Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in Capistrano Unified

This page covers 37 elementary schools in Capistrano Unified. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

37
Schools Ranked
California
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 37
1
rank
Richard Henry Dana Exceptional Needs
Grades KG–0630 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (5.0:1)
65
/100
Student:Teacher
5.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
51/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
30%
Low economic need
2
rank
Capistrano Home/Virtual
Grades KG–08107 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
54
/100
Student:Teacher
15.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
49/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
29%
Low economic need
3
rank
Laguna Niguel Elementary
Grades KG–05403 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
49
/100
Student:Teacher
22.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
55/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
30%
Low economic need
4
rank
Harold Ambuehl Elementary
Grades KG–05308 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
48
/100
Student:Teacher
20.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
49/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
41%
Near nat'l 52.2%
5
rank
John Malcom Elementary
Grades KG–05548 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
48
/100
Student:Teacher
23.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
55/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
29%
Low economic need
6
rank
Philip J. Reilly Elementary
Grades KG–05416 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
48
/100
Student:Teacher
20.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
28%
Low economic need
7
rank
Palisades Elementary
Grades KG–05343 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
47
/100
Student:Teacher
19.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
46/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
48%
Near nat'l 52.2%
8
rank
Wood Canyon Elementary
Grades KG–05423 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
47
/100
Student:Teacher
21.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
53/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
54%
Near nat'l 52.2%
9
rank
Truman Benedict Elementary
Grades KG–05600 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
47
/100
Student:Teacher
24.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
51/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
18%
Low economic need
10
rank
Canyon Vista Elementary
Grades KG–05467 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
47
/100
Student:Teacher
24.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
53/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
18%
Low economic need
27 more elementary schools in Capistrano Unified not shown here.
View all schools in Capistrano Unified
How We Rank Elementary Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the elementary school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
40%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Higher means children from this area historically achieve stronger economic outcomes.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes = more individual attention per child. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
10%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Used as a neighbourhood economic-context signal.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
37
Elementary Schools
59
Total Schools
65
#1 Score
45
Avg Score
Top Ranked Elementary School
Compare Capistrano Unified with neighbouring districts
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Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.