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Excellent

#155 of 9,539 schools in CA

Top 2% in state

California Elementary

Elementary School · Newport-mesa Unified · Costa Mesa, CA

A Newport-mesa Unified elementary school where students score 11 points above what's typical for similar communities.

2985 Bear St. Bldg. A, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

  • Math 56% vs CA 38% (2024)
  • Reading 66% vs CA 45% (2024)
  • 19.3:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress9.4Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change+0.02 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendStable
Academics8.8Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency54.7% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency65.8% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg+9 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+23 pts
Overall Proficiency60% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)49% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected+11.3 pts
Adjusted Percentile81th
Resources & Environment9.3Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio19.3:1
District spending per student$23,064
Chronic Absenteeism23.5%

Students at California Elementary score 60% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 49%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency56%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
38%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency66%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
45%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 16-year record (2009–2024), then recovered 9 points since 2020, reaching 61% in 2024.

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
57%
ELA
63%
2010
Math
63%
ELA
63%
2011
Math
65%
ELA
66%
2012
Math
61%
ELA
61%
2014
Math
50%
ELA
55%
2015
Math
58%
ELA
59%
2016
Math
62%
ELA
65%
2017
Math
58%
ELA
67%
2018
Math
63%
ELA
69%
2019
Math
63%
ELA
69%
2020*
Math
52%
2021*
Math
52%
2022
Math
60%
ELA
60%
2024
Math
56%
ELA
66%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 64% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 34 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

45.1%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

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

The neighborhood

Where California Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the Los Angeles map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 53Somewhat Walkable
  • Transit 30Some Transit
  • Bike 56Bikeable
  • City Safety: High3,601/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Costa Mesa), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$117,627

Median home value

$1,037,700

Median rent

$2,520/mo

College educated

46.3%

Homeownership

42%

Poverty rate

8.5%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 92626; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Brood of BeesPrivate · tuitionNot rated1–70.3 mi7Compare →
Montessori Harbor Mesa ElementaryPrivate · tuitionNot ratedK–60.6 mi14Compare →
Killybrooke ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.5K–60.7 mi445Compare →
Renascence School InternationalPrivate · tuition8.6privatePK–90.7 mi140Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

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

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Newport-mesa Unified

Schools in district
32
Rank in district
#3 of 31
District spending per student
$23,064NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
9.6%Census SAIPE · 2024

California Elementary is listed in Newport-Mesa Unified; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About California Elementary

California Elementary is a public elementary school in Costa Mesa, CA, part of Newport-mesa Unified, serving approximately 366 students in grades Kindergarten-6th with a 19.3:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 9.2 out of 10 and ranks #155 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 64% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about California Elementary

What grades does California Elementary serve?

California Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.

How many students attend California Elementary?

California Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 366 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at California Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at California Elementary is 19.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does California Elementary rank in CA?

California Elementary ranks #155 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is California Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

California Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 9.2 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 California Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, California Elementary has 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 64% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is California Elementary a charter school?

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

Is California Elementary a Title I school?

No, California Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for California Elementary?

45.1% of students at California 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 factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Kindergarten – 6th
Enrollment
366
Student-Teacher Ratio
19.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
19
Type
regular
Setting
Midsize City
County
Orange County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
23.5%
Area population (ZIP 92626)
50,569
Area average commute
22.2 min
Area median age
37.1
About this school's data

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

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 · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 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 · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · 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 92626; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2024; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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