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7.0avg / 10

Lucia Mar Unified School District

School District · Arroyo Grande, California

Students: 9,621
Teachers (FTE): 493

Avg Rating

7.0

out of 10

Schools

19

11 elem, 3 mid, 4 high

Enrollment

9,621

Student-Teacher Ratio

19.5:1

How this district compares

California rank

#126 of 713

districts by avg. composite

Vs. state average

+0.7

above California avg

Per-pupil spending

$15,858

$1,789 vs California median

District size

9,621 students

Much larger than California median

The short answer

Lucia Mar Unified ranks #126 of 713 California districts by overall school rating. Lucia Mar Unified's schools with real test data average 7.0/10 across 19 schools. Its top-rated schools are Branch Elementary (8.7/10), Nipomo High (8.5/10), and Paulding Middle (8.3/10). Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.

Best value · beats the odds
Nipomo High

Rates 8.5/10 despite 71% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.7 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 Lucia Mar Unified schools.

Most improved · 2022 → 2024
Branch Elementary

STAAR proficiency rose +14.5 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Lucia Mar Unified schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.

Top-Rated Schools in Lucia Mar Unified

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite rating using only schools with real test data (19 of 19). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

#SchoolRating
1Branch Elementary8.7 / 10
2Nipomo High8.5 / 10
3Paulding Middle8.3 / 10
4Lange (dorothea) Elementary8.1 / 10
5Arroyo Grande High8.0 / 10
6Judkins Middle8.0 / 10
7Shell Beach Elementary8.0 / 10
8Fairgrove Elementary7.5 / 10
9Oceano Elementary7.4 / 10
10Mesa Middle7.3 / 10

See all 19 schools — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.

About Lucia Mar Unified

Lucia Mar Unified is a Arroyo Grande, California school district serving 19 schools.The district educates 9,621 students with a student-teacher ratio of 19.5:1. District-level spending was $15,858 per student in fiscal year 2023 (NCES F-33).

With an average rating of 7.0/10, Lucia Mar Unified is among the strongest-performing districts in the state.

The highest-rated school in the district is Branch Elementary, which has a composite score of 8.7/10.

In standardized testing, Lucia Mar Unified students show an average math proficiency of 43.4% and ELA proficiency of 53.1%.

The district includes 11 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 4 high schools.

District Map

Schools in Lucia Mar Unified, colored by MySchoolScout rank. Click a pin for details.

District Average Test Scores

Math Proficiency43.4%
School
State
Not reported
ELA Proficiency53.1%
School
State
Not reported

Average proficiency across all schools in Lucia Mar Unified with test data.

District Details

State
California
City
Arroyo Grande
Total Enrollment
9,621
Teachers (FTE)
493
District spending per student
$15,858NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
Child poverty rate
11.4%Census SAIPE · 2024
District directory year
2023

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Lucia Mar Unified?

Lucia Mar Unified has 19 schools in total — 11 elementary, 3 middle, and 4 high schools. You can explore each school's ratings and details on this page.

What is the average rating for Lucia Mar Unified?

The average composite rating for Lucia Mar Unified is 7.0/10. 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 Lucia Mar Unified?

Lucia Mar Unified's district-level spending was $15,858 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 Lucia Mar Unified?

The average student-teacher ratio in Lucia Mar Unified is 19.5:1.

What is the top-rated school in Lucia Mar Unified?

Branch Elementary is the highest-rated school in Lucia Mar Unified with a composite score of 8.7/10.

What are the test scores in Lucia Mar Unified?

Across schools in Lucia Mar Unified with test data, the average math proficiency is 43.4% and the average ELA (reading/writing) proficiency is 53.1%. These figures represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.

How does Lucia Mar Unified compare to other districts in California?

Lucia Mar Unified has an average school rating of 7.0/10 across 19 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
7.0/10
Math Proficiency
43.4%
ELA Proficiency
53.1%

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 Lucia Mar Unified 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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