Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in Santa Ana Unified

This page covers 34 elementary schools in Santa Ana 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.

34
Schools Ranked
California
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 34
1
rank
Taft Elementary
Grades KG–06429 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($20,962/student)
51
/100
Student:Teacher
15.2:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$20,962
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
73%
High economic need
2
rank
Thomas A. Edison Elementary
Grades KG–05359 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($20,962/student)
49
/100
Student:Teacher
17.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$20,962
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
72%
High economic need
3
rank
John Muir Fundamental Elementary
Grades KG–05688 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($20,962/student)
49
/100
Student:Teacher
20.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
46/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$20,962
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
55%
Near nat'l 52.2%
4
rank
Sierra Preparatory Academy
Grades KG–08742 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($20,962/student)
49
/100
Student:Teacher
17.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
46/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$20,962
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
80%
High economic need
5
rank
George Washington Carver Elementary
Grades KG–05412 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($20,962/student)
49
/100
Student:Teacher
18.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
46/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$20,962
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
79%
High economic need
6
rank
Jefferson Elementary
Grades KG–05609 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($20,962/student)
48
/100
Student:Teacher
19.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
43/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$20,962
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
64%
Near nat'l 52.2%
7
rank
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary
Grades KG–05481 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($20,962/student)
48
/100
Student:Teacher
18.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
46/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$20,962
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
85%
High economic need
8
rank
Romero-Cruz Academy
Grades KG–08932 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($20,962/student)
48
/100
Student:Teacher
19.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
46/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$20,962
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
75%
High economic need
9
rank
Monroe Elementary
Grades KG–05250 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($20,962/student)
47
/100
Student:Teacher
18.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$20,962
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
80%
High economic need
10
rank
Lowell Elementary
Grades KG–05476 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($20,962/student)
47
/100
Student:Teacher
19.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
46/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$20,962
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
76%
High economic need
24 more elementary schools in Santa Ana Unified not shown here.
View all schools in Santa Ana 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
34
Elementary Schools
51
Total Schools
51
#1 Score
46
Avg Score
Top Ranked Elementary School
1
Taft Elementary
Score: 51/100
Compare Santa Ana 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.