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Public elementary school · San Luis Coastal Unified · San Luis Obispo, California

C L Smith Elementary

C L Smith Elementary rates 5.9, right at the middle of San Luis Coastal Unified's elementary schools, whose rated median is 5.7.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.9this school

5.9 on a one-to-ten scale; the San Luis Coastal Unified median is 5.7.

#6,001 of 9,557 schools in California · San Luis Coastal Unified: 9 elementary schools rated, median 5.7

The brief

A San Luis Coastal Unified elementary school where students score 14 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 6,001 of 9,557 schools in California and 9 of 15 in San Luis Coastal Unified.

C L Smith Elementary is listed in San Luis Coastal Unified, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math53%13 points above the California average of 40%2025 CAASPP
Reading66%19 points above the California average of 47%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 17 points since 2021, reaching 59% in 2025.2025 CAASPP; 48 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
3.7
50% of the rating
Academics
8.9
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.8
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 51% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 93405; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
C L Smith Elementary and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$52,481
Median home value
$897,800
Median rent
$1,936/mo
College educated
52%
Homeownership
32.7%
Poverty rate
44.5%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 93405; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
46
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
29
Some Transit
Bike Score
75
Very Bikeable
City reported crime
2,402/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for San Luis Obispo. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (San Luis Obispo), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
56%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 7.8Compare →
  2. 7.3Compare →
  3. C L Smith Elementarythis school
    5.9
  4. 5.6Compare →
  5. Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter5.0 mi · charter
    5.3Compare →
  6. 5.3Compare →
  7. 4.9Compare →
  8. not ratedCompare →
Seven grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and two rate higher than C L Smith Elementary among the rated peers.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does C L Smith Elementary serve?

C L Smith Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.

How many students attend C L Smith Elementary?

C L Smith Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 484 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at C L Smith Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at C L Smith Elementary is 22:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does C L Smith Elementary rank in CA?

C L Smith Elementary ranks #6,001 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is C L Smith Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

C L Smith Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.9 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at C L Smith Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, C L Smith Elementary has 51% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 58% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is C L Smith Elementary a charter school?

No, C L Smith Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is C L Smith Elementary a Title I school?

No, C L Smith Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for C L Smith Elementary?

56.0% of students at C L Smith Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Kindergarten – 6th
Enrollment
484
Student-teacher ratio
22:1
Teachers (FTE)
22
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Small City
County
San Luis Obispo County
Rank in district
#9 of 15
Schools in district
16
District spending per student
$18,117
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
8.7%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 93405)
23,856
Area average commute
13.6 min
Area median age
22.7

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

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.