Watsonville Prep

Q: Is Watsonville Prep a good school?

Watsonville Prep ranks 2309 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Watsonville Prep is a public charter elementary school serving 396 students in grades K-8 in Watsonville, CA. The school is part of the Watsonville Prep District, which is ranked 576 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating.

Watsonville Prep has consistently ranked in the top 5-10% of California elementary schools for English Language Learner (ELL) student performance, earning a 5-star rating in this category for the past 3 years. This indicates the school is doing an excellent job supporting its large ELL student population, which likely makes up a significant portion of the overall student body. Additionally, despite serving a high-need student population with 66.92% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, Watsonville Prep has performed relatively well compared to other high-poverty schools, ranking in the top 25-30% of California elementary schools for low-socioeconomic status student performance. However, the school's special education student performance has ranked in the bottom 20% of California elementary schools, suggesting a need to re-evaluate its special education program and supports.

Compared to nearby traditional public elementary schools in the Pajaro Valley Unified district, Watsonville Prep generally outperforms its peers, especially in English Language Arts. For example, in 2023-2024, Watsonville Prep's 6th grade ELA proficiency rate was 57.89% compared to the district average of 24.83%. However, the school lags behind the nearby Linscott Charter, another public charter in the district, which outperforms Watsonville Prep across nearly all grade levels and subject areas. Additionally, chronic absenteeism is a concern at Watsonville Prep, with a rate of 24.6% in 2022-2023, significantly higher than the state average.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

407 Main St.
Watsonville, CA 95076-4603

(831) 217-4883

District: Watsonville Prep District

SchoolDigger Rank:
2309^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Student/teacher ratio: 26.1

Number of students: 461

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

97.2%

Asian:

1.3%

White:

1.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 78.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Watsonville Prep ranks better than 60.6% of elementary schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.58. (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

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Teachers

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Watsonville Prep:

SchoolDigger ranks Watsonville Prep 2309^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Watsonville Prep in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Watsonville Prep District:

SchoolDigger ranks Watsonville Prep District 576^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Watsonville Prep

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Rank History for all students at Watsonville Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	43.18	2900^th	5883	50.7%
2023	41.69	3023^rd	5874	48.5%
2024	54.58	2309^th	5862	60.6%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Watsonville Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	82.16	269^th	3311	91.9%
2023	86.49	177^th	3250	94.6%
2024	81.88	216^th	3160	93.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Watsonville Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	23.78	2176^th	2634	17.4%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Watsonville Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	59.62	1705^th	5264	67.6%
2023	58.71	1823^rd	5374	66.1%
2024	66.45	1432^nd	5511	74.0%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Watsonville Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	83.10	35^th	364	90.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Watsonville Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	41.06	2934^th	5635	47.9%
2023	44.06	2750^th	5617	51.0%
2024	57.99	2035^th	5605	63.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Watsonville Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	45.59	2678^th	5663	52.7%
2023	39.38	3097^th	5650	45.2%
2024	50.61	2426^th	5636	57.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Watsonville Prep

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	61.71	1540^th	5084	69.7%
2023	59.54	1696^th	5098	66.7%
2024	71.22	1131^st	5102	77.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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 Watsonville Prep

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Year	White	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2020	1	1	166	0	0	168
2021	2	1	215	0	2	220
2022	6	1	298	1	2	308
2023	5	4	384	0	3	396
2024	5	6	448	0	2	461

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 Watsonville Prep

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2020	168	n/a	n/a	81.5
2021	220	8.0	27.5	85.9
2022	308	11.2	27.5	68.2
2023	396	13.9	28.4	66.9
2024	461	17.6	26.1	78.3

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 Watsonville Prep

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2020	168	n/a	n/a	81.5
2021	220	8.0	27.5	85.9
2022	308	11.2	27.5	68.2
2023	396	13.9	28.4	66.9
2024	461	17.6	26.1	78.3

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.

Schools Near Watsonville Prep

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Watsonville Prep	Public, Charter	K-8	407 Main St.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Watsonville Prep District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 217-4883	461	18	26.1	78.3%	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	448 (97.2%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	54.6	2309^th of 5862 public elementary schools	60.6%		41.7	3023^rd of 5874 public elementary schools	48.5%	714	25.0		25.0	50.0	43.3	41.7	57.9			48.1	38.3	35.0	40.0	49.2			40.6
Radcliff Elementary	Public	K-5	550 Rodriguez St.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6469	417	21	19.8	98.1%	9 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	408 (97.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7.7	5781^st of 5862 public elementary schools	1.4%		7.3	5822^nd of 5874 public elementary schools	0.9%	41	10.0		10.0	4.6	8.3	18.6				10.3	9.2	10.0	4.9				8.1
Linscott Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	220 Elm St.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6301	259	10	25.9	65.3%	31 (12.0%)	1 (0.4%)	212 (81.9%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.5%)	45.6	2821^st of 5862 public elementary schools	51.9%		50.5	2504^th of 5874 public elementary schools	57.4%	317	10.7	34.5	22.8	42.9	23.3	46.4	80.0	50.0	65.5	51.4	50.0	20.0	21.4	43.3	36.7	48.3	36.6
Mintie White Elementary	Public	K-5	515 Palm Ave.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6321	499	23	21.7	89.0%	23 (4.6%)	3 (0.6%)	461 (92.4%)	6 (1.2%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	9.5	5695^th of 5862 public elementary schools	2.8%		8.4	5784^th of 5874 public elementary schools	1.5%	89	5.2		5.2	13.5	4.1	13.0				10.6	22.9	15.1	6.5				15.5
Landmark Elementary	Public	K-5	235 Ohlone Pkwy.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 761-7940	405	22	18.5	91.1%	13 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	371 (91.6%)	16 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	8.9	5726^th of 5862 public elementary schools	2.3%		11.5	5612^th of 5874 public elementary schools	4.5%	114	12.7		12.7	7.6	17.7	12.9				13.0	7.3	8.8	7.9				8.0
Starlight Elementary	Public	K-5	225 Hammer Dr.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6974	414	20	20.4	93.5%	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	407 (98.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16.6	5150^th of 5862 public elementary schools	12.1%		18.1	5042^nd of 5874 public elementary schools	14.2%	108	8.9		8.9	15.8	23.6	20.7				20.1	31.6	18.6	17.4				21.6
T. S. MacQuiddy Elementary	Public	K-5	330 Martinelli St.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6315	424	19	22.2	91.0%	29 (6.8%)	3 (0.7%)	382 (90.1%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	6	5834^th of 5862 public elementary schools	0.5%		7.5	5813^th of 5874 public elementary schools	1.0%	21	2.8		2.8	12.1	11.7	7.1				10.4	8.4	1.3	4.3				4.8
H. A. Hyde Elementary	Public	K-5	125 Alta Vista St.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6243	444	25	17.6	86.3%	15 (3.4%)	2 (0.5%)	425 (95.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15.6	5239^th of 5862 public elementary schools	10.6%		9.5	5734^th of 5874 public elementary schools	2.4%	495	14.8		14.8	16.2	22.4	21.3				19.9	12.0	23.1	18.0				17.8
Ann Soldo Elementary	Public	K-5	1140 Menasco Dr.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 786-1310	366	18	20.6	87.7%	10 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	353 (96.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14.8	5319^th of 5862 public elementary schools	9.3%		13.6	5439^th of 5874 public elementary schools	7.4%	120	20.3		20.3	18.3	9.4	21.5				16.9	21.7	3.8	16.9				14.6
Freedom Elementary	Public	K-5	25 Holly Dr.	Freedom	95019	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6260	499	23	22.1	92.2%	19 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	474 (95.0%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12.4	5517^th of 5862 public elementary schools	5.9%		15.8	5250^th of 5874 public elementary schools	10.6%	267	7.1		7.1	6.4	11.2	21.2				13.5	28.2	13.3	16.0				18.5

Frequently Asked Questions about Watsonville Prep

What is the racial makeup of Watsonville Prep?

Students at Watsonville Prep are 97% Hispanic, 1% Asian, 1% White.

How many students attend Watsonville Prep?

In the 2023-24 school year, 461 students attended Watsonville Prep.

Is Watsonville Prep a good school?

Watsonville Prep ranks 2309^th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Watsonville Prep in?

Watsonville Prep District

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.