Olivewood Elementary, Lake Forest CA

Original Research by School Decision on Olivewood Elementary

Olivewood Elementary is a kindergarten-through-sixth-grade school in Lake Forest serving a cohort of about four hundred students in a residential area of Orange County. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic demographics of the neighborhood. The school sits within Saddleback Valley Unified, which has faced enrollment headwinds and facility pressures in recent years, including the closure of an under-enrolled elementary campus at the end of the prior school year.

On state testing, Olivewood's performance is below the median for elementary schools tested across Orange County districts. In math across grades three through six, proficiency ranges from about one-tenth of students in sixth grade to about one-third in third grade, with fourth and fifth grades falling between those points. In English language arts, the range is similar, with just over one-third of third graders meeting proficiency and closer to one-quarter in fourth and sixth grades; fifth grade shows a higher rate. Science results, reported for fifth grade only, fall in the lower-middle range. The overall proficiency index places the school in the bottom quartile within the county comparison. Trend data is limited to one school year, so growth over time cannot be assessed.

The school is part of a broader district context of declining enrollment and aging facilities. Lake Forest itself is growing through master-planned residential developments, particularly in the north and central areas, which may eventually support enrollment stabilization, but the district's enrollment trajectory remains downward, and a bond measure to fund facility improvements was defeated in 2020.

The housing market in the zip code is expensive. Home values are substantial, and rental costs are high relative to median household income in the region. Families considering this school should weigh the academic performance data carefully against their own priorities and circumstances. A parent may want to look into further with the school what academic supports are in place and whether specialized services or programs are available for students who need additional help in core subjects. The school's neighborhood sits in a developing, family-oriented suburban setting with parks and recreational amenities nearby, though the area is car-dependent and lacks dense walkability.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 58% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 418%

School 18% · District 56% · ▼ 38 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 36 pts below county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 52% · ▼ 22 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 611%

School 11% · District 54% · ▼ 43 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 54% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 423%

School 23% · District 55% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 61% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 63% · ▼ 38 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Science

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 48% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

This schoolSaddleback Valley 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.