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Email BoardSanta Ana Unified
Orange County school performance
Santa Ana Unified is badly underperforming.
Reading and math results average to the 25th percentile among California school districts.
Only 33.3% of students met California's reading standard, but it is trending up slightly.
Math is weaker: 22.4% of students met California's math standard, but it is trending up slightly.
| Current Reading Proficiency | 33.3% |
| Current Math Proficiency | 22.4% |
| District Reading Rank | 749 / 977 (23rd percentile) |
| District Math Rank | 716 / 977 (27th percentile) |
| Student / Teacher Ratio | 20:1 |
| Spend per Student | $25,100 |
| Schools in District | 55 |
| Student Enrollment | 38,335 |
| Low-Income Students | 32,407 (90.8%) |
| English Learners | 13,685 (38.4%) |
District Website
Great Schools
Niche
Ed-Data
CAASPPTest score trends
Reading rose 0.3 points from last year and rose 2.4 points over the full period. Math rose 0.3 points from last year and rose 1.3 points over the full period.
•Math +1.3 percentage pointsBoard Members
| name | elected | up for re-election |
|---|---|---|
Katelyn Brazer Aceves President [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Hector Bustos Vice President [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Alfonso Alvarez, Ed.D. Clerk [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Brenda Lebsack Member [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Valerie Magdaleno Member [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
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 17.3 points in reading. It widened slightly over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
5.6% of English learners meet the reading standard, compared with 39.3% of English-only students. The gap widened as English-learner results rose 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 16.7 points in math. It widened over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
English-learner math proficiency held steady at 5.6%, while English-only results edged up. The gap widened slightly.
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
-3.0%Understanding this district
How does Santa Ana Unified rank in California?
Santa Ana Unified ranks No. 749 of 977 in reading and No. 716 of 977 in math for 2026. These proficiency rankings compare districts across all district types.
How much do results vary between Santa Ana Unified’s schools?
Among the 25 schools serving K–5, proficiency ranges from 13.3% to 59.8% in reading and 9.9% to 56.1% in math.
See the district’s schoolsAre results improving across Santa Ana Unified’s schools?
Over 2024–2026, reading proficiency rose at 36 of 54 schools with results covering that full period; math rose at 29 of 54.
Compare school trendsHow do low-income students in Santa Ana Unified compare with other districts?
Low-income reading proficiency is 32.1%, compared with 35.1% at a typical California unified district. In math, it is 21.2%, compared with 23.6%.
See student-group resultsWhich districts should I compare with Santa Ana Unified?
Unified districts in Orange County. Peers have the closest enrollment sizes.
| District | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana UnifiedThis district | 22.4% | 33.3% |
| Irvine Unified | 70.7% | 74.3% |
| Garden Grove Unified | 52.1% | 61.3% |
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.
