Spreckels Union Elementary, CA

Original Research by School Decision on Spreckels Union Elementary

Spreckels Union Elementary is a small school district serving kindergarten through eighth grade in Monterey County, California. It operates two schools: Spreckels Elementary and Buena Vista Middle. The district's enrollment is evenly spread across its grade span, with slightly larger cohorts in the upper elementary and middle school years.

The student body is diverse. Just over half the enrollment is Hispanic, with a substantial white population comprising a smaller plurality. Asian students and multiracial students together make up a smaller but meaningful share. Black students and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students are not represented in the district's enrollment. The district does not report the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, nor does it report English learner rates or special education rates, so a parent seeking that information would need to contact the district directly.

On state assessments administered in 2024-25, the district's proficiency rates show a mixed picture. In English language arts, students performed better, with upper elementary and middle grades showing solid performance. In mathematics, proficiency is considerably lower, with third, fifth, seventh, and eighth graders all falling below half proficient. Fourth grade is the strongest math cohort. Science proficiency testing covers only fifth and eighth grades; both show performance below half of students meeting standards. The district reports only one older social studies result from 2012-13, so current standing in that subject is unavailable.

Across tested subjects and grades, the district's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Monterey County's districts. The district also ranks in the top quartile for chronic absenteeism, with rates notably lower than the county median. Per-pupil current spending is in the lower range for the county, which a parent may want to understand in the context of whether the district's resources feel adequate for the school's needs and direction.

The district occupies an expensive housing market. Home values in the district's serving areas average substantially above the state benchmark, and rental costs are similarly elevated. The affordability calculus is tight: a household would allocate a meaningful share of income to either mortgage or rent, with monthly rent-versus-mortgage costs differing sharply. The region sits in a high-cost corridor of the Central Coast.

Two district-level developments warrant attention for families considering enrollment. In November 2024, voters rejected a school bond measure that would have funded classroom modernization, roof and plumbing repairs, and safety improvements to drop-off and pickup areas. The defeat leaves the district's aging physical infrastructure without bond-funded solutions and means no new property tax was imposed. Second, a petition is under review to transfer certain parcels, including neighborhoods in Toro Sunshine, Serra Village, and the Monterey-Salinas Highway corridor, from Spreckels Union to the neighboring Washington Union School District. If approved, this would redraw which district serves those areas and shift per-pupil funding between the two districts. Public hearings on this proposal are scheduled for September 2025. Families in those neighborhoods should monitor this process.

The district has implemented a three-phase Bridging Program since returning to in-person instruction, offering one-on-one and small-group tutoring, extended school year options, pull-out intervention, and increased social-emotional support. This structure reflects an intentional response to pandemic-related learning loss and is available to students who qualify for such support.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

888

Grades

KG–08

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 45%

White 41%

Asian 4%

Two+ 10%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

43%

—

Gr 3

29%

55%

Gr 4

38%

51%

Gr 5

47%

69%

Gr 6

40%

54%

Gr 7

52%

55%

Gr 8

46%

69%

Math

Gr ALL

31%

—

Gr 3

35%

42%

Gr 4

43%

62%

Gr 5

21%

43%

Gr 6

40%

47%

Gr 7

27%

49%

Gr 8

25%

41%

Science

Gr 5

16%

44%

Gr 8

29%

45%

Gr HS

23%

—

Schools in this District

2 schools are officially reported under this district.

Spreckels Elementary

Buena Vista Middle

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

41%

Grade 3

57%

Grade 4

39%

Grade 5

46%

Grade 6

45%

Grade 7

38%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

49%

Grade 3

48%

Grade 4

65%

Grade 5

52%

Grade 6

54%

Grade 7

64%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

39%

Grade 5

41%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

64%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$1.20M

Year-over-year change+0.3%

Range across 6 ZIP codes$668K to $1.5M

vs. state typical1.55x

vs. national typical3.27x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (6 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
93908	Salinas	$1.2M	+0.6%	86.7%
93924	Carmel Valley	$1.5M	-2.4%	11.1%
93901	Salinas	$781K	-0.3%	1.9%
93962	Salinas	$859K	+2.3%	0.2%
93905	Salinas	$668K	-1.4%	0.1%
93933	Marina	$878K	-3.3%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,314/mo

Year-over-year change+0.8%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$2,285 to $3,420/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
93901	Salinas	$2,285	+0.8%	1.9%
93905	Salinas	$2,600	—	0.1%
93933	Marina	$3,420	+2.0%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$6,078/mo

Home price / national median income14.4x

Annual rent / national median income33.2%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$3,765/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.