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Public elementary school · Pacifica · Pacifica, California

Ortega Elementary

Ortega Elementary rates 7.4, among the strongest elementary schools in Pacifica, where the rated median is 6.0.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.4this school

7.4 on a one-to-ten scale; the Pacifica median is 6.0.

#2,437 of 9,557 schools in California · Pacifica: 5 elementary schools rated, median 6.0

The brief

A Pacifica elementary school where students score 15 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 2,437 of 9,557 schools in California and 1 of 6 in Pacifica.

Ortega Elementary is listed in Pacifica, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math56%15 points above the California average of 41%2025 CAASPP
Reading51%4 points above the California average of 47%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency is down 12 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 54% 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
8.5
50% of the rating
Academics
6.6
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.0
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 59% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 54% (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 94044; 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.
Ortega 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
$156,658
Median home value
$1,211,700
Median rent
$3,075/mo
College educated
48.5%
Homeownership
68.4%
Poverty rate
6.2%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 94044; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
50
Somewhat Walkable
Bike Score
19
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
1,095/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Pacifica. 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 (Pacifica), 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
14.9%
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. Ortega Elementarythis school
    7.4
  2. 7.0Compare →
  3. 6.8Compare →
  4. 6.3Compare →
  5. 5.5Compare →
  6. 4.7Compare →
  7. 4.5Compare →
  8. 4.3Compare →
  9. not ratedCompare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Ortega 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 Ortega Elementary serve?

Ortega Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Ortega Elementary?

Ortega Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 402 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Ortega Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Ortega Elementary is 22.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Ortega Elementary rank in CA?

Ortega Elementary ranks #2,437 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Ortega Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Ortega Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.4 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 Ortega Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Ortega Elementary has 59% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 54% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Ortega Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Ortega Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

14.9% of students at Ortega 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 – 5th
Enrollment
402
Student-teacher ratio
22.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
18
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
San Mateo County
Rank in district
#1 of 6
Schools in district
8
District spending per student
$15,430
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
4.0%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 94044)
37,540
Area average commute
28.3 min
Area median age
44.3

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.