2023 Best School Districts in Santa Cruz County

• Santa Cruz, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.53 out of 5  15 reviews

Alum: After going to Santa Cruz High School for all four years of high school I could say a lot. The biggest issues I saw had to do with unorganization among staff, from administrative staff forcing students to take standardized tests for the state during finals week, to students being punished for excused absences. Frequently I saw the lack of communication between staff causing problems for the students. Teachers would seem very frustrated with the administration at times because of random fire drills or other things that would randomly interrupt classes. However for the most part it was an alright school that had some good staff that tried to do a good job even when things were randomly thrown at them.... Read 15 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 9

• Students 4,644

• Scotts Valley, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.08 out of 5  13 reviews

Alum: I am an Alumni from Scotts Valley High School. I have been involved in this school district since I was in preschool. I have lived in Scotts Valley my entire life. I went to Vine Hill Elementary, Scotts Valley Middle School, and Scotts Valley High School. I graduated from SVHS in 2018. Both the Middle School and High School, during the time I was there, were recognized as California distinguished schools. During my time there I participated in sports (wrestling) and extracurricular activities (volunteering, attending conferences with my school councilors). My teachers and councilors were a large part of my academic success. Scotts Valley is very proficient with treating each individually with respect and care. Scotts Valley Unified School district makes it a point to reach out to each student to make sure they are getting the proper resources they need to succeed. On multiple occasions I was pulled into the offices and asked if I was doing okay mentally/academically/at home. Great.... Read 13 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 4

• Students 2,237

• Ben Lomond, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.1 out of 5  20 reviews

Alum: I did Kindergarten through 12th grade at San Lorenzo Valley USD, and I feel that I received a great education and was well-prepared for college. The teachers and faculty truly care for students and families, and the local community is accepting and empowering.... Read 20 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 6

• Students 2,434

• Watsonville, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.48 out of 5  42 reviews

Senior: I love that the district has many different resources for the community and those who are low-income. The schools all have counselors fit for their students and are very helpful for them and the parents. However, we as students don't see and have not been seeing any field trips for the last couple of years. Or, the number of field trips per year has been decreasing. It is crucial for schools to offer at least one field trip per year so that the students have the time to socialize outside of the school. Overall, the district is very supportive of its students and families.... Read 42 reviews

• grade C+

• Total schools 34

• Students 18,743

• Los Gatos, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 1 out of 5  1 review

• grade A minus

• Total schools 2

• Students 441

• Capitola, CA•

• School District

• grade B+

• Total schools 5

• Students 1,745

• Santa Cruz, CA•

• School District

• grade B

• Total schools 5

• Students 1,684

• Santa Cruz, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Parent: I really like how well the teachers work with each other in the best interest of the students. Everyone wants what's best for each child.... Read 1 review

• grade B

• Total schools 7

• Students 1,730

• Santa Cruz, CA•

• School District

• grade unavailable

• Total schools 4

• Students 1,053