Santa Maria Joint Union High
Santa Barbara County school performance
Santa Maria Joint Union High is underperforming.
Reading and math results average to the 37th percentile among California school districts.
Only 46.7% of students met California's reading standard, and it is trending down slightly.
Math is weaker: 19.5% of students met California's math standard, but it is trending up slightly.
| Current Reading Proficiency | 46.7% |
| Current Math Proficiency | 19.5% |
| District Reading Rank | 452 / 977 (54th percentile) |
| District Math Rank | 784 / 977 (20th percentile) |
| Student / Teacher Ratio | 21:1 |
| Spend per Student | $20,083 |
| Schools in District | 4 |
| Student Enrollment | 8,930 |
| Low-Income Students | 6,429 (72.0%) |
| English Learners | 1,384 (15.5%) |
District Website
Great Schools
Niche
Ed-Data
CAASPPTest score trends
Reading fell 1.4 points from last year and fell 1.7 points over the full period. Math rose 1.4 points from last year and rose 2.0 points over the full period.
•Math +2.0 percentage pointsBoard Members
| name | elected | up for re-election |
|---|---|---|
Alma Hernandez President | 2024 | 2028 |
Dr. Tammie Castillo Shiffer Clerk | N/A | 2028 |
Dave Baskett Member | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Feliciano Aguilar Member | N/A | 2026This year! |
Magdalena Serrano Member | N/A | 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 25.0 points in reading. It widened over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
6.6% of English learners meet the reading standard, compared with 55.6% of English-only students. The gap narrowed as English-learner results rose and English-only results fell.
•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 13.6 points in math. It widened slightly over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
5.8% of English learners meet the math standard, compared with 22.1% 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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Schools
Understanding this district
How does Santa Maria Joint Union High rank in California?
Santa Maria Joint Union High ranks No. 452 of 977 in reading and No. 784 of 977 in math for 2026. These proficiency rankings compare districts across all district types.
How much do results vary between Santa Maria Joint Union High’s schools?
Among the 3 schools serving 9–12, proficiency ranges from 43.5% to 62.5% in reading and 19.4% to 27.1% in math.
See the district’s schoolsAre results improving across Santa Maria Joint Union High’s schools?
Over 2024–2026, reading proficiency rose at 3 of 4 schools with results covering that full period; math rose at 2 of 4.
Compare school trendsHow do low-income students in Santa Maria Joint Union High compare with other districts?
Low-income reading proficiency is 43.7%, compared with 45.3% at a typical California high district. In math, it is 17.9%, compared with 19.5%.
See student-group resultsWhich districts should I compare with Santa Maria Joint Union High?
High districts in Santa Barbara County. Peers have the closest enrollment sizes.
| District | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria Joint Union HighThis district | 19.5% | 46.7% |
| Santa Ynez Valley Union High | 31.1% | 55.7% |
How we compare low-income results
“Typical” is the median across 74 California high 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.
