De Anza Academy of Technology and the Arts, Ventura CA

Original Research by School Decision on De Anza Academy of Technology and the Arts

De Anza Academy of Technology and the Arts is a regular public middle school serving sixth through eighth grade in Ventura. The school enrolls a substantial share of students, with a diverse student body in which about three-quarters are Hispanic, and substantial shares are White and Asian. A large majority of the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating significant economic need within the student population.

The school's performance on state testing shows a clear pattern. In English language arts, students are reaching proficiency at moderate levels, with eighth-graders performing somewhat better than younger grades. In mathematics, proficiency rates are considerably lower, ranging from around one-quarter to just under one-third of students across all three grades. Science performance sits between those two, with roughly one-third of eighth graders proficient. When averaged across tested subjects and grades, De Anza's overall proficiency index is below the midpoint relative to other districts in Ventura County, suggesting its academic outcomes are weaker than a typical peer school in the county.

The school's academic program is organized around technology and the arts as its distinguishing theme, though detailed information about course offerings, program structure, or how that theme is integrated into the daily curriculum was not available. State testing data does not provide a grade-by-grade breakdown of performance by demographic group, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about how it supports students who enter below grade level or who face barriers to proficiency.

De Anza sits in Ventura, a coastal city with a historic downtown along Main Street that has become increasingly pedestrian-friendly in recent years. The broader housing market in the Ventura zip code is expensive, with home values well above the state average and monthly rents similarly high relative to local incomes. The city is experiencing substantial new residential construction, particularly downtown. Ventura is served by Gold Coast Transit District bus service and Amtrak rail, and healthcare and government employment anchor the local economy.

The school's parent district, Ventura Unified, faces significant structural challenges that families should understand. The district is experiencing sustained enrollment decline and currently projects budget deficits that are expected to grow over the next several years. In response, the district has launched a formal process that could result in school closures as early as the 2027-28 school year. A parcel tax that funded arts, music, technology, and mental health services narrowly failed in November 2024, so those programs are now at risk. On the positive side, voters approved a large general obligation bond in 2022 to renovate aging school facilities across the district. Additionally, beginning with the 2024-25 school year, the district moved its academic calendar to start in early August and end in early June, completing first-semester finals before winter break.

A parent considering De Anza should understand that test performance is below county average and that the district faces real budget and enrollment pressures that could affect school stability and program availability in the coming years. The school's technology-and-arts focus may appeal to families drawn to that theme, but its academic standing and the district's trajectory warrant careful conversation with school leadership about student support systems and the school's future.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 631%

School 31% · District 38% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 728%

School 28% · District 35% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 36% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 47% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 744%

School 44% · District 50% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 49% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Science

Grade 835%

School 35% · District 33% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 57% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

This schoolVentura 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 6Lower-income29%Higher-income87%58 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income30%Higher-income89%59 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income80%42 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income15%Higher-income75%60 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income16%Higher-income67%51 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income14%Higher-income72%58 pp gap