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Very Good

#2373 of 9,539 schools in CA

Top 25% in state

Trabuco Mesa Elementary

Elementary School · Saddleback Valley Unified · Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

A Saddleback Valley Unified elementary school where students score 17 points above what's typical for similar communities.

21301 Avenida de los Flores, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

  • Math 71% vs CA 38% (2024)
  • Reading 75% vs CA 45% (2024)
  • 25.2:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress7.6Very Good50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data12
Annual Change-0.94 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendStable
Academics9.4Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency71% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency74.1% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg+25.3 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+31.3 pts
Overall Proficiency73% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)56% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected+16.8 pts
Adjusted Percentile91th
Resources & Environment5.1Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio25.2:1
District spending per student$15,539
Chronic Absenteeism12.5%

Students at Trabuco Mesa Elementary score 73% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 56%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency71%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
38%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency75%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
45%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 16-year record (2009–2024), then recovered 7 points since 2018, reaching 73% in 2024.

Show all 12 years
2009
Math
82%
ELA
79%
2010
Math
83%
ELA
80%
2011
Math
79%
ELA
80%
2012
Math
84%
ELA
79%
2014
Math
63%
ELA
73%
2015
Math
67%
ELA
82%
2016
Math
60%
ELA
71%
2017
Math
64%
ELA
77%
2018
Math
63%
ELA
69%
2019
Math
63%
ELA
69%
2022
Math
66%
ELA
71%
2024
Math
71%
ELA
75%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 71% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 75% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

Based on 32 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

33%

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 Trabuco Mesa 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 55Somewhat Walkable
  • Bike 68Bikeable
  • City Safety: Average607/100K

Powered byWalk Score

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

$142,015

Median home value

$857,100

Median rent

$2,508/mo

College educated

48.6%

Homeownership

69.6%

Poverty rate

5.8%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 92688; 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
Robinson ElementaryEnrollment path unverified5.9K–60.4 mi489Compare →
Cielo Vista ElementaryEnrollment path unverified5.6K–60.6 mi488Compare →
Trabuco ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.0K–60.7 mi95Compare →
St Johns Episcopal SchoolPrivate · tuition6.9privatePK–81.4 mi389Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

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

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

Saddleback Valley Unified

Schools in district
34
Rank in district
#8 of 33
District spending per student
$15,539NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
6.4%Census SAIPE · 2024

Trabuco Mesa Elementary is listed in Saddleback Valley Unified; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Trabuco Mesa Elementary

Trabuco Mesa Elementary is a public elementary school in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, part of Saddleback Valley Unified, serving approximately 630 students in grades Kindergarten-6th with a 25.2:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 7.6 out of 10 and ranks #2,373 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 71% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 75% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Trabuco Mesa Elementary

What grades does Trabuco Mesa Elementary serve?

Trabuco Mesa Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.

How many students attend Trabuco Mesa Elementary?

Trabuco Mesa Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 630 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Trabuco Mesa Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Trabuco Mesa Elementary is 25.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Trabuco Mesa Elementary rank in CA?

Trabuco Mesa Elementary ranks #2,373 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is Trabuco Mesa Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Trabuco Mesa Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.6 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 Trabuco Mesa Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Trabuco Mesa Elementary has 71% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 75% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Trabuco Mesa Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Trabuco Mesa Elementary a Title I school?

No, Trabuco Mesa Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

33.0% of students at Trabuco Mesa 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
630
Student-Teacher Ratio
25.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
25
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Orange County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
12.5%
Area population (ZIP 92688)
43,937
Area average commute
26.3 min
Area median age
39
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 92688; 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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