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Public elementary school · Saddleback Valley Unified · Mission Viejo, California

Del Cerro Elementary

Del Cerro Elementary rates 7.8, among the strongest elementary schools in Saddleback Valley Unified, where the rated median is 6.2.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.8this school

7.8 on a one-to-ten scale; the Saddleback Valley Unified median is 6.2.

#1,720 of 9,557 schools in California · Saddleback Valley Unified: 22 elementary schools rated, median 6.2

The brief

A Saddleback Valley Unified elementary school where students score 13 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,720 of 9,557 schools in California and 5 of 33 in Saddleback Valley Unified.

Del Cerro Elementary is listed in Saddleback Valley 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.

Math63%23 points above the California average of 40%2025 CAASPP
Reading63%16 points above the California average of 47%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency is down 14 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 63% recently.2025 CAASPP; 42 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.5
50% of the rating
Academics
9.0
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.6
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 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 61% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 63% (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 92691; 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, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Del Cerro 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
$135,779
Median home value
$916,800
Median rent
$2,517/mo
College educated
46.5%
Homeownership
77%
Poverty rate
4.7%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 92691; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
38
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
28
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
974/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Mission Viejo. 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 (Mission Viejo), 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.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
47.5%
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. Del Cerro Elementarythis school
    7.8
  2. 7.8Compare →
  3. 7.6Compare →
  4. 6.5Compare →
  5. 6.5Compare →
  6. 5.8Compare →
  7. 5.6Compare →
  8. 5.5Compare →
  9. not ratedCompare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Del Cerro 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.

The record

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

Questions families ask

What grades does Del Cerro Elementary serve?

Del Cerro Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.

How many students attend Del Cerro Elementary?

Del Cerro Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 381 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Del Cerro Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Del Cerro Elementary is 22.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Del Cerro Elementary rank in CA?

Del Cerro Elementary ranks #1,720 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Del Cerro Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Del Cerro Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.8 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 Del Cerro Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Del Cerro Elementary has 61% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 63% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Del Cerro Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Del Cerro Elementary a Title I school?

No, Del Cerro Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

47.5% of students at Del Cerro 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
381
Student-teacher ratio
22.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
17
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Orange County
Rank in district
#5 of 33
Schools in district
34
District spending per student
$15,539
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
6.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 92691)
46,618
Area average commute
26 min
Area median age
44.6

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.