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Email BoardPajaro Valley Unified
Santa Cruz County school performance
Pajaro Valley Unified is badly underperforming.
Reading and math results average to the 16th percentile among California school districts.
Only 27.9% of students met California's reading standard, but it is trending up slightly.
Math is weaker: 18.5% of students met California's math standard, but it is trending up slightly.
| Current Reading Proficiency | 27.9% |
| Current Math Proficiency | 18.5% |
| District Reading Rank | 835 / 977 (15th percentile) |
| District Math Rank | 804 / 977 (18th percentile) |
| Student / Teacher Ratio | 21:1 |
| Spend per Student | $24,587 |
| Schools in District | 32 |
| Student Enrollment | 16,983 |
| Low-Income Students | 12,196 (80.9%) |
| English Learners | 5,708 (37.9%) |
District Website
Great Schools
Niche
Ed-Data
CAASPPTest score trends
Reading rose 1.6 points from last year and rose 2.9 points over the full period. Math rose 1.0 points from last year and rose 0.9 points over the full period.
•Math +0.9 percentage pointsBoard Members
| name | elected | up for re-election |
|---|---|---|
Carol Turley Board President [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Joy Flynn Board Vice President/Clerk [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Daniel Dodge Jr. Board Trustee [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Dr. Misty Navarro Board Trustee [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Gabriel Medina Board Trustee [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Jessica Carrasco Board Trustee [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Olivia Flores Board Trustee [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Expand for details on low-income and english learner performance
Reading Proficiency Scores
Comparison of low-income and English learner groups using district-level CAASPP proficiency data.
Low-Income vs Non-Low-Income
Low-income students trail other students by 34.1 points in reading. It widened over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
3.8% of English learners meet the reading standard, compared with 40.7% of English-only students. The gap widened as English-learner results fell and English-only results rose.
•Math Proficiency Scores
Comparison of low-income and English learner groups using district-level CAASPP proficiency data.
Low-Income vs Non-Low-Income
Low-income students trail other students by 29.4 points in math. It widened slightly over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
4.7% of English learners meet the math standard, compared with 29.3% of English-only students. The gap narrowed as English-learner results rose and English-only results fell.
•District School Map
Schools in this district, color-coded by reading proficiency.
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Hover over a school marker to see details
Schools
Understanding this district
How does Pajaro Valley Unified rank in California?
Pajaro Valley Unified ranks No. 835 of 977 in reading and No. 804 of 977 in math for 2026. These proficiency rankings compare districts across all district types.
How much do results vary between Pajaro Valley Unified’s schools?
Among the 11 schools serving K–5, proficiency ranges from 7.0% to 27.9% in reading and 4.6% to 29.5% in math.
See the district’s schoolsAre results improving across Pajaro Valley Unified’s schools?
Over 2024–2026, reading proficiency rose at 23 of 32 schools with results covering that full period; math rose at 14 of 32.
Compare school trendsHow do low-income students in Pajaro Valley Unified compare with other districts?
Low-income reading proficiency is 22.1%, compared with 35.1% at a typical California unified district. In math, it is 13.5%, compared with 23.6%.
See student-group resultsWhich districts should I compare with Pajaro Valley Unified?
Unified districts in Santa Cruz County. Peers have the closest enrollment sizes.
| District | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Pajaro Valley UnifiedThis district | 18.5% | 27.9% |
| San Lorenzo Valley Unified | 44.3% | 54.4% |
| Scotts Valley Unified | 60.9% | 68.4% |
How we compare low-income results
“Typical” is the median across 339 California unified districts with 2026 results, a reported low-income population, and at least 20 low-income tested students in each subject. Each district counts once. This compares proficiency for low-income students, rather than the gap between income groups.
