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Public elementary school · Newport-Mesa Unified · Costa Mesa, California

Sonora Elementary

Sonora Elementary rates 8.6, right at the middle of Newport-Mesa Unified's elementary schools, whose rated median is 8.4.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
8.6this school

8.6 on a one-to-ten scale; the Newport-Mesa Unified median is 8.4.

#491 of 9,557 schools in California · Newport-Mesa Unified: 21 elementary schools rated, median 8.4

The brief

A Newport-Mesa Unified elementary school where students score 19 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 491 of 9,557 schools in California and 9 of 31 in Newport-Mesa Unified.

Sonora Elementary is listed in Newport-Mesa 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.

Math45%5 points above the California average of 40%2025 CAASPP
Reading58%11 points above the California average of 47%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 7 points since 2021, reaching 51% in 2025.2025 CAASPP; 44 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
8.4
50% of the rating
Academics
8.7
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
8.9
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 47% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 57% (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 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, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Sonora 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
$117,627
Median home value
$1,037,700
Median rent
$2,520/mo
College educated
46.3%
Homeownership
42%
Poverty rate
8.5%

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

Getting around

Walk Score
52
Somewhat Walkable
Transit Score
43
Some Transit
Bike Score
63
Bikeable
City reported crime
2,629/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Costa Mesa. 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 (Costa Mesa), 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
76.6%
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. 9.0Compare →
  2. Sonora Elementarythis school
    8.6
  3. 8.5Compare →
  4. 8.4Compare →
  5. 8.0Compare →
  6. 7.7Compare →
  7. 6.9Compare →
  8. 4.7Compare →
  9. 3.4Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and one rates higher than Sonora Elementary.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 Sonora Elementary serve?

Sonora Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.

How many students attend Sonora Elementary?

Sonora Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 376 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Sonora Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Sonora Elementary is 19.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Sonora Elementary rank in CA?

Sonora Elementary ranks #491 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Sonora Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Sonora Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.6 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 Sonora Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Sonora Elementary has 47% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 57% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Sonora Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Sonora Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

76.6% of students at Sonora 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
376
Student-teacher ratio
19.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
19
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize City
County
Orange County
Rank in district
#9 of 31
Schools in district
32
District spending per student
$23,064
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
9.6%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 92626)
50,569
Area average commute
22.2 min
Area median age
37.1

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.