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Needs Improvement

#9110 of 9,539 schools in CA

Taft Elementary

Elementary School · Santa Ana Unified · Santa Ana, CA

A Santa Ana Unified elementary school where students score 18 points below what's typical for similar communities.

500 West Keller, Santa Ana, CA 92707

  • Math 13% vs CA 38% (2024)
  • Reading 15% vs CA 45% (2024)
  • 15.4:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress1.5Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-3.73 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendDeclining
Academics2.6Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency13% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency13.7% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg-32.7 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-29.1 pts
Overall Proficiency13% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)31% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected-17.8 pts
Adjusted Percentile8th
Resources & Environment9.5Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio15.4:1
District spending per student$22,309
Chronic Absenteeism37%

Students at Taft Elementary score 13% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 31%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency13%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
38%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency15%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
45%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 36 points across the 16-year record (2009–2024) and has held near 14% recently.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
56%
ELA
43%
2010
Math
62%
ELA
48%
2011
Math
63%
ELA
53%
2012
Math
66%
ELA
52%
2013
Math
90%
ELA
90%
2014
Math
17%
ELA
18%
2015
Math
20%
ELA
26%
2016
Math
11%
ELA
15%
2017
Math
16%
ELA
19%
2018
Math
17%
ELA
24%
2019
Math
17%
ELA
24%
2020*
Math
11%
ELA
18%
2021*
Math
11%
ELA
18%
2022
Math
14%
ELA
19%
2024
Math
13%
ELA
15%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 28% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 28% (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 38 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

76.8%

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 Taft 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 62Somewhat Walkable
  • Transit 46Some Transit
  • Bike 61Bikeable
  • 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

$99,491

Median home value

$635,600

Median rent

$2,141/mo

College educated

16.8%

Homeownership

48.6%

Poverty rate

8.6%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 92707; 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
Frontiers AcademyPrivate · tuitionNot ratedK–81.1 mi106Compare →
Frontiers AcademyPrivate · tuition7.4privatePK–81.1 mi51Compare →
California Pacific Charter - San DiegoCharter · enrollment unverified5.4K–121.2 mi280Compare →
California Pacific Charter- Los AngelesCharter · enrollment unverified6.7K–121.2 mi428Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

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

Santa Ana Unified

Schools in district
52
Rank in district
#49 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

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

About Taft Elementary

Taft Elementary is a public elementary school in Santa Ana, CA, part of Santa Ana Unified, serving approximately 400 students in grades Kindergarten-6th with a 15.4:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 3.4 out of 10 and ranks #9,110 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 28% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 28% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Taft Elementary

What grades does Taft Elementary serve?

Taft Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.

How many students attend Taft Elementary?

Taft Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 400 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Taft Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Taft Elementary is 15.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Taft Elementary rank in CA?

Taft Elementary ranks #9,110 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is Taft Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Taft Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.4 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 Taft Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Taft Elementary has 28% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 28% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Taft Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Taft Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

76.8% of students at Taft 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
400
Student-Teacher Ratio
15.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
26
Type
regular
Setting
Large City
County
Orange County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
37.0%
Area population (ZIP 92707)
59,213
Area average commute
22.9 min
Area median age
32.8
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 92707; 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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