How to read the California School Dashboard for Ventura schools
California does not give schools letter grades or a single score. The California School Dashboard reports each measure separately. For English and math it shows the average distance from the grade-level standard on the state tests, in points: a school at 0 averages exactly at standard, positive is above, negative below. Each result also gets one of five colors, from red (lowest) through orange, yellow and green to blue (highest), based on both the level and the change from the year before.
The figures on this page come from the California Department of Education's 2025 Dashboard data files for all students. Chronic absenteeism is the share of K-8 students who missed at least 10% of school days; lower is better. Graduation rate applies to high schools. Small schools can swing a lot from year to year, so compare more than one measure and check the trend on each school's Dashboard page.
Ventura Unified compared with the state
| Measure (2025 Dashboard, all students) | Ventura Unified | California |
|---|---|---|
| English language arts, points from standard | -6.1 (up 8.6) | -8.1 (up 5.1) |
| Mathematics, points from standard | -41.8 (up 2.3) | -42.4 (up 5.2) |
| Chronic absenteeism | 15.8% | 17.1% |
| Graduation rate | 95.2% (blue) | 87.8% |
Ventura Unified tested 7,279 students in English in 2025. Its English result improved by 8.6 points, faster than the state, while math moved only 2.3 points and earned an orange color. The graduation rate of 95.2% across 1,262 students earned the top blue color.
Ventura high schools
| School | Grades | English | Math | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Camino High | 9-12 | +92.3 | -46.7 | 98.5% |
| Foothill Technology High | 9-12 | +85.7 | +10.0 | 99.1% |
| Ventura High | 9-12 | +28.3 | -95.8 | 97.0% |
| Buena High | 9-12 | +8.6 | -90.5 | 94.4% |
| Pacific High | 9-12 | -135.3 | -241.5 | 87.3% |
Foothill Technology High in Ventura
Foothill Technology High had the most balanced results in the district in 2025: 85.7 points above standard in English, 10.0 above in math, and a 99.1% graduation rate, with blue colors on all three. Its English score rose 25.4 points and math 28.4 points from the year before. It is a smaller campus, with 230 students tested in English. Ask the district how enrollment works there; the Schools of Choice section below explains the district's process.
El Camino High at Ventura College
El Camino High posted the district's highest English score, 92.3 points above standard, and a 98.5% graduation rate. The district lists it as El Camino High School at Ventura College. It is very small: only 61 students were tested, so one year's results can move sharply.
Ventura High and Buena High, the two large campuses
Ventura High tested 415 students and scored 28.3 points above standard in English, with a 97.0% graduation rate (blue). Buena High tested 328 and scored 8.6 above in English, with a 94.4% graduation rate. Both were well below standard in math (95.8 and 90.5 points below), the clearest gap in the district's high school results.
Pacific High in Ventura
Pacific High's test results sit far below the other high schools, and it serves a different group of students; ask the district about its program before comparing it with the comprehensive campuses. Its English result rose 49.8 points in 2025 and its graduation rate was 87.3%.
Ventura middle schools
| School | Grades | English | Math | Chronic absence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabrillo Middle | 6-8 | +5.8 | -15.1 | 14.7% |
| Balboa Middle | 6-8 | -13.6 | -52.5 | 12.7% |
| Anacapa Middle | 6-8 | -15.0 | -57.1 | 17.3% |
| De Anza Academy of Technology and the Arts (DATA) | 6-8 | -16.3 | -75.2 | 18.6% |
Cabrillo Middle School in Ventura
Cabrillo was the only Ventura middle school above standard in English in 2025, at 5.8 points, and the strongest in math at 15.1 below. Both results were green and both improved, by 8.2 and 10.9 points. It is also the largest middle school, with 886 students tested.
Balboa, Anacapa and DATA middle schools
Balboa had the lowest chronic absenteeism of the middle schools at 12.7%. Anacapa's English result rose 17.4 points and DATA's rose 12.4, though both remained below standard and DATA's math result fell 3.4 points.
Ventura elementary and K-8 schools
| School | Grades | English | Math | Chronic absence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierpont Elementary | K-5 | +34.0 | +21.9 | 16.6% |
| Loma Vista Elementary | TK-5 | +33.7 | +11.1 | 14.2% |
| Mound Elementary | TK-5 | +31.1 | +17.1 | 9.4% |
| Poinsettia Elementary | TK-5 | +18.7 | +2.0 | 10.6% |
| Portola Elementary | TK-5 | +14.9 | +2.3 | 21.5% |
| ATLAS (Academy of Technology & Leadership at Saticoy) | TK-8 | -5.2 | -25.8 | 14.6% |
| Junipero Serra Elementary | TK-5 | -7.8 | -20.5 | 9.0% |
| Montalvo Elementary | TK-5 | -13.8 | -30.5 | 13.7% |
| Sunset | TK-8 | -26.4 | -51.8 | 15.6% |
| Lemon Grove | TK-8 | -33.3 | -52.5 | 28.3% |
| Will Rogers Elementary | TK-5 | -34.7 | -36.4 | 11.2% |
| Elmhurst Elementary | TK-5 | -36.1 | -49.1 | 22.1% |
| Citrus Glen Elementary | TK-5 | -40.4 | -33.3 | 16.6% |
| Juanamaria Elementary | TK-5 | -40.9 | -47.2 | 13.2% |
| Lincoln Elementary | TK-5 | -60.5 | -61.3 | 25.8% |
| E. P. Foster Elementary | TK-5 | -73.1 | -69.0 | 17.6% |
| Sheridan Way Elementary | TK-5 | -93.2 | -80.8 | 24.6% |
Pierpont, Loma Vista and Mound elementary schools
Three Ventura elementary schools scored more than 30 points above standard in English in 2025: Pierpont (34.0), Loma Vista (33.7) and Mound (31.1). All three were also above standard in math, with Pierpont highest at 21.9. Mound's results fell from the year before (7.6 points in English, 14.7 in math) but stayed green, and it had one of the lowest absence rates at 9.4%. Pierpont does not offer transitional kindergarten.
Poinsettia and Portola elementary schools
Poinsettia earned blue in both English and math after rising 27.6 and 17.8 points, the biggest gains among Ventura elementary schools. Portola scored 14.9 above standard in English and 2.3 above in math, but its chronic absenteeism of 21.5% was among the higher rates.
Junipero Serra Elementary and the east-side schools
Junipero Serra rose 22.1 points in English and had the lowest chronic absenteeism in the district at 9.0%. Other east-side schools, including Juanamaria, Citrus Glen and Will Rogers, scored between 34 and 41 points below standard in English. Juanamaria's English and math results fell 14.0 and 16.4 points.
ATLAS, Sunset and Lemon Grove K-8 schools
The district runs three TK-8 schools. ATLAS, the Academy of Technology & Leadership at Saticoy, scored 5.2 below standard in English. Sunset and Lemon Grove scored lower, and Lemon Grove's chronic absenteeism of 28.3% was the highest of any Ventura school with an absence result.
School choice in Ventura: Schools of Choice, transfers and independent study
Ventura Unified runs a Schools of Choice lottery for families who live inside the district and want a school other than their boundary school. Applications are drawn at random, not first come first served, and only schools with space take part. The district lists the 2027-28 application window as to be determined, so check the page for dates.
If you miss the lottery, you can file an intradistrict transfer to another Ventura Unified school. Families who live outside the district boundary can apply for an interdistrict transfer. Starting in 2026-27, transitional kindergarten enrollment is boundary-based, except at Pierpont, where boundary TK families apply through the lottery because Pierpont does not offer TK. Homestead offers K-8 independent study. None of these options guarantees a seat, so plan a home purchase around the boundary school, not a school you hope to transfer into.
How to check which schools serve a Ventura address
- Enter the full street address in Ventura Unified's school locator, which the district links from its enrollment page.
- Confirm the result with the district office at 255 W. Stanley Ave., Ventura, (805) 641-5000. Boundaries can change, and a listing's school names are not a guarantee.
- Look up each school on the California School Dashboard to see the full results and trends, including results by student group.
- Visit the school and ask about class sizes, programs and enrollment capacity for the grade you need.
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