Dana Elementary, Nipomo CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Dana Elementary

Dana Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Nipomo, a rural-to-suburban unincorporated community in southern San Luis Obispo County. The school sits in the central commercial area along Tefft Street, within walking distance of Nipomo Community Park and the local library, placing it in a relatively accessible location within the otherwise car-oriented landscape.

The school enrolls a mid-sized population reflective of Nipomo's demographic profile. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of white, multiracial, and other groups. Data on students receiving special education or English learner services was not available.

Academic performance at Dana Elementary is a significant concern. On California's most recent state assessments, proficiency rates across tested subjects and grades fall below the midpoint among districts in San Luis Obispo County. In English language arts, proficiency rates range from about one-third in grades three through six. Mathematics proficiency is lower still, with rates falling to roughly one-quarter in grades four and five. Science proficiency in fifth grade was substantially lower. The school has only one year of assessment data currently available, so trend comparisons and whether performance is improving or declining cannot yet be determined.

The broader context matters here. Nipomo is experiencing rapid residential growth, with the Dana Reserve master-plan project approved in 2024 to build a large mixed-use community over time, after legal settlement trimmed initial unit counts. Housing costs in the zip code are moderate for the Central Coast, though they have risen steadily. The median home price sits noticeably below San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande. Rent occupies a substantial share of household income for renters. The district's property tax bond, approved in November 2024, will support deferred facility maintenance and facility upgrades across aging school buildings, adding a property-tax obligation for homeowners in the district.

At the district level, Lucia Mar Unified has adopted social-emotional learning curricula district-wide beginning in 2021, a change some families embraced while others contested. The district has also maintained access to library materials that some parents challenged, including titles addressing gender and sexuality, signaling its stance on open collection access.

A parent considering Dana Elementary should understand that the school sits in an actively developing community with a predominantly Hispanic student population and high rates of economic need. The immediate academic challenge is the gap between current performance and proficiency benchmarks in math particularly. Whether this reflects recent demographic shifts from growth, resource constraints, prior staffing or instructional changes, or other factors would be worth exploring directly with the school. The district's recent facility bond and ongoing curriculum adoptions are lasting commitments families living in this area will experience.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 52% · ▼ 9 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 43% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 34% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 43% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 51% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 434%

School 34% · District 50% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 47% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 635%

School 35% · District 57% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Science

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 34% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

This schoolLucia Mar Unified, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income34%Higher-income50%16 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income24%Higher-income65%41 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income21%Higher-income58%38 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income30%Higher-income58%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income43%Higher-income44%2 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income14%Higher-income65%51 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income15%Higher-income46%31 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income42%17 pp gap