Public schools in Santa Maria, CA

The current NCES directory lists 37 open public schools with a location address in Santa Maria: 24 elementary, 6 middle, 4 high, 3 combined or other. Together they reported 30,849 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.

Schools with an address in Santa Maria belong to 7 education agencies, led by Santa Maria-Bonita (21 schools), Orcutt Union Elementary (8 schools), Santa Maria Joint Union High (4 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.

Santa Maria High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Santa Maria, with 3,143 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.

Yes. 2 of the 37 public schools in Santa Maria are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Family Partnership Charter, Trivium Charter. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.

The median reported student–teacher ratio across Santa Maria public schools is 21.8:1, similar to the California school median of 21.6:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.

No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.