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Email BoardSanta Barbara Unified
Santa Barbara County school performance
Santa Barbara Unified is underperforming.
Reading and math results average to the 71st percentile among California school districts.
53.2% of students met California's reading standard, and it is slowly trending up.
Math is weaker: 43.9% of students met California's math standard, but it is slowly trending up.
| Current Reading Proficiency | 53.2% |
| Current Math Proficiency | 43.9% |
| District Reading Rank | 311 / 977 (68th percentile) |
| District Math Rank | 265 / 977 (73rd percentile) |
| Student / Teacher Ratio | 19:1 |
| Spend per Student | $19,377 |
| Schools in District | 21 |
| Student Enrollment | 13,333 |
| Low-Income Students | 7,110 (59.3%) |
| English Learners | 1,561 (13.0%) |
District Website
Great Schools
Niche
Ed-Data
CAASPPTest score trends
Reading rose 1.3 points from last year and rose 3.7 points over the full period. Math rose 2.4 points from last year and rose 4.5 points over the full period.
•Math +4.5 percentage pointsBoard Members
| name | elected | up for re-election |
|---|---|---|
William "Bill" Banning President [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Rose Muñoz Vice President [email protected] | 2018 | 2026This year! |
Sunita Beall Clerk [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Celeste Kafri Board Member [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Gabe Escobedo Board Member [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 34.8 points in reading. It widened over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
6.9% of English learners meet the reading standard, compared with 64.6% 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 36.5 points in math. It widened over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
10.2% of English learners meet the math standard, compared with 56.2% of English-only students. The gap widened as English-learner results fell and English-only results rose.
•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 Santa Barbara Unified rank in California?
Santa Barbara Unified ranks No. 311 of 977 in reading and No. 265 of 977 in math for 2026. These proficiency rankings compare districts across all district types.
How much do results vary between Santa Barbara Unified’s schools?
Among the 11 schools serving K–6, proficiency ranges from 18.8% to 66.7% in reading and 14.6% to 65.8% in math.
See the district’s schoolsAre results improving across Santa Barbara Unified’s schools?
Over 2024–2026, reading proficiency rose at 16 of 21 schools with results covering that full period; math rose at 15 of 21.
Compare school trendsHow do low-income students in Santa Barbara Unified compare with other districts?
Low-income reading proficiency is 39.6%, compared with 35.1% at a typical California unified district. In math, it is 29.5%, compared with 23.6%.
See student-group resultsWhich districts should I compare with Santa Barbara Unified?
Unified districts in Santa Barbara County. Peers have the closest enrollment sizes.
| District | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara UnifiedThis district | 43.9% | 53.2% |
| Lompoc Unified | 20.1% | 30.9% |
| Carpinteria Unified | 36.7% | 44.5% |
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.
