The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on San Antonio Elementary
San Antonio Elementary has closed. The school was located in Ojai and served grades through (the data indicates middle grades, though the precise range is not fully clear). In February 2023, the Ojai Unified School District Board voted to close the school as part of a major consolidation plan driven by budget pressures and declining enrollment.
The closure was part of a district-wide reorganization. The board shuttered both San Antonio LEADS Academy and Topa Topa Elementary, moved middle school students to the Nordhoff High School campus, reconfigured Matilija Middle School into a K-8 school, and converted Meiners Oaks Elementary into an early childhood and transitional kindergarten facility. The district faced a severe budget deficit and a state-level negative fiscal certification, making these changes necessary.
The most recent academic data available for San Antonio Elementary comes from the 2022-23 school year, the year before closure. In that year, the school's state test results on California's Smarter Balanced assessment show performance well below proficiency across tested grades. In English language arts, third grade achieved proficiency at roughly one in three students tested, fourth grade about one in four, and fifth grade roughly four in ten, the school's strongest performance in that subject. In math, proficiency was lower: third grade at roughly one in three, fourth grade at one in ten (the lowest result), and fifth grade at one in four. The school also administered the science test (CAST) to fifth grade; about three in ten students achieved proficiency there. Results for sixth and seventh grade were suppressed by the state, which occurs when tested groups are very small.
The data do not show enrollment numbers, the demographic composition of the student body, information about staff, or details on attendance and discipline. Grade composition suggests the school served a wide age range, which may have affected how resources and teaching approaches were distributed across the campus.
Ojai as a place is a small Ventura County city with a distinctive character. The downtown centers on the historic Spanish-style Arcade on Ojai Avenue, lined with family-owned galleries, restaurants, wellness retreats, and boutique shops rather than chains, which are prohibited in commercial districts. Residential neighborhoods range from Spanish Colonial Revival homes near downtown to hillside properties in the Upper Ojai Valley. Downtown is described as highly walkable, though most residents commute by personal vehicle. Civic life is concentrated in the downtown core around Libbey Park and Libbey Bowl, which host the Ojai Music Festival and other community events. Public schools, by contrast, sit on separated campuses away from downtown.
Housing values in the Ojai zip code are substantially above state benchmarks and significantly above the national average. Monthly rent is also well above typical rents nationally. Affordability is tight: a household would spend a large share of income on rent, and mortgage payments would exceed rent by a substantial margin. The local economy is anchored by tourism and hospitality (the Ojai Valley Inn is a major employer), healthcare (Community Memorial Health System operates the local hospital), and education. A notable share of residents are self-employed, reflecting Ojai's arts and wellness culture. The trolley system and county library serve the town, and the Ojai Valley Trail offers a multiuse path for cyclists, equestrians and walkers.
The broader district context matters for understanding the closure. Ojai Unified approved Measure K, a substantial bond in 2020 to modernize facilities and fund new construction, including a new aquatics center. That capital investment came alongside long-term enrollment decline that eventually forced the consolidation and school closures in 2023. A parent considering the Ojai Unified district should be aware of this organizational shift and its effects on which campuses serve which grades.
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