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Below Average

#8492 of 9,539 schools in CA

Lowell Elementary

Elementary School · Santa Ana Unified · Santa Ana, CA

A Santa Ana Unified elementary school where students score 17 points below what's typical for similar communities.

700 South Flower St., Santa Ana, CA 92703

  • Math 10% vs CA 39% (2024)
  • Reading 15% vs CA 45% (2024)
  • 21.4:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress3.4Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data12
Annual Change-2.25 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendDeclining
Academics2.5Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency9.7% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency15.1% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg-36 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-27.7 pts
Overall Proficiency12% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)29% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected-17.0 pts
Adjusted Percentile8th
Resources & Environment8.3Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio21.4:1
District spending per student$22,309
Chronic Absenteeism27.4%

Students at Lowell Elementary score 12% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 29%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency10%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
39%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency15%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
45%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

↓ Declining

Proficiency has fallen 11 points since 2018, to 12% in 2024, across a 16-year record (2009–2024).

Show all 12 years
2009
Math
51%
ELA
26%
2010
Math
59%
ELA
31%
2011
Math
65%
ELA
35%
2012
Math
62%
ELA
33%
2014
Math
17%
ELA
20%
2015
Math
17%
ELA
18%
2016
Math
19%
ELA
22%
2017
Math
21%
ELA
24%
2018
Math
19%
ELA
28%
2019
Math
19%
ELA
28%
2022
Math
14%
ELA
22%
2024
Math
10%
ELA
15%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 27% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 23% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

Based on 30 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

79.7%

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 Lowell 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 49Car-Dependent
  • Transit 50Good Transit
  • Bike 54Bikeable
  • City Safety: High2,203/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Santa Ana), 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

$80,817

Median home value

$585,900

Median rent

$1,922/mo

College educated

13.4%

Homeownership

48.7%

Poverty rate

11.1%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 92703; 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
Pio Pico ElementaryEnrollment path unverified4.7K–70.1 mi447Compare →
Franklin ElementaryEnrollment path unverified5.2K–50.5 mi350Compare →
Martin ElementaryEnrollment path unverified5.4K–50.5 mi499Compare →
Martin Luther King Jr. ElementaryEnrollment path unverified3.8K–50.5 mi485Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Santa Ana Unified

Schools in district
52
Rank in district
#44 of 51
District spending per student
$22,309NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
15.9%Census SAIPE · 2024

Lowell Elementary is listed in Santa Ana Unified; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Lowell Elementary

Lowell Elementary is a public elementary school in Santa Ana, CA, part of Santa Ana Unified, serving approximately 449 students in grades Kindergarten-5th with a 21.4:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.1 out of 10 and ranks #8,492 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 27% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 23% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Lowell Elementary

What grades does Lowell Elementary serve?

Lowell Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Lowell Elementary?

Lowell Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 449 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Lowell Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Lowell Elementary is 21.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Lowell Elementary rank in CA?

Lowell Elementary ranks #8,492 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is Lowell Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Lowell Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.1 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 Lowell Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Lowell Elementary has 27% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 23% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Lowell Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Lowell Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

79.7% of students at Lowell 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 – 5th
Enrollment
449
Student-Teacher Ratio
21.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
21
Type
regular
Setting
Large City
County
Orange County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
27.4%
Area population (ZIP 92703)
62,223
Area average commute
27.2 min
Area median age
34.8
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 92703; 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

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