Solvang Elementary, CA - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Solvang Elementary

Solvang Elementary is a small school district serving kindergarten through eighth grade in Santa Barbara County. The enrollment is modest, with roughly equal-sized cohorts across the elementary and middle school grades. The student body is majority Hispanic, with a substantial white student population and smaller numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Data on free and reduced-price lunch eligibility and English learner status were not available.

The district's recent academic performance shows uneven results across subjects and grades. In English language arts, students in the upper middle grades perform notably stronger, with proficiency in seventh and eighth grade well above half. Third and fourth grade English results are considerably lower. Mathematics tells a steeper story: third graders show modest proficiency, but grades four and five dip markedly lower before recovering in sixth grade. By eighth grade, math proficiency rises to a solid level. Science proficiency at the tested grades (fifth and eighth) sits in the low to mid range. Overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades places the district above the midpoint among Santa Barbara County's districts.

The district has made deliberate recent instructional shifts. For the school year beginning in 2023-24, it adopted new FOSS Science and English Language Development curriculum with teacher professional learning and integrated social-emotional learning. Also beginning that year, all students in kindergarten through eighth grade moved to a quarter-based calendar with regular progress reports, a reporting and pacing change that affects how families receive and see their child's progress. The district also opened a Culinary Arts Building and launched an eighth-grade Culinary Cuisine course, adding a hands-on career exposure pathway and dedicated facility to its program mix.

Chronic absenteeism in the district sits near the county median, at a level higher than some neighboring districts but lower than others in the region, suggesting attendance is an area the district manages at roughly typical county levels.

Housing values in the communities served by the district are high. The weighted home value across the district's service area is substantially above the state benchmark. Monthly rental costs are also elevated. The affordability gap is steep: the estimated monthly mortgage payment is more than double typical rental costs, and rent alone consumes a very large share of median household income in these communities.

Per-pupil current spending in Solvang Elementary is in the lower range among Santa Barbara County districts, a gap that a parent evaluating the district may want to look into further with the school.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

621

Grades

KG–08

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 58%

Black 0%

White 33%

Asian 1%

Two+ 7%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

42%

—

Gr 3

29%

50%

Gr 4

24%

54%

Gr 5

43%

66%

Gr 6

50%

58%

Gr 7

59%

83%

Gr 8

47%

84%

Math

Gr ALL

24%

—

Gr 3

27%

56%

Gr 4

14%

37%

Gr 5

17%

36%

Gr 6

35%

65%

Gr 7

15%

60%

Gr 8

45%

78%

Science

Gr 5

17%

47%

Gr 8

30%

61%

Gr HS

23%

—

Schools in this District

1 schools are officially reported under this district.

Solvang Elementary

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

44%

Grade 3

27%

Grade 4

29%

Grade 5

52%

Grade 6

38%

Grade 7

68%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

42%

Grade 3

41%

Grade 4

57%

Grade 5

54%

Grade 6

71%

Grade 7

74%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

36%

Grade 5

52%

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$1.68M

Year-over-year change+3.4%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$1.4M to $1.9M

vs. state typical2.17x

vs. national typical4.57x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
93463	Solvang	$1.4M	+5.4%	42.3%
93460	Santa Ynez	$1.9M	+2.3%	38.4%
93105	Santa Barbara	$1.9M	+1.7%	16.8%
93117	Goleta	$1.4M	-2.1%	2.5%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$4,452/mo

Year-over-year change+4.8%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$4,054 to $4,510/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
93105	Santa Barbara	$4,510	+4.3%	16.8%
93117	Goleta	$4,054	+8.1%	2.5%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$8,486/mo

Home price / national median income20.1x

Annual rent / national median income63.8%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$4,034/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.