How to read California School Dashboard results
The California School Dashboard reports test results as "distance from standard": the average number of points students scored above or below the level the state sets as meeting the standard on the Smarter Balanced tests. Zero means students met the standard on average. All figures on this page come from the California Department of Education's 2025 Dashboard data files for all students, the latest year published. Small schools have small samples, so a single year can move a lot, and alternative schools serve students in very different situations, so their results are not comparable with regular schools.
Test scores are one measure. The Dashboard also reports chronic absenteeism (students missing 10% or more of school days), graduation rates and suspension rates, and you can open any school's full report on caschooldashboard.org.
Santa Cruz-area school districts compared
Santa Cruz City Schools serves most of the city through two districts on the state's records, run by one administration at 133 Mission Street. The elementary district runs the city's elementary schools; the high school district runs the middle and high schools, including Soquel High in Soquel. Several smaller districts border it.
| District | English (points vs standard) | Math (points vs standard) | Graduation rate | Chronic absenteeism |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz City Elementary | 17.1 above | 5.4 below | n/a | 13.4% |
| Santa Cruz City High (middle and high) | 23.4 above | 34.7 below | 94.4% | 15.4% |
| Live Oak Elementary | 10.3 below | 38.2 below | n/a | 13.2% |
| Soquel Union Elementary | 6.2 above | 26.6 below | n/a | 12.3% |
| Scotts Valley Unified | 38.8 above | 16.2 above | 93.5% | 11.4% |
| Happy Valley Elementary | 60.0 above | 45.9 above | n/a | 19.3% |
| Bonny Doon Union Elementary | 13.7 above | 2.7 below | n/a | 28.3% |
| State of California | 8.1 below | 42.4 below | 87.8% | 17.1% |
Source: CDE 2025 Dashboard data files, all students. Happy Valley's English result rests on 63 tested students, so treat it as a range. Bonny Doon's chronic absenteeism figure covers a single school.
Santa Cruz high schools
Santa Cruz High School (Santa Cruz City High)
Santa Cruz High on Walnut Avenue (95060) scored 57.7 points above standard in English and 7.5 points below in math in 2025, with a 96.7% graduation rate. Its math result was the strongest of the district's three comprehensive high schools.
Harbor High School (Santa Cruz City High)
Harbor High on La Fonda Avenue (95062) scored 22.6 points above standard in English and 85.4 points below in math in 2025. Its graduation rate was 94.2%. Ask the school about math support and course pathways if math matters to you.
Soquel High School (Santa Cruz City High)
Soquel High on Old San Jose Road in Soquel (95073) is part of the Santa Cruz City High district. It scored 50.0 points above standard in English and 49.6 below in math in 2025, with a 97.0% graduation rate, the highest of the three.
Santa Cruz middle schools
Branciforte Middle School
Branciforte Middle on Poplar Avenue (95062) scored 13.3 points above standard in English and 23.2 points below in math in 2025, with 17.0% of students chronically absent.
Mission Hill Middle School
Mission Hill Middle on King Street (95060) scored 13.0 points above standard in English and 15.8 below in math, with 16.3% chronic absenteeism. Both middle schools beat the state's math result of 42.4 points below standard.
Santa Cruz elementary schools
Santa Cruz City Elementary lists five elementary schools.
Westlake Elementary
Westlake on High Street (95060) had the district's highest scores: 45.7 points above standard in English and 18.8 above in math, with 15.6% chronic absenteeism.
DeLaveaga Elementary
DeLaveaga on Morrissey Boulevard (95065) scored 11.4 points above standard in English and 6.9 below in math. Its chronic absenteeism, 10.5%, was among the lowest in the district.
Bay View Elementary
Bay View on Bay Street (95060) scored 4.8 points above standard in English and 9.0 below in math, with 16.8% chronic absenteeism.
Gault Elementary
Gault on Seabright Avenue (95062) scored 8.6 points below standard in English and 28.8 below in math, close to the state's English result and well ahead of its math result, and had the lowest chronic absenteeism in the district at 8.3%.
Monarch Elementary
Monarch, on North Branciforte Avenue (95062), is reported on the Dashboard as the district's alternative education school. It scored 31.4 points above standard in English and 14.2 below in math, on 64 tested students.
School choice in Santa Cruz: charters, transfers and alternatives
Pacific Collegiate Charter
Pacific Collegiate is a charter school authorized through the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. In 2025 it scored 79.3 points above standard in English and 39.6 above in math, with a 100.0% graduation rate and 8.5% chronic absenteeism. Charter schools take applications rather than serving an attendance area, so ask the school about its admission process and dates.
Intradistrict transfers in Santa Cruz City Schools
Santa Cruz City Schools lets students apply to attend a school outside their neighborhood attendance boundary. For 2026-27, the priority filing period for middle and high school intradistrict requests ran from January 5 to February 6, so check the district's enrollment page for the 2027-28 window. The high school district's Dashboard listings also include Delta Charter (95.8% graduation rate in 2025), ARK Independent Studies, Alternative Family Education and Costanoa Career Prep High, which serve students outside the regular high schools.
Neighboring districts
Scotts Valley Unified scored 38.8 points above standard in English and 16.2 above in math in 2025. Happy Valley Elementary, a one-school district, scored 60.0 above in English. Live Oak Elementary, which runs Green Acres, Del Mar and Live Oak elementary schools and Shoreline Middle, scored 10.3 below in English. Moving between districts usually means an interdistrict transfer request, so check both districts' rules.
How to check which schools serve a Santa Cruz address
A Santa Cruz mailing address does not tell you the school district, and a listing that names a school is not proof of attendance rights. Use these steps for any address you are considering.
- Enter the address in Santa Cruz City Schools' online school locator, linked from the district's school territory maps page. It shows the elementary, middle and high school of residence.
- If the address is not found, it may be in a neighboring district. Search the California Department of Education's public schools directory for the districts around it, then call the district office.
- Look up each school's full Dashboard report on caschooldashboard.org, including student group results.
- Confirm with the district enrollment office before you rely on a school assignment in an offer. Boundaries and programs change.
For prices near specific schools, see our Santa Cruz ZIP codes page and the Santa Cruz homes for sale guide.