of students: 843

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

45.7%

White:

27.0%

Two or more races:

11.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 58.6%

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Compare Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary ranks better than 67.8% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 7^th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Murrieta Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.78. (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 (45.7%), White (27%), two or more races (11%). (See more...)

Compare Details 58.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary is 24.9, which is the 4^th best among 11 elementary schools in the Murrieta Valley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary employs 33.7 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary 1888^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Murrieta Valley Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Murrieta Valley Unified 356^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	81.71	833^rd	4809	82.7%
2005	79.65	933^rd	4822	80.7%
2006	69.26	1371^st	4818	71.5%
2007	66.19	1545^th	5113	69.8%
2008	64.26	1671^st	5113	67.3%
2009	61.38	1852^nd	5193	64.3%
2010	72.23	1355^th	5314	74.5%
2011	75.96	1207^th	5377	77.6%
2012	68.96	1582^nd	5390	70.6%
2013	73.99	1378^th	5530	75.1%
2015	74.74	1322^nd	5611	76.4%
2016	69.46	1548^th	5614	72.4%
2017	78.54	1187^th	5692	79.1%
2018	77.01	1264^th	5662	77.7%
2019	72.41	1493^rd	5789	74.2%
2022	55.22	2287^th	5883	61.1%
2023	58.91	2100^th	5874	64.2%
2024	63.78	1888^th	5862	67.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	38.95	250^th	339	26.3%
2019	36.48	322^nd	445	27.6%
2022	33.03	443^rd	610	27.4%
2023	25.55	538^th	669	19.6%
2024	32.61	503^rd	669	24.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	78.81	360^th	3246	88.9%
2019	75.14	408^th	3275	87.5%
2022	66.30	570^th	3311	82.8%
2023	64.04	647^th	3250	80.1%
2024	75.47	300^th	3160	90.5%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	46.39	1010^th	2420	58.3%
2024	62.61	656^th	2634	75.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	74.50	949^th	5084	81.3%
2019	67.33	1328^th	5173	74.3%
2022	60.90	1630^th	5264	69.0%
2023	62.22	1616^th	5374	69.9%
2024	62.87	1628^th	5511	70.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	77.93	1137^th	5413	79.0%
2019	69.87	1501^st	5492	72.7%
2022	57.23	2053^rd	5635	63.6%
2023	61.86	1861^st	5617	66.9%
2024	65.00	1707^th	5605	69.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	56.36	653^rd	2128	69.3%
2019	69.07	516^th	2585	80.0%
2022	54.92	704^th	2227	68.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	74.06	1319^th	5431	75.7%
2019	71.60	1457^th	5510	73.6%
2022	51.22	2382^nd	5663	57.9%
2023	53.99	2228^th	5650	60.6%
2024	60.76	1937^th	5636	65.6%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	44.96	763^rd	1149	33.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	82.92	567^th	4830	88.3%
2019	72.63	1035^th	4963	79.1%
2022	61.16	1567^th	5084	69.2%
2023	58.03	1770^th	5098	65.3%
2024	59.20	1719^th	5102	66.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	63.03	1075^th	2737	60.7%
2019	59.87	1217^th	2834	57.1%
2022	34.67	1882^nd	2726	31.0%
2023	34.33	1876^th	2662	29.5%
2024	53.74	1302^nd	2647	50.8%

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 Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2002	490	82	103	251	22	n/a	n/a	38	986
2003	490	82	103	251	22	n/a	n/a	38	986
2004	505	97	125	271	9	n/a	n/a	113	1120
2005	480	97	136	260	8	n/a	n/a	137	1118
2006	472	95	119	304	7	n/a	n/a	186	1183
2007	457	92	126	299	8	n/a	n/a	161	1143
2008	416	76	118	276	4	n/a	n/a	0	890
2009	386	68	119	269	5	5	223	0	1075
2010	9	69	112	390	7	7	517	0	1111
2011	458	42	70	381	3	6	73	0	1033
2012	447	29	54	394	0	3	82	0	1009
2013	428	41	49	417	0	2	111	0	1048
2014	384	44	39	450	0	3	121	0	1041
2015	379	40	45	415	0	4	115	0	998
2016	346	49	48	397	2	3	116	0	961
2017	327	49	55	388	1	7	116	0	943
2018	294	43	69	388	0	10	113	0	917
2019	317	43	76	387	1	11	107	0	942
2020	305	45	80	383	2	8	96	0	919
2021	250	33	80	335	1	6	100	0	805
2022	247	35	77	347	1	7	103	0	817
2023	249	41	82	377	2	8	98	0	857
2024	228	44	84	385	3	6	93	0	843

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 Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	986	47.4	20.8	25.5
2003	986	47.4	20.8	25.5
2004	1120	54.5	20.6	26.2
2005	1118	53.0	21.1	27
2006	1183	58.0	20.4	28
2007	1143	54.5	21.0	27.1
2008	890	58.0	15.3	32.4
2009	1075	52.0	18.9	30.8
2010	1111	49.0	22.6	28
2011	1033	n/a	n/a	35.2
2012	1009	45.0	22.4	n/a
2013	1048	35.0	29.9	41.5
2014	1041	34.5	30.1	42.3
2015	998	38.0	26.2	42.1
2016	961	37.0	25.9	43.1
2017	943	37.0	25.4	40.8
2018	917	35.0	26.2	47
2019	942	34.5	27.3	45
2020	919	n/a	n/a	44.4
2021	805	32.8	24.5	45.1
2022	817	31.8	25.6	44.7
2023	857	31.8	26.9	55.7
2024	843	33.7	24.9	58.6

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 Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	986	47.4	20.8	25.5
2003	986	47.4	20.8	25.5
2004	1120	54.5	20.6	26.2
2005	1118	53.0	21.1	27
2006	1183	58.0	20.4	28
2007	1143	54.5	21.0	27.1
2008	890	58.0	15.3	32.4
2009	1075	52.0	18.9	30.8
2010	1111	49.0	22.6	28
2011	1033	n/a	n/a	35.2
2012	1009	45.0	22.4	n/a
2013	1048	35.0	29.9	41.5
2014	1041	34.5	30.1	42.3
2015	998	38.0	26.2	42.1
2016	961	37.0	25.9	43.1
2017	943	37.0	25.4	40.8
2018	917	35.0	26.2	47
2019	942	34.5	27.3	45
2020	919	n/a	n/a	44.4
2021	805	32.8	24.5	45.1
2022	817	31.8	25.6	44.7
2023	857	31.8	26.9	55.7
2024	843	33.7	24.9	58.6

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.

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