Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in Pajaro Valley Unified

This page covers 19 elementary schools in Pajaro Valley Unified, including 3 charter schools. 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 below 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.

19
Schools Ranked
California
State
3
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 19
1
rank
Valencia Elementary
Grades KG–06488 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,309/student)
52
/100
Student:Teacher
20.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
52/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,309
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
36%
Low economic need
2
rank
Mar Vista Elementary
Grades KG–06344 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,309/student)
51
/100
Student:Teacher
18.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
52/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,309
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
58%
Near nat'l 52.2%
3
rank
Rio del Mar Elementary
Grades KG–06404 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,309/student)
50
/100
Student:Teacher
23.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
52/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,309
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
29%
Low economic need
4
rank
Watsonville Charter School of the Arts
Grades KG–08385 studentsCharter
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,309/student)
43
/100
Student:Teacher
20.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,309
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
59%
Near nat'l 52.2%
5
rank
Bradley Elementary
Grades KG–06507 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,309/student)
42
/100
Student:Teacher
22.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,309
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
54%
Near nat'l 52.2%
6
rank
H. A. Hyde Elementary
Grades KG–05455 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,309/student)
42
/100
Student:Teacher
18.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,309
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
91%
High economic need
7
rank
Amesti Elementary
Grades KG–05456 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,309/student)
41
/100
Student:Teacher
19.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,309
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
93%
High economic need
8
rank
Starlight Elementary
Grades KG–05447 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,309/student)
41
/100
Student:Teacher
19.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,309
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
89%
High economic need
9
rank
Landmark Elementary
Grades KG–05412 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,309/student)
41
/100
Student:Teacher
18.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,309
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
93%
High economic need
10
rank
Linscott Charter
Grades KG–08259 studentsCharter
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,309/student)
40
/100
Student:Teacher
23.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,309
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
62%
Near nat'l 52.2%
9 more elementary schools in Pajaro Valley Unified not shown here.
View all schools in Pajaro Valley 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
19
Elementary Schools
33
Total Schools
52
#1 Score
41
Avg Score
Top Ranked Elementary School
1
Valencia Elementary
Score: 52/100
Compare Pajaro Valley Unified with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
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.

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