Top Rankings
North Monterey County Unified School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in California for:
Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026-27 school year, there are 4 public elementary schools serving 2,296 students in North Monterey County Unified School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public elementary schools in California.
Public Elementary Schools in North Monterey County Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 14% (versus the California public elementary school average of 36%), and reading proficiency score of 24% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 95% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the California public elementary school average of 80% (majority Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
8 Schools
7,664 Schools
# Students
4,289 Students
3,815,621 Students
# Teachers
192 Teachers
173,890 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
22:1
22:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
North Monterey County Unified School District, which is ranked #1661 of all 1,903 school districts in California (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 92% has increased from 84% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#1645 out of 1932 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
13%
34%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
27%
47%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
12%
29%
Graduation Rate
92%
87%
Chronically Absent Students
(2022-23)30.7%
27.7%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.15
0.64
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
1%
12%
% Hispanic
92%
56%
% Black
n/a
5%
% White
6%
20%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
1%
7%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $20,736 is higher than the state median of $20,106. The school district revenue/student has grown by 31% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $17,212 is less than the state median of $18,517. The school district spending/student has grown by 13% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$89 MM
$116,387 MM
Spending
$74 MM
$107,188 MM
Revenue / Student
$20,736
$20,106
Spending / Student
$17,212
$18,517
Best North Monterey County Unified School District Public Elementary Schools (2026-27)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Prunedale Elementary School
(Math: 18% | Reading: 27%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
17719 Pesante Rd.
Salinas, CA 93907
(831) 663-3963
Salinas, CA 93907
(831) 663-3963
Gr: K-6 | 644 students Student-teacher ratio: 24:1 Minority enrollment: 92%
Rank: #22.
Castroville Elementary School
(Math: 15% | Reading: 25%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
11161 Merritt St.
Castroville, CA 95012
(831) 633-2570
Castroville, CA 95012
(831) 633-2570
Gr: K-6 | 600 students Student-teacher ratio: 25:1 Minority enrollment: 98%
Rank: #33.
Elkhorn Elementary School
(Math: 11% | Reading: 29%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
2235 Elkhorn Rd.
Castroville, CA 95012
(831) 633-2405
Castroville, CA 95012
(831) 633-2405
Gr: K-6 | 550 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 93%
Rank: #44.
Echo Valley Elementary School
(Math: 12% | Reading: 12%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
147 Echo Valley Rd.
Salinas, CA 93907
(831) 663-2308
Salinas, CA 93907
(831) 663-2308
Gr: K-6 | 502 students Student-teacher ratio: 24:1 Minority enrollment: 97%
Recent Articles
What Makes an Elementary School Feel Supportive?
Discover what makes one elementary school more supportive than another, from teacher relationships and family communication to classroom attention, belonging, student services, leadership, routines, and responsive academic support systems.
Second School Tour: Questions Parents Forget to Ask
A second school tour can reveal what families miss initially. Learn which questions to ask about teachers, support, schedules, safety, communication, programs, and everyday student life before enrolling.
Attendance Policies Are Changing: Parent Guide 2026
Attendance policies are changing across public schools. Learn what parents should examine about absences, tardiness, interventions, flexibility, communication, and student support before choosing a school for their child today.
