A
Saddleback Valley Unified School District
Public school districtGrades K–12Regional · 5 towns
Serves Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Rancho Santa Margarita, Laguna Hills and Laguna Woods, and parts of Irvine and Aliso Viejo.
Students
22,646
Schools
34
Spent per student
$17,411
CA $21,206
Students per teacher
23:1
Free or reduced lunch
45%
Debt
$76.3M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Saddleback Valley Unified School District
- School Grade A: better than 87% of California districts
- Math proficiency 18 pts above the state
- Reading / language arts 25 pts above the state
- Graduation rate (4-year) 5 pts above the state
- Spends 18% less per student than the CA average
- 23 students per teacher
- Enrollment down 5.6% since 2020
- Debt of $76.3M, about $3,368 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for El Modena.
K–828 schoolsOrange Unified School District
827 middle schoolsOrange Unified School District
85 middle schoolsOrange Unified School District
Test scores vs. CA
2020–21Math proficiency51%
State average 33.4%
Reading / language arts73%
State average 48.5%
Graduation rate (4-year)93%
State average 87.6%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$17,411 per student · 18% below CA
Spending
Classroom instruction 66%Support & administration 32%Other 3%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 64%State 31%Federal 5%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
23,978’20
24,356’21
23,674’22
23,165’23
22,646’24
Down 5.6% since 2020.
Students
Hispanic 39%White 37%Asian 13%Two or more races 9%Black 1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%
Schools in the district
34 public schools.
Foothill Ranch Elementary
990 students27:1
Melinda Heights Elementary
950 students28:1
Ralph A. Gates DLI Magnet Elementary
896 students29:1
Portola Hills Elementary
809 students26:1
Lake Forest Elementary
640 students23:1
Trabuco Mesa Elementary
640 students25:1
Rancho Canada Elementary
633 students25:1
La Madera Elementary
554 students25:1
De Portola Elementary
540 students27:1
Valencia Elementary
525 students27:1
Santiago STEAM Magnet Elementary
517 students26:1
Cielo Vista Elementary
487 students23:1
Lomarena Elementary
487 students22:1
Robinson Elementary
486 students24:1
Montevideo Elementary
444 students20:1
Olivewood Elementary
396 students22:1
Del Cerro Elementary
390 students20:1
Del Lago Elementary
362 students20:1
Glen Yermo Elementary
308 students16:1
Linda Vista Magnet Elementary
263 students20:1
San Joaquin Elementary
221 students19:1
Trabuco Elementary
90 students18:1
Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate
1,153 students24:1
Serrano Intermediate
868 students22:1
La Paz Intermediate
713 students22:1
Los Alisos Intermediate
595 students21:1
Trabuco Hills High
A2,475 students23:1
El Toro High
A1,902 students21:1
Mission Viejo High
A1,566 students22:1
Laguna Hills High
A−1,317 students21:1
Silverado High
C−200 students9:1
Esperanza Education Center
80 students11:1
SVUSD Virtual Academy (Alternative)
A149 students13:1
La Tierra Early Childhood Center
0 students
Towns served
Nearby districts
Compare spending and schools next door.
Capistrano Unified School DistrictLaguna Niguel, San Juan Capistrano
$17,395per student
Laguna Beach Unified School DistrictLaguna Beach
$33,583per student
Newport-Mesa Unified School DistrictCosta Mesa, Newport Beach
$25,216per student
Huntington Beach Union High School DistrictCosta Mesa
$18,463per student
District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.