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Santa Cruz City High

Above Average2024–25 data8 schools · avg 48.9/100

Santa Cruz City High has 8 ranked schools across middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 48.9/100 — 5.1 points above the California state average of 43.8. The highest-scoring school is Santa Cruz High at 72/100, where 37.5% of students exceed the state standard. Chronic absenteeism averages 29.4%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.

Avg Scope Score
48.9
State avg: 43.8
SchoolScope composite
Score Range
49.5
22.0 – 71.5
Avg Exceeded %
18.6%
State avg: 21.6%
Chronic Absenteeism
29.4%
State avg: 18.1%
Schools Ranked
8
With Scope Scores
Charter Schools
1
of 8 ranked schools
LevelAvg ScoreSchoolsExceededAbsent
MiddleSolid
51.1/100
223.3%16.7%
HighDeveloping
48.2/100
617.0%33.6%

K–12 pipeline

The typical school path in Santa Cruz City High, top-scoring shown first.

Middle
51.1
avg score · 2 schools
Branciforte Middle
Developing
48/100
High
48.2
avg score · 6 schools
Santa Cruz High
Strong
72/100
Soquel High
Solid
67/100
Harbor High
Developing
49/100
+3 more high schools

District Analysis

Strongest level: Santa Cruz City High's middle schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 51.1.

Consistency: Score range of 49.5 points — showing significant variation between schools.

Absenteeism: District chronic absenteeism averages 29.4%, 11.3pp below the state average of 18.1%.

Suspensions: District suspension rate averages 2.2%, near the state average of 1.7%.

Top school: Santa Cruz High leads the district at 72 with 37.5% exceeding standard.

How we score · Scope Score methodology

School archetypes in Santa Cruz City High

2 Strong All-Around6 Building Momentum

Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more

Student demographics

Hispanic
42.3%
White
46.2%
Asian
1.5%
Black
1.6%
Other
8.3%
Free/Reduced Lunch
39%
Economic need indicator · district avg

District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data

Middle Schools (2)

Santa Cruz City High has 2 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 51.1 — 10.7 points above the state average of 40.5.

Growth is essentially flat at -0.3pp.

The highest-scoring middle school is Mission Hill Middle with a Scope Score of 55 and 25.4% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Mission Hill Middle
Santa Cruz City High Building Momentum
25.4%Solid
55/100
2Branciforte Middle
Santa Cruz City High Building Momentum
21.3%Developing
48/100

High Schools (6)

Santa Cruz City High has 6 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 48.2 — 0.7 points near the state average of 47.5. 1 of 6 high schools score above 70.

The highest-scoring high school is Santa Cruz High with a Scope Score of 72 and 37.5% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Santa Cruz High
Santa Cruz City High Strong All-Around
37.5%Strong
72/100
2Soquel High
Santa Cruz City High Strong All-Around
21.6%Solid
67/100
3Harbor High
Santa Cruz City High Building Momentum
19.9%Developing
49/100
4Ark Independent Studies
Santa Cruz City High Building Momentum
16.7%Developing
42/100
5Delta Charter
Santa Cruz City High Building Momentum
6.1%Developing
37/100
6Costanoa Continuation High
Santa Cruz City High Building Momentum
0.0%Needs Support
22/100

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology

Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.

What Scope Scores can't tell you about Santa Cruz City High

  • Class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality
  • Quality of arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs
  • Teacher experience, turnover, and professional development
  • Campus safety, bullying climate, and social-emotional support
  • Parent and community engagement levels
  • Quality of special education and gifted programs
  • How resources are distributed across schools within the district

Scope Scores measure academic performance and school climate using public data. They are one lens among many. Full methodology

Frequently asked questions

Is Santa Cruz City High a good school district?
Santa Cruz City High has 8 ranked schools averaging a Scope Score of 48.9/100, which is 5.1 points above the California state average of 43.8. 18.6% of students exceed the state standard on average. The Scope Score measures academic performance and school climate across six dimensions. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What is the best school in Santa Cruz City High?
The highest-scoring school in Santa Cruz City High is Santa Cruz High with a Scope Score of 72/100 and 37.5% exceeding standard. See methodology.
What does the Scope Score measure?
The Scope Score is SchoolScope's proprietary composite rating (0–100) based on six dimensions of publicly available California school data: the exceeded-vs-met standard split, overall proficiency, grade-level growth, chronic absenteeism, suspension rate, and ELPAC English Learner proficiency. Full methodology and weights.