Santa Barbara Unified, CA

Original Research by School Decision on Santa Barbara Unified

Santa Barbara Unified serves a mid-sized student population across the city of Santa Barbara and surrounding communities in Santa Barbara County, spanning kindergarten through grade twelve. The district operates a range of school types, including traditional public elementary, middle, and high schools, a charter school, continuation programs, and alternative pathways.

The district's academic performance presents a mixed picture. In English language arts, students show modest proficiency across the tested grades, with performance generally in the low-to-mid range depending on grade level. Math proficiency is notably softer, running several percentage points lower than ELA across all grades tested. Science proficiency, measured in grades five and eight, sits notably below ELA and math. These results position the district above the midpoint on overall proficiency when compared to other districts in Santa Barbara County, though the absolute proficiency rates indicate that a majority of students in most grades are not yet meeting state standards in any subject.

The district has undertaken substantial curriculum changes in recent years. Elementary schools shifted to a structured literacy approach starting in the 2023-2024 school year, moving away from a balanced-learning model that had been in place for many years. This change reflects growing emphasis on phonics-based instruction grounded in reading science. At the junior high level, math instruction was redesigned with a new curriculum and the IXL digital learning platform, a response to concerns about stagnating math achievement in those grades.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, followed by a significant white population and smaller numbers of Asian, multiracial, and other students. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available, limiting visibility into economic need. The district does not report English learner enrollment or special education identification rates in the available data.

Chronic absenteeism in the district runs above the county median, at a rate that suggests attendance challenges affecting a meaningful share of students. This is a factor parents may want to explore further with individual schools, as attendance patterns often correlate with academic outcomes.

The housing market in Santa Barbara is expensive. Median home values are high, and rental costs are substantial relative to typical household income in the region, placing Santa Barbara among the least affordable areas in California. This housing reality shapes the families the district serves and the economic context in which school choices are made.

The district has been navigating questions around classroom technology. An earlier "off and away" policy for personal devices has given way to broader conversations about technology use, with district leadership weighing proposals to restrict YouTube access, limit device use during breaks, and cap personalized iPad use in response to parent and educator concerns.

Graduation rate data for the district was not available in the data provided. A parent seeking that information, or details on college and career readiness outcomes for high school students, should reach out to the district directly.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

12,491

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 60%

Black 1%

White 31%

Asian 3%

Two+ 6%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

38%

—

Gr 3

40%

67%

Gr 4

40%

72%

Gr 5

32%

70%

Gr 6

45%

69%

Gr 7

40%

76%

Gr 8

34%

73%

Gr 11

39%

—

Math

Gr ALL

28%

—

Gr 3

44%

64%

Gr 4

35%

68%

Gr 5

24%

53%

Gr 6

36%

57%

Gr 7

32%

72%

Gr 8

26%

67%

Gr 11

16%

—

Science

Gr ALL

18%

—

Gr 5

20%

57%

Gr 8

21%

59%

Gr 11

22%

—

Gr 12

—

Gr HS

21%

—

Gr UG_SEC

21%

—

Schools in this District

21 schools are officially reported under this district.

Santa Barbara Charter

Adams Elementary

Cleveland Elementary

Dos Pueblos Senior High

Franklin Elementary

Goleta Valley Junior High

Harding University Partnership

La Colina Junior High

La Cuesta Continuation High

La Cumbre Junior High

Monroe Elementary

Roosevelt Elementary

San Marcos Senior High

Santa Barbara Junior High

Santa Barbara Senior High

Washington Elementary

Santa Barbara Community Academy

McKinley Elementary

Alta Vista Alternative High

Alta Vista

Santa Barbara Unified Early Childhood

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

51%

Grade 3

45%

Grade 4

32%

Grade 5

43%

Grade 6

48%

Grade 7

44%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

48%

Grade 3

49%

Grade 4

42%

Grade 5

52%

Grade 6

55%

Grade 7

51%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

31%

Grade 5

37%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

61%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$2.04M

Year-over-year change+2.2%

Range across 6 ZIP codes$1.5M to $5.1M

vs. state typical2.63x

vs. national typical5.54x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (6 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
93105	Santa Barbara	$1.9M	+1.7%	46.4%
93103	Santa Barbara	$1.7M	+3.5%	20.6%
93109	Santa Barbara	$2.5M	+2.8%	14.8%
93101	Santa Barbara	$1.5M	-0.7%	13.9%
93108	Montecito	$5.1M	+8.7%	4.3%
93110	Santa Barbara	$1.9M	+3.2%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$4,998/mo

Year-over-year change+3.2%

Range across 6 ZIP codes$3,259 to $16,181/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (6 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
93105	Santa Barbara	$4,510	+4.3%	46.4%
93103	Santa Barbara	$3,983	+1.7%	20.6%
93109	Santa Barbara	$6,183	-2.1%	14.8%
93101	Santa Barbara	$3,406	+4.0%	13.9%
93108	Montecito	$16,181	+14.4%	4.3%
93110	Santa Barbara	$3,259	—	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$10,292/mo

Home price / national median income24.4x

Annual rent / national median income71.6%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$5,295/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.