The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 28% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Live Oak Elementary
Live Oak Elementary is a small school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Santa Cruz, located on Capitola Road in a city shaped by its coastal history and downtown revival. The school sits in a neighborhood with modest home values relative to what housing costs elsewhere in the county, though prices remain high by national standards; median monthly rent in the area runs substantially higher than the national median. The broader Santa Cruz area is in the midst of significant downtown redevelopment focused on housing and mixed-use projects, while the city retains its character as a walkable downtown with independent retail, cultural institutions, and public gathering spaces.
Live Oak Elementary serves a student population that is predominantly Spanish-speaking and low-income. About two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, and roughly seven in ten students identify as Hispanic. Enrollment is small, spread fairly evenly across the early grades but with noticeably smaller classes in fourth and fifth grade. The school does not report separate special education or English learner rates in the available data.
The school's recent academic performance shows mixed results. In the most recent state testing (2024-25), proficiency in English language arts ranges from roughly a third of third graders meeting the standard to just over half of fifth graders. Math performance is lower, with roughly one-quarter of third and fourth graders meeting proficiency and about a third to two-fifths of fifth graders demonstrating grade-level competency. Fifth-grade science proficiency sits at roughly a quarter of students. When measured across all tested subjects and grade levels, Live Oak's overall proficiency falls in the bottom quartile relative to other district schools in Santa Cruz County. The data reflects only a single year of results, so trend information is not yet available.
The school is embedded in a district facing substantial fiscal stress. In 2024, the Live Oak School District approved layoffs totaling the equivalent of more than two dozen full-time positions to close a large budget gap and avoid state intervention, with cuts reaching into teaching staff, classroom aides, school psychology services, and family liaison positions. The budget crisis continued into the following year with further reductions. Voters approved a bond in March 2024 to fund facility repairs such as roof replacement, but a larger follow-up bond failed to gain sufficient support in November 2024. These fiscal pressures bear directly on classroom resources and staffing stability.
A significant change affecting the school is the district's decision to move third- and fourth-grade English-only students to another campus. Live Oak Elementary is the only school in the district to offer a dual-language immersion program using a 90-10 model, meaning students spend most of their early instruction in Spanish. The move of English-only students to Del Mar Elementary was made to address staffing shortages district-wide, though parents protested the decision as it affects program continuity at the school. This is directly relevant to families considering enrollment, as it may reshape the composition and viability of the program moving forward.
For families drawn to the school's dual-language immersion approach or seeking a small neighborhood elementary in a walkable coastal city with significant residential redevelopment underway, Live Oak offers that setting. Parents considering this school should look into the current status and stability of the dual-language program with the school directly, given recent staffing disruptions and student moves. The low proficiency rates in math and science warrant conversation with school staff about intervention strategies and support availability, particularly given the recent budget cuts affecting staffing and services.
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