Melinda Heights Elementary

21001 Rancho Trabuco
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

950 Students

Elementary School K - 6th

School Overview

Melinda Heights Elementary School, located in the master-planned community of Rancho Santa Margarita, is part of the highly regarded Saddleback Valley Unified School District. The school is widely recognized for its strong academic focus and supportive community environment. It serves a diverse student body from transitional kindergarten through fifth grade, consistently maintaining high performance standards and state rankings that reflect a commitment to both core academics and the social-emotional development of its students.

Beyond its classroom curriculum, Melinda Heights is known for fostering an active school culture supported by a very involved Parent Teacher Association (PTA). The campus offers various enrichment programs, school events, and extracurricular opportunities that aim to create a well-rounded educational experience. With its convenient location near the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains and its focus on collaborative learning, Melinda Heights remains a cornerstone of the local community, emphasizing a partnership between teachers, parents, and students to ensure long-term academic success.

950

Total Students

33.7

Full-Time Teachers

28.2

Student/Teacher Ratio

27.8%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Melinda Heights Elementary
Demographic	Student Count
White	487
Hispanic	226
Black	7
Asian	130
Two or More	96
American Indian	3
Pacific Islander	1

White
487 (51.3%)
Hispanic
226 (23.8%)
Asian
130 (13.7%)
Two or More
96 (10.1%)
Black
7 (0.7%)
American Indian
3 (0.3%)
Pacific Islander
1 (0.1%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	N/A
District:	Saddleback Valley Unified
Phone:	(949)888-7311
Grade Range:	K - 6th
Total Students:	950
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	33.7
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	28.2
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Provision 2
Qualified Free Lunch:	166
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	98

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Kindergarten 120

Grade 1 107

Grade 2 123

Grade 3 156

Grade 4 142

Grade 5 141

Grade 6 161