The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Wilson Elementary
Wilson Elementary sits in Santa Ana, a dense urban core of Orange County that doubles as the county seat. The school serves grades kindergarten through five and is located on North Baker Street in a part of the city that is largely working-class and car-dependent, with a student body that is overwhelmingly Hispanic and economically disadvantaged. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, Wilson's proficiency rates are low across both English language arts and math. In English language arts, third graders were proficient at a rate well below the midpoint, fourth graders somewhat below the midpoint, and fifth graders approaching the midpoint. In math, proficiency was markedly lower: third graders fell to roughly one-in-three, fourth graders to about one-in-four, and fifth graders to roughly one-in-three. On the California Science Test in fifth grade, proficiency was the weakest performance of all, at less than one-in-five. Relative to districts across Orange County, Wilson's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile.
The school is small for its grade band, with roughly equal cohorts across kindergarten through fifth grade. Demographic data shows the student population is nearly entirely Hispanic, with nearly all students being from homes where Spanish or another home language is spoken. The community is experiencing sustained growth and redevelopment. Santa Ana issued a record number of building permits in 2023, and major mixed-use and residential projects are underway across the city, including developments adding substantial new housing stock. Housing values in the 92706 zip code are moderately high for the inland region, though rents have risen notably in the past year. A substantial portion of the workforce is employed in government (the city is the county seat), healthcare, education, retail, and manufacturing or logistics.
Downtown Santa Ana, a few miles north, is the walkable commercial and civic center, with dense street life centered on Fourth Street. The broader city including the area around Wilson is primarily car-dependent. Parks, a public library system, and a transit hub anchoring Metrolink and bus service serve the community, though the main library is undergoing renovation and was closed through spring 2026.
The school is part of Santa Ana Unified School District. In November 2024, voters approved a substantial facilities bond authorizing repair and modernization of aging schools over a multi-year period. The district was an early adopter of ethnic studies and had made it a K-12 graduation requirement, though in 2025 it agreed to discontinue three high school ethnic studies courses and rebuild them from scratch following a lawsuit and allegations of open-meeting violations.
The profile of a parent considering Wilson would likely include interest in a small, walkable or accessible school serving a heavily Hispanic community with strong Spanish-language presence, where most peers come from low-income households, and where state test performance is below the Orange County median. A parent may want to look into the school's specific programs, instructional model, and recent initiatives aimed at strengthening literacy and numeracy, given the proficiency landscape.
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