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5.5avg / 10

Alisal Union School District

School District · Salinas, California

Students: 7,339
Teachers (FTE): 308

Avg Rating

5.5

out of 10

Schools

13

13 elem

Enrollment

7,339

Student-Teacher Ratio

23.8:1

How this district compares

California rank

#593 of 713

districts by avg. composite

Vs. state average

-0.8

below California avg

Per-pupil spending

$17,675

+$28 vs California median

District size

7,339 students

Much larger than California median

The short answer

Alisal Union ranks #593 of 713 California districts by overall school rating. Alisal Union's schools with real test data average 5.5/10 across 13 schools. Its top-rated schools are Jesse G. Sanchez Elementary (7.1/10), Monte Bella Elementary (6.7/10), and Dr. Oscar F. Loya Elementary (6.7/10). Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.

Best value · beats the odds
John E. Steinbeck Elementary

Rates 6.7/10 despite 79% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 2.1 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Alisal Union schools.

Most improved · 2022 → 2024
Cesar E. Chavez Elementary

STAAR proficiency rose +7.8 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Alisal Union schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.

Top-Rated Schools in Alisal Union

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite rating using only schools with real test data (13 of 13). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

#SchoolRating
1Jesse G. Sanchez Elementary7.1 / 10
2Monte Bella Elementary6.7 / 10
3Dr. Oscar F. Loya Elementary6.7 / 10
4John E. Steinbeck Elementary6.7 / 10
5Cesar E. Chavez Elementary6.4 / 10
6Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy5.8 / 10
7Fremont Elementary5.7 / 10
8Alisal Community5.6 / 10
9Bardin Elementary5.4 / 10
10Virginia Rocca Barton Elementary5.1 / 10

See all 13 schools — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.

About Alisal Union

Alisal Union is a Salinas, California school district serving 13 schools.The district educates 7,339 students with a student-teacher ratio of 23.8:1. District-level spending was $17,675 per student in fiscal year 2023 (NCES F-33).

With an average rating of 5.5/10, Alisal Union demonstrates solid academic performance.

The highest-rated school in the district is Jesse G. Sanchez Elementary, which has a composite score of 7.1/10.

In standardized testing, Alisal Union students show an average math proficiency of 26.6% and ELA proficiency of 30.1%.

The district includes 13 elementary schools.

District Map

Schools in Alisal Union, colored by MySchoolScout rank. Click a pin for details.

District Average Test Scores

Math Proficiency26.6%
School
State
Not reported
ELA Proficiency30.1%
School
State
Not reported

Average proficiency across all schools in Alisal Union with test data.

District Details

State
California
City
Salinas
Total Enrollment
7,339
Teachers (FTE)
308
District spending per student
$17,675NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
Child poverty rate
22.9%Census SAIPE · 2024
District directory year
2023

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Alisal Union?

Alisal Union has 13 schools in total — 13 elementary. You can explore each school's ratings and details on this page.

What is the average rating for Alisal Union?

The average composite rating for Alisal Union is 5.5/10. This score is calculated from the individual ratings of all schools with academic data in the district.

What is the district spending per student in Alisal Union?

Alisal Union's district-level spending was $17,675 per student in fiscal year 2023, according to NCES F-33. This is district context, not an individual-school expense.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Alisal Union?

The average student-teacher ratio in Alisal Union is 23.8:1.

What is the top-rated school in Alisal Union?

Jesse G. Sanchez Elementary is the highest-rated school in Alisal Union with a composite score of 7.1/10.

What are the test scores in Alisal Union?

Across schools in Alisal Union with test data, the average math proficiency is 26.6% and the average ELA (reading/writing) proficiency is 30.1%. These figures represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.

How does Alisal Union compare to other districts in California?

Alisal Union has an average school rating of 5.5/10 across 13 schools. Families can compare this to other districts in California by visiting individual district pages. Factors like school size, available programs, and community demographics also play a role in choosing the right fit.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools?

MySchoolScout ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic performance, and learning environment — plus college readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context without being factored into the score. Learn more about our rating system on our methodology page.

District Averages

Overall Rating
5.5/10
Math Proficiency
26.6%
ELA Proficiency
30.1%

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

Other School Districts in CA

Compare Alisal Union with neighboring districts in the state.

See all districts in CA →

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, California Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.

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