Is Portola Elementary a good school?

Portola Elementary ranks 1573 rd of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Portola Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 501 students attended Portola Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Portola Elementary?

Students at Portola Elementary are 60% Hispanic, 27% White, 6% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Portola Elementary attend?

Students who attend Portola Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Buena High

Portola Elementary

Summary:

Portola Elementary is a public elementary school in Ventura, California, serving 531 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Ventura Unified School District, which is ranked 652 out of 1,568 districts in the state.

Portola Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state averages in standardized test scores, with 56.99% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy and 52.75% in Mathematics, compared to 46.79% and 36.74% for the district, respectively. The school's performance is particularly strong in 3rd and 4th grade English Language Arts/Literacy, as well as 3rd grade Mathematics. Portola Elementary also has consistently high rankings for its Hispanic and English Language Learner student populations, often placing in the top quartile of California elementary schools for these subgroups. However, the school's performance for White students is relatively weaker, ranking in the bottom half of California elementary schools.

While Portola Elementary generally outperforms nearby schools in the Ventura Unified School District, Mound Elementary, located just 0.69 miles away, stands out as a high-performing school with significantly higher test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. Additionally, Portola Elementary has seen a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 5.3% in 2018-2019 to 27.4% in 2022-2023, which warrants further investigation and intervention. Overall, Portola Elementary is a strong-performing school, but it faces challenges in addressing equity and attendance issues to ensure the success of all its students.

Detail:

Public K-5

6700 Eagle St.
Ventura, CA 93003-0599

(805) 289-1734

District: Ventura Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1573^rd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,693

Students who attend Portola Elementary usually attend:

High:

Buena High

Student/teacher ratio: 27.0

Number of students: 501

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

59.7%

White:

26.5%

Asian:

6.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 64.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Portola Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Portola Elementary ranks better than 73.2% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 4^th among 17 ranked elementary schools in the Ventura Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 70.41. (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 (59.7%), White (26.5%), Asian (6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 64.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Portola Elementary is 27. 15 elementary schools in the Ventura Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Portola Elementary employs 18.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Portola Elementary is $6,693. 13 elementary schools in the Ventura Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Portola Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Portola Elementary 1573^rd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Portola Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Ventura Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Ventura Unified 652^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Portola Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Portola Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	88.20	577^th	4809	88.0%
2005	86.88	648^th	4822	86.6%
2006	85.46	713^th	4818	85.2%
2007	82.64	865^th	5113	83.1%
2008	76.04	1140^th	5113	77.7%
2009	69.05	1487^th	5193	71.4%
2010	74.44	1261^st	5314	76.3%
2011	67.09	1629^th	5377	69.7%
2012	76.66	1191^st	5390	77.9%
2013	73.64	1398^th	5530	74.7%
2015	85.47	856^th	5611	84.7%
2016	82.57	1017^th	5614	81.9%
2017	86.69	829^th	5692	85.4%
2018	86.45	826^th	5662	85.4%
2019	84.77	913^th	5789	84.2%
2021	74.52	334^th	1417	76.4%
2022	62.73	1905^th	5883	67.6%
2023	70.09	1572^nd	5874	73.2%
2024	70.41	1573^rd	5862	73.2%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Portola Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	94.66	105^th	3246	96.8%
2019	86.59	219^th	3275	93.3%
2021	98.00	9^th	602	98.5%
2022	67.63	525^th	3311	84.1%
2023	72.65	433^rd	3250	86.7%
2024	89.66	116^th	3160	96.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Portola Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	92.58	197^th	5084	96.1%
2019	89.55	307^th	5173	94.1%
2021	88.09	80^th	1110	92.8%
2022	66.81	1322^nd	5264	74.9%
2023	74.81	1000^th	5374	81.4%
2024	72.66	1151^st	5511	79.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Portola Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	87.04	715^th	5413	86.8%
2019	84.07	869^th	5492	84.2%
2021	75.62	283^rd	1267	77.7%
2022	57.26	2051^st	5635	63.6%
2023	66.92	1637^th	5617	70.9%
2024	74.63	1303^rd	5605	76.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Portola Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	83.03	934^th	5431	82.8%
2019	81.75	983^rd	5510	82.2%
2021	69.35	350^th	1272	72.5%
2022	65.81	1691^st	5663	70.1%
2023	70.89	1468^th	5650	74.0%
2024	62.91	1846^th	5636	67.2%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Portola Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	94.53	146^th	4830	97.0%
2019	91.27	249^th	4963	95.0%
2022	72.75	1031^st	5084	79.7%
2023	75.39	944^th	5098	81.5%
2024	81.49	662^nd	5102	87.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Portola Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	65.16	1001^st	2737	63.4%
2019	75.60	610^th	2834	78.5%
2022	46.08	1575^th	2726	42.2%
2023	60.83	1083^rd	2662	59.3%
2024	45.87	1547^th	2647	41.6%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Sunday, May 31, 2009

A great school with great teachers and staff. The new Principal is highly motivated and the teachers are awesome! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Portola Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	336	6	11	44	3	n/a	n/a	0	400
1989	316	8	16	48	6	n/a	n/a	0	394
1990	337	8	19	63	5	n/a	n/a	0	432
1991	310	9	25	73	4	n/a	n/a	0	421
1992	319	8	22	89	2	n/a	n/a	0	440
1993	322	18	27	90	1	n/a	n/a	0	458
1994	298	7	17	108	2	n/a	n/a	0	432
1995	331	21	24	149	9	n/a	n/a	0	534
1996	331	21	24	149	9	n/a	n/a	0	534
1997	324	22	31	146	10	n/a	n/a	0	533
1998	321	29	27	155	6	n/a	n/a	0	538
1999	331	28	31	146	8	n/a	n/a	10	554
2000	318	23	32	147	6	n/a	n/a	14	540
2001	301	30	30	180	6	n/a	n/a	16	563
2002	308	21	29	194	6	n/a	n/a	0	558
2003	308	21	29	194	6	n/a	n/a	0	558
2004	272	29	28	194	5	n/a	n/a	36	564
2005	254	15	38	198	3	n/a	n/a	42	550
2006	223	15	40	202	2	n/a	n/a	46	528
2007	207	17	45	206	2	n/a	n/a	41	518
2008	200	13	35	224	5	n/a	n/a	0	477
2009	203	13	36	225	5	2	80	0	564
2010	219	15	28	286	3	3	23	0	577
2011	220	10	34	299	4	2	22	0	591
2012	209	11	38	328	5	2	23	0	616
2013	214	9	35	329	3	0	26	0	616
2014	191	11	35	351	3	0	24	0	615
2015	183	11	37	365	1	0	22	0	619
2016	164	11	37	369	1	1	23	0	606
2017	147	10	37	324	0	0	26	0	544
2018	143	14	30	353	2	0	26	0	568
2019	145	13	32	339	0	1	21	0	551
2020	150	10	40	339	0	3	23	0	565
2021	145	9	49	343	0	2	21	0	569
2022	141	11	39	304	1	3	20	0	519
2023	136	10	38	316	4	4	23	0	531
2024	133	9	30	299	3	5	22	0	501

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 Portola Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	400	15.0	26.6	n/a
1989	394	16.5	23.8	n/a
1990	432	15.0	28.8	n/a
1991	421	16.0	26.3	n/a
1992	440	16.3	26.9	13.4
1993	458	16.5	27.8	24.9
1994	432	16.8	25.7	35.2
1995	534	19.8	27.0	43.1
1996	534	19.8	27.0	43.1
1997	533	22.3	23.9	37.9
1998	538	26.3	20.5	37
1999	554	25.8	21.5	33.8
2000	540	25.5	21.2	31.9
2001	563	26.0	21.7	31.8
2002	558	24.0	23.3	35.1
2003	558	24.0	23.3	35.1
2004	564	26.0	21.7	39
2005	550	25.0	22.0	48.6
2006	528	25.0	21.1	53.7
2007	518	26.0	19.9	52.6
2008	477	26.5	18.0	61.4
2009	564	25.8	21.0	51.8
2010	577	26.5	21.7	54.2
2011	591	n/a	n/a	57.5
2012	616	24.3	25.3	n/a
2013	616	23.9	25.6	64.4
2014	615	24.0	25.6	67.2
2015	619	24.0	25.7	65.1
2016	606	24.0	25.2	64.4
2017	544	21.0	25.9	66.7
2018	568	22.0	25.8	68.7
2019	551	22.5	24.4	66.2
2020	565	n/a	n/a	66
2021	569	21.0	27.0	63.8
2022	519	20.5	25.3	61.8
2023	531	21.0	25.2	60.6
2024	501	18.5	27.0	64.7

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 Portola Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	400	15.0	26.6	n/a
1989	394	16.5	23.8	n/a
1990	432	15.0	28.8	n/a
1991	421	16.0	26.3	n/a
1992	440	16.3	26.9	13.4
1993	458	16.5	27.8	24.9
1994	432	16.8	25.7	35.2
1995	534	19.8	27.0	43.1
1996	534	19.8	27.0	43.1
1997	533	22.3	23.9	37.9
1998	538	26.3	20.5	37
1999	554	25.8	21.5	33.8
2000	540	25.5	21.2	31.9
2001	563	26.0	21.7	31.8
2002	558	24.0	23.3	35.1
2003	558	24.0	23.3	35.1
2004	564	26.0	21.7	39
2005	550	25.0	22.0	48.6
2006	528	25.0	21.1	53.7
2007	518	26.0	19.9	52.6
2008	477	26.5	18.0	61.4
2009	564	25.8	21.0	51.8
2010	577	26.5	21.7	54.2
2011	591	n/a	n/a	57.5
2012	616	24.3	25.3	n/a
2013	616	23.9	25.6	64.4
2014	615	24.0	25.6	67.2
2015	619	24.0	25.7	65.1
2016	606	24.0	25.2	64.4
2017	544	21.0	25.9	66.7
2018	568	22.0	25.8	68.7
2019	551	22.5	24.4	66.2
2020	565	n/a	n/a	66
2021	569	21.0	27.0	63.8
2022	519	20.5	25.3	61.8
2023	531	21.0	25.2	60.6
2024	501	18.5	27.0	64.7

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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