Roy O. Andersen Elementary, Newport Beach CA

Original Research by School Decision on Roy O. Andersen Elementary

Roy O. Andersen Elementary sits in Newport Beach, an affluent coastal city organized into distinct residential neighborhoods from the Balboa Peninsula to the office-and-retail corridor at Newport Center. The school enrolls a small student body across kindergarten through sixth grade. Housing values in the zip code are very high, and median household income is above the national level; the area is car-dependent, though some neighborhoods near the beach and village centers are walkable.

The school's academic profile shows strength in math across all tested grades, with proficiency climbing from the mid-eighties into the upper eighties by sixth grade. English language arts performance is more mixed by grade: third-grade proficiency is solid, but fourth grade dips before rising sharply in fifth and sixth grade, where proficiency reaches the low nineties. This grade-by-grade variability in ELA, particularly the fourth-grade valley, is worth noting; a parent may want to discuss what is happening in fourth-grade reading and writing instruction with the school. Science proficiency in fifth grade is in the low seventies. Overall, the school's proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile among elementary schools in Orange County.

The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of multiracial, Asian, and Hispanic students. Very few students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the affluent character of the community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.

Newport-Mesa Unified, the parent district, operates as a community-funded (basic aid) district, meaning it draws its revenue primarily from local property taxes rather than state funding formulas. This structural advantage gives the district a strong per-pupil budget relative to most California districts. The district banned mobile devices on campus in 2023, implementing Yondr lockable pouches at the middle-school level to reduce classroom distractions. The district's last voter-approved bond funds have been fully spent, and a Facilities Master Plan now guides modernization priorities, though no replacement bond has been approved; facility improvements must come from the district's operating budget.

Roy O. Andersen serves families in a high-income neighborhood where school choice and resources are plentiful. Academic performance is competent, particularly in mathematics and upper-grade reading. The district's device policy and strong tax base are concrete features a family would weigh alongside the school's smaller enrollment and the community's overall economic character.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 386%

School 86% · District 61% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 43 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 482%

School 82% · District 59% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 583%

School 83% · District 53% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 52 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 687%

School 87% · District 55% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 57 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 60% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 468%

School 68% · District 63% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 589%

School 89% · District 62% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 692%

School 92% · District 65% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 48 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Science

Grade 574%

School 74% · District 44% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

This schoolNewport-Mesa 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.