Pajaro Valley Unified on the map

Click a type to show or hide its schools.

District boundary from the NCES EDGE composite school district file. Each marker is a graded school; click it for its grade and scores.

Ohlone ElementaryAmesti ElementaryAptos HighAptos Junior HighBradley ElementaryCalabasas ElementaryE A Hall MiddleFreedom ElementaryH A Hyde ElementaryHall District ElementaryMar Vista ElementaryMintie White ElementaryPajaro MiddleRenaissance High ContinuationRio Del Mar ElementaryRolling Hills MiddleT S Macquiddy ElementaryValencia ElementaryAlianza CharterWatsonville HighLakeview MiddleNew School Community DayPacific Coast CharterDiamond Technology InstituteAnn Soldo ElementaryLinscott CharterStarlight ElementaryWatsonville Charter School Of The ArtsRadcliff ElementaryLandmark ElementaryPajaro Valley HighCesar E Chavez MiddlePvusd Virtual Academy
District boundary from the NCES EDGE composite school district file; each dot is a graded school, tap or hover for its name.

SchoolGrade summary for Pajaro Valley Unified

Average SchoolGrade
D-
Meeting or exceeding expectations
20%
Exceeding
20%
Avg actual scores
17.2%
Avg projected
20.4%

5 of 33 schools in Pajaro Valley Unified carry a SchoolGrade (28 have too little test data to grade). Grade distribution:

B: 1F: 4

Best schools in Pajaro Valley Unified

Statewide rankings: all 1051 high schools in California · all 513 middle schools in California · all 1758 elementary schools in California

The ten highest SchoolGrades in the district. Grades reward actual test performance against the projection for each school's student context, so a B in a high-poverty school can outrank an A- elsewhere on impact.

  1. B+ Diamond Technology Institute (High school, greatly exceeds expectations)
  2. F Alianza Charter (Elementary school, underperforms expectations)
  3. F Cesar E Chavez Middle (Middle school, doesn't meet expectations)
  4. F E A Hall Middle (Middle school, underperforms expectations)
  5. F Rolling Hills Middle (Middle school, underperforms expectations)

Every school in Pajaro Valley Unified

High schools (4)

Middle and junior high schools (6)

Elementary and primary schools (16)

Other schools and academies (7)

Where Pajaro Valley Unified schools are

Cities and towns served (4)

About this district

  • State: Best schools in California
  • County: Santa Cruz County
  • Type: regular local school district
  • Setting: small city (NCES locale of the district office)
  • Enrollment: 17,013 students with 804 full-time-equivalent teachers and 1,927 total staff FTE (NCES CCD, 2023-24)
  • NCES district ID: 0629490
  • Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model: each school's actual proficiency against the level projected for its student context. How SchoolGrade works

Nearby school districts

Questions about Pajaro Valley Unified

How many schools are in Pajaro Valley Unified?

SchoolGrade grades 33 public schools in Pajaro Valley Unified, across 4 cities and towns. Every one of them is listed on this page with a link to its own report.

Which cities does Pajaro Valley Unified serve?

The largest by graded schools: Watsonville, Aptos, Freedom, La Selva Beach.

How good are the schools in Pajaro Valley Unified?

Across the 5 graded schools, the average SchoolGrade is D-, with 17.2% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 20.4%. 20% of schools meet or exceed the expectation for their student context.

How many students attend Pajaro Valley Unified?

17,013 students were enrolled in Pajaro Valley Unified in the 2023-24 school year, about 21.2 students per full-time teacher (NCES Common Core of Data).

Where is Pajaro Valley Unified?

Pajaro Valley Unified is in California, based in Santa Cruz County, with its district office in Watsonville. Its boundary covers about 156 sq mi.