Carpinteria Unified, CA - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Carpinteria Unified

Carpinteria Unified serves students from kindergarten through grade twelve across a small coastal footprint in Santa Barbara County. The district's enrollment is stable at around two thousand students, with a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, followed by a substantial white population and smaller shares of other backgrounds. The district includes six schools: two elementary schools in Carpinteria proper (Aliso and Canalino), one in nearby Summerland, one middle school, one senior high school, and one small alternative elementary option that is being closed.

Academic performance across the district sits below the midpoint among Santa Barbara County's districts. In English language arts, students show proficiency rates in the range of roughly forty to sixty percent across grades three through eight, with third grade performing strongest and eighth grade substantially weaker. Mathematics presents a steeper challenge, with proficiency declining noticeably as students advance. Third grade reaches the low sixties, but by fifth grade proficiency falls to around one third, and by eighth grade it drops to around one quarter. Science proficiency is notably lower still; the tested grades show rates in the high twenties at fifth grade and around one fifth at eighth grade. This pattern of declining performance at higher grades, especially in math and science, suggests students face growing difficulty with abstract content as they progress. The district's overall proficiency index places it below the county median across tested subjects and grades.

Chronic absenteeism in the district runs at around one quarter of students, a rate above the county median. Per-pupil spending is in the upper range for the county, which indicates the district is investing resources at a rate comparable to or higher than many neighboring districts, even as academic results lag.

The district is navigating a period of enrollment decline and budget constraint. Carpinteria Family School, a small alternative elementary with combined-grade classrooms and a family-centered focus, is closing on June 30, 2026. The school's enrollment had fallen sharply over recent years; the district cut its kindergarten-first-grade class in 2024 and its second-third-grade class in 2025 before deciding to close the school altogether. Elementary families will be redirected to the remaining schools: Aliso, Canalino, and Summerland elementaries. This closure removes a distinctive school-choice option that some families valued.

One curricular bright spot is the district's expanding Spanish-English Dual Language Immersion program, offered across elementary sites. DLI provides instruction in both English and Spanish across core academics, aiming for bilingual and biliterate proficiency. The program has been growing in enrollment and is now a meaningful pathway option for families seeking bilingual education.

Carpinteria Unified is a small, tight-knit district in a high-cost coastal area where housing values and rents are substantially above state and national medians. The community itself is economically mixed, with some affluence in nearby Montecito but more modest housing costs within Carpinteria proper. The district faces the dual pressure of serving a community with real economic diversity while managing enrollment decline and tight budgets. For families considering this area, the district offers a full K-12 pathway with a growing dual-language option, but academic performance data suggests students will need strong foundational skills and family support to meet the state's proficiency benchmarks, particularly in mathematics and science at the secondary level.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

1,920

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 73%

Black 0%

White 23%

Asian 1%

Two+ 2%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

39%

—

Gr 3

47%

85%

Gr 4

34%

79%

Gr 5

38%

58%

Gr 6

39%

65%

Gr 7

41%

59%

Gr 8

31%

55%

Gr 11

43%

—

Math

Gr ALL

29%

—

Gr 3

47%

90%

Gr 4

31%

72%

Gr 5

26%

45%

Gr 6

23%

58%

Gr 7

32%

63%

Gr 8

18%

53%

Gr 11

26%

—

Science

Gr ALL

13%

—

Gr 5

22%

43%

Gr 8

15%

50%

Gr 11

24%

—

Gr HS

21%

—

Gr UG_SEC

24%

—

Schools in this District

6 schools are officially reported under this district.

Aliso Elementary

Canalino Elementary

Carpinteria Middle

Carpinteria Senior High

Summerland Elementary

Carpinteria Family

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

61%

Grade 3

43%

Grade 4

33%

Grade 5

36%

Grade 6

39%

Grade 7

25%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

59%

Grade 3

48%

Grade 4

45%

Grade 5

49%

Grade 6

45%

Grade 7

36%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

30%

Grade 5

21%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

63%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$2.34M

Year-over-year change+7.2%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$1.5M to $5.1M

vs. state typical3.02x

vs. national typical6.37x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
93013	Carpinteria	$1.5M	+6.9%	75.9%
93108	Montecito	$5.1M	+8.7%	22.6%
93067	Summerland	$2.6M	-1.2%	1.4%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$6,937/mo

Year-over-year change+13.0%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$4,183 to $16,181/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
93013	Carpinteria	$4,183	+12.6%	75.9%
93108	Montecito	$16,181	+14.4%	22.6%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$11,827/mo

Home price / national median income28.0x

Annual rent / national median income99.4%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$4,891/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.