Is Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary a good school?

Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary ranks 2247 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 204 students attended Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary?

Students at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary are 52% White, 40% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary attend?

Students who attend Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : New Brighton Middle

Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary

Summary:

Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary is a public elementary school serving 232 students in grades K-5 in the Soquel Union Elementary District in Santa Cruz, California. While the school has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past several years, it continues to face challenges in student performance and attendance.

The school's test scores are generally lower than the district and state averages, particularly for Hispanic and low-income students, who perform in the bottom 10-20% of California elementary schools. However, the school's performance for disabled students is relatively strong, ranking in the top 20% of California elementary schools in recent years. Additionally, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 6.1% in 2017-2018 to 24.3% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the district and state averages. The school's high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 16.8% to 32.3% in recent years, may contribute to these academic and attendance challenges.

Compared to other nearby elementary schools, such as Main Street Elementary and Soquel Elementary, Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary generally performs worse on test scores and has higher chronic absenteeism rates. However, the school performs better than some other nearby schools outside the district, such as Live Oak Elementary and Green Acres Elementary. The highest-performing nearby school is Happy Valley Elementary, which consistently ranks in the top 10% of California elementary schools.

Detail:

Public K-5

8005 Winkle Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95065-1149

(831) 464-5670

District: Soquel Union Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
2247^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,732

Students who attend Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

New Brighton Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 23.1

Number of students: 204

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.0%

Hispanic:

39.7%

Two or more races:

6.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 38.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary ranks better than 61.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Soquel Union Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.69. (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: White (52%), Hispanic (39.7%), two or more races (6.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 38.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary is 23.1, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Soquel Union Elementary School District! (See more...)

Compare Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary employs 8.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary is $11,732, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Soquel Union Elementary School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary 2247^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Soquel Union Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Soquel Union Elementary 431^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	54.61	1940^th	4809	59.7%
2005	58.43	1817^th	4822	62.3%
2006	65.35	1532^nd	4818	68.2%
2007	66.13	1547^th	5113	69.7%
2008	77.03	1102^nd	5113	78.4%
2009	68.23	1522^nd	5193	70.7%
2010	74.84	1243^rd	5314	76.6%
2011	60.50	1994^th	5377	62.9%
2012	54.32	2379^th	5390	55.9%
2013	47.51	2824^th	5530	48.9%
2015	65.80	1665^th	5611	70.3%
2016	74.39	1330^th	5614	76.3%
2017	77.40	1228^th	5692	78.4%
2018	63.36	1894^th	5662	66.5%
2019	71.86	1521^st	5789	73.7%
2022	60.41	2009^th	5883	65.9%
2023	61.93	1961^st	5874	66.6%
2024	55.69	2247^th	5862	61.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	28.19	3897^th	5084	23.3%
2019	35.87	3443^rd	5173	33.4%
2023	41.81	2930^th	5374	45.5%
2024	25.55	4327^th	5511	21.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	50.87	2435^th	5413	55.0%
2019	64.60	1767^th	5492	67.8%
2022	69.96	1524^th	5635	73.0%
2023	74.80	1293^rd	5617	77.0%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	70.00	407^th	2128	80.9%
2019	71.42	480^th	2585	81.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	70.66	1463^rd	5431	73.1%
2019	73.69	1358^th	5510	75.4%
2022	55.60	2159^th	5663	61.9%
2023	53.82	2240^th	5650	60.4%
2024	55.47	2195^th	5636	61.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	47.06	2402^nd	4830	50.3%
2019	47.65	2439^th	4963	50.9%
2023	50.67	2200^th	5098	56.8%
2024	14.48	4789^th	5102	6.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	55.25	1349^th	2737	50.7%
2019	71.43	759^th	2834	73.2%
2022	46.74	1563^rd	2726	42.7%
2023	45.74	1547^th	2662	41.9%
2024	39.87	1709^th	2647	35.4%

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 Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	470	7	12	53	0	n/a	n/a	0	542
1989	488	19	15	95	0	n/a	n/a	0	617
1990	512	7	12	80	0	n/a	n/a	0	611
1991	510	7	11	94	1	n/a	n/a	0	623
1992	452	14	14	141	2	n/a	n/a	0	623
1993	420	23	21	126	1	n/a	n/a	0	591
1994	277	12	18	114	0	n/a	n/a	0	421
1995	260	13	18	113	0	n/a	n/a	0	404
1996	260	13	18	113	0	n/a	n/a	0	404
1997	258	11	16	106	0	n/a	n/a	0	391
1998	253	10	14	115	0	n/a	n/a	0	392
1999	244	8	10	120	0	n/a	n/a	0	382
2000	226	6	8	125	1	n/a	n/a	0	366
2001	212	6	10	107	1	n/a	n/a	0	336
2002	150	8	10	112	1	n/a	n/a	0	281
2003	150	8	10	112	1	n/a	n/a	0	281
2004	138	11	10	115	0	n/a	n/a	0	274
2005	151	12	7	116	3	n/a	n/a	0	289
2006	144	10	11	95	1	n/a	n/a	0	261
2007	125	9	7	104	0	n/a	n/a	13	258
2008	127	8	12	94	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	241
2009	131	4	5	88	0	1	28	0	257
2010	117	0	8	113	0	1	25	0	264
2011	132	7	6	110	0	1	22	0	278
2012	174	4	4	140	0	1	25	0	348
2013	148	5	4	147	1	1	21	0	327
2014	159	4	4	145	2	1	21	0	336
2015	178	5	4	143	2	0	17	0	349
2016	175	5	6	126	0	0	8	0	320
2017	180	4	4	120	0	0	14	0	322
2018	188	2	5	115	0	0	15	0	325
2019	159	3	4	100	2	0	18	0	286
2020	140	4	2	84	2	1	17	0	250
2021	136	2	5	76	0	0	15	0	234
2022	123	1	7	83	0	0	24	0	238
2023	119	1	3	92	0	0	17	0	232
2024	106	1	3	81	0	0	13	0	204

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 Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	542	25.2	21.5	n/a
1989	617	27.7	22.2	n/a
1990	611	26.8	22.7	n/a
1991	623	27.0	23.0	n/a
1992	623	27.4	22.7	35.2
1993	591	25.3	23.4	38.4
1994	421	19.3	21.8	37.3
1995	404	17.0	23.8	36.9
1996	404	17.0	23.8	36.9
1997	391	18.5	21.1	41.7
1998	392	19.5	20.1	39.8
1999	382	22.0	17.4	41.1
2000	366	20.4	17.9	41
2001	336	17.4	19.3	38.7
2002	281	15.8	17.8	47.7
2003	281	15.8	17.8	47.7
2004	274	16.4	16.7	43.8
2005	289	17.9	16.1	44.6
2006	261	16.1	16.2	42.1
2007	258	14.2	18.2	46.9
2008	241	16.0	15.1	33.6
2009	257	14.6	14.6	43.6
2010	264	14.6	18.0	48.1
2011	278	n/a	n/a	46.4
2012	348	18.2	19.1	21
2013	327	14.0	23.3	43.7
2014	336	12.0	28.0	37.8
2015	349	14.0	24.9	37.5
2016	320	13.0	24.6	36.9
2017	322	12.0	26.8	35.4
2018	325	12.5	26.0	32.9
2019	286	10.5	27.2	30.1
2020	250	n/a	n/a	32.4
2021	234	9.8	23.8	24.8
2022	238	10.8	22.0	16.8
2023	232	8.8	26.3	32.3
2024	204	8.8	23.1	38.2

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 Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	542	25.2	21.5	n/a
1989	617	27.7	22.2	n/a
1990	611	26.8	22.7	n/a
1991	623	27.0	23.0	n/a
1992	623	27.4	22.7	35.2
1993	591	25.3	23.4	38.4
1994	421	19.3	21.8	37.3
1995	404	17.0	23.8	36.9
1996	404	17.0	23.8	36.9
1997	391	18.5	21.1	41.7
1998	392	19.5	20.1	39.8
1999	382	22.0	17.4	41.1
2000	366	20.4	17.9	41
2001	336	17.4	19.3	38.7
2002	281	15.8	17.8	47.7
2003	281	15.8	17.8	47.7
2004	274	16.4	16.7	43.8
2005	289	17.9	16.1	44.6
2006	261	16.1	16.2	42.1
2007	258	14.2	18.2	46.9
2008	241	16.0	15.1	33.6
2009	257	14.6	14.6	43.6
2010	264	14.6	18.0	48.1
2011	278	n/a	n/a	46.4
2012	348	18.2	19.1	21
2013	327	14.0	23.3	43.7
2014	336	12.0	28.0	37.8
2015	349	14.0	24.9	37.5
2016	320	13.0	24.6	36.9
2017	322	12.0	26.8	35.4
2018	325	12.5	26.0	32.9
2019	286	10.5	27.2	30.1
2020	250	n/a	n/a	32.4
2021	234	9.8	23.8	24.8
2022	238	10.8	22.0	16.8
2023	232	8.8	26.3	32.3
2024	204	8.8	23.1	38.2

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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