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Academy of Innovation · Hemet

Academy of Innovation: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Academy of Innovation posts low test scores — and suspensions run below the state rate (0.2% vs 1.6%). If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

26866 San Jacinto Street, 92543 (opens in new tab)·Hemet Unified·Hemet·Grades K-12·545 students·86% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(951) 765-5193·Website
Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.
2024–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope2945
% Exceeded10%21%
% Met+31%43%
Growth-17.4-2.9
Absence18.7%17.9%
Suspension0.2%1.6%
Scope Score
29
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #4,837 statewide · #13 of 17 in Hemet Unified

Academy of Innovation scores 29 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 16th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

Most rating sites would stop at “31% proficient” and call it done. Academy of Innovation deserves a closer read. The school sits in Hemet, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Has stayed near the 16th percentile since 2024.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)
ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 333%54%
Grade 432%22%
Grade 537%39%
Grade 632%24%25%
Grade 726%34%44%
Grade 826%30%33%
Grade 1147%44%48%55%43%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 329%36%
Grade 413%22%
Grade 53%15%
Grade 67%3%0%
Grade 78%13%13%
Grade 87%3%6%
Grade 1111%16%9%4%8%

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

14%
39%
47%
Grade 3 · 53% proficient
17%
79%
Grade 4 · 21% proficient
12%
27%
61%
Grade 5 · 39% proficient

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
10.3%
State 21.3%
11.0pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-17.4pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
31.2%
State 42.7%
11.4pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
18.7%
State 17.9%
0.8pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.2%
State 1.6%
1.4pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
14.8%
State 18.0%
3.2pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.

  • Ask what changes between grade 3 and grade 5 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Academy of Innovation in Hemet, 38.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 31.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Academy of Innovation outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (10.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (35.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 3.3 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 318 students tested.

All students at this school: 24% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 24%, district —, state 43%24%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 24%, district 24%, state 32%24% · −0 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 22%, district 24%, state 32%22% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 26%, district 27%, state 44%26% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 23%, district 26%, state 42%23% · −1 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 31%, district 36%, state 56%31% · +7 vs school

10 of 16 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 22.8pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +3.5pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 18.7%, district 32.2%, state 17.9%18.7% · +0.8pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.2%, district —, state 1.6%0.2% · −1.4pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–65.9%
Grades 7–87.9%
Grades 9–1231.0%
TK/K0.0%

Where the path goes

Academy of Innovation serves grades K-12 — students can complete their entire K-12 education here, with no school-to-school transitions.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 18:1, district 22:118:1
Teaching staff33 teachers
Avg. experience17.1 years
Fully credentialed67%
First-year teachers3%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$49,867 – $136,225
Principal salary$159,200 – $184,030
Superintendent salary$388,334

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $22,121, CA average $14,815$22,121 · spent at this school
Federal share$59 per student

$59 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,822 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction56%
Instruction support13%
Student services12%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other1%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$15,161 per pupil
2019$14,782 per pupil
2018$14,843 per pupil
2017$16,755 per pupil
2016$14,742 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic70.3%
District 69.7% · CA 56.1%
White15.6%
District 15.7% · CA 19.9%
Other7.7%
District 6.0% · CA 9.0%
Black5.3%
District 7.8% · CA 4.8%
Asian1.1%
District 0.8% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 85.7% (22pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$49K · CA $85K
Median home value$279K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+13% · CA 35%
ZIP population39,937
Median age40 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 22% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Academy of Innovation a good elementary school?

Academy of Innovation has a Scope Score of 29 out of 100, placing it in the 16th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #4,837 statewide. 10.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 11.0 percentage points below the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Academy of Innovation's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 31.2% of students at Academy of Innovation met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 10.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 20.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 10.3% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 168 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Academy of Innovation rank in California?

Academy of Innovation ranks #4,837 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 16th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.

Is Academy of Innovation getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Academy of Innovation decreases by 17.4 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the elementary Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Academy of Innovation?

18.7% of students at Academy of Innovation are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.2%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.

How does Academy of Innovation compare to other schools in Hemet?

Academy of Innovation scores 29/100 (16th percentile) among California elementary schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 545 students. Use the schools in Hemet page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Academy of Innovation serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Academy of Innovation in Hemet, 38.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 31.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Academy of Innovation outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (10.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (35.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 3.3 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 318 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

Your other options

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.


For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 38%
10.3%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 39th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-17.4pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 29th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
31.2%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 41th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
18.7%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 49th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.2%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 61th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
14.8%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 47th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 32814%39%32%14%54%+10
Grade 4234%17%26%52%22%−23
Grade 53312%27%24%36%39%−8
Grade 6530%25%32%43%25%−22
Grade 7757%37%24%32%44%−4
Grade 8726%28%38%29%33%−13
Grade 118015%28%21%36%43%−5
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 32818%18%43%21%36%−10
Grade 4234%17%30%48%22%−20
Grade 5339%6%12%73%15%−20
Grade 6520%0%29%71%0%−35
Grade 7754%9%29%57%13%−21
Grade 8723%3%28%67%6%−27
Grade 11793%5%13%80%8%−16
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111534%18%62%16%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged31838.1%+6−0
Hispanic/Latino25335.6%+4−3
White3557.1%+13−5
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Academy of Innovation ←2910.3%31.2%−17.40.2%
Hemet Dual Language Academy1.4 mi3213.0%35.3%−12.20.9%
McSweeny Elementary1.1 mi3110.5%28.1%−8.43.2%
Hemet Elementary1.1 mi306.3%18.9%+2.72.6%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20242713#49875.4%24.5%24.8%0.8%-10.9pp
20252916#483710.3%31.2%18.7%0.2%-17.4pp
What we can't show
  • — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female19.1%17.8%-1.3pp
Male20.6%19.9%-0.7pp
Black/African American19.2%23.3%+4.1pp
Hispanic/Latino19.9%17.0%-2.9pp
Two or More Races28.6%17.5%-11.1pp
Students with Disabilities4.8%12.7%+7.9pp
English Learners21.4%22.2%+0.8pp
Homeless36.4%21.4%-15.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged20.5%18.7%-1.8pp
All Students19.8%18.8%-1.0pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction