Happy Valley Elementary, CA

Original Research by School Decision on Happy Valley Elementary

Happy Valley Elementary is a small district serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Santa Cruz County. The enrollment sits at just over a hundred students, distributed fairly evenly across grades with slightly larger classes in the upper elementary years. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller multiracial population and a limited presence of Hispanic and Asian students. Data on free and reduced-price lunch eligibility and special populations like English learners and students with IEPs was not available.

The district's academic performance in the most recent state testing cycle shows strength in math across all tested grades. Third graders demonstrate particularly high proficiency in math. Performance in English language arts is mixed by grade; third and fifth graders show strong results while fourth graders score notably lower. Science proficiency at the fifth-grade level, the only grade tested in science, falls into a middle range. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places Happy Valley in the top quartile among Santa Cruz County's districts.

One area that stands out as a concern is chronic absenteeism. The district's rate falls in the bottom quartile compared to other county districts. A parent may want to look into what factors are driving this and what the district is doing to address it.

The community setting is affluent. Housing values in the district's coverage area are substantially above both state and national medians. Mortgage affordability is tight; estimated monthly payments are quite high relative to median household income. Rental markets in the nearby area are similarly expensive. The local economy shows moderate unemployment and stable household income levels, though housing costs consume a meaningful share of household budgets.

Per-pupil spending in the district is in the middle to upper-middle range compared to other Santa Cruz County districts, suggesting resources are reasonably allocated without extraordinary expenditure.

The district operates a single school, Happy Valley Elementary itself. Beyond enrollment and performance data, information on specific programs, staffing, or recent district initiatives was limited. A parent considering this district would benefit from speaking directly with school leadership about curriculum approaches, student support services, and what steps are being taken to improve attendance.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

122

Grades

KG–06

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 7%

White 80%

Asian 2%

Two+ 12%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

—

Gr 3

—

78%

Gr 4

—

65%

Gr 5

—

100%

Gr 6

—

93%

Math

Gr ALL

—

Gr 3

—

94%

Gr 4

—

82%

Gr 5

—

83%

Gr 6

—

79%

Science

Gr 5

—

75%

Gr HS

—

Schools in this District

1 schools are officially reported under this district.

Happy Valley Elementary

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

4 grades reported

94%

Grade 3

78%

Grade 4

79%

Grade 5

80%

Grade 6

English Language Arts

4 grades reported

78%

Grade 3

61%

Grade 4

93%

Grade 5

93%

Grade 6

Science

1 grade reported

64%

Grade 5

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$1.36M

Year-over-year change+2.1%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$1.3M to $1.4M

vs. state typical1.76x

vs. national typical3.70x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
95065	Santa Cruz	$1.4M	+2.1%	97.9%
95073	Soquel	$1.3M	+3.4%	1.4%
95066	Scotts Valley	$1.3M	+2.0%	0.8%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$3,863/mo

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
95066	Scotts Valley	$3,863	—	0.8%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$6,877/mo

Home price / national median income16.3x

Annual rent / national median income55.4%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$3,014/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.