ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in
School Profile · Escondido

Altus Schools North County: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Altus Schools North County posts low test scores — and suspensions run below the state rate (1.4% vs 3.7%). If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

200 East Via Rancho Parkway, 92025 (opens in new tab)·Escondido Union High·Escondido·Grades 6-12·149 students·77% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(858) 678-2050·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
21
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,990 statewide

Altus Schools North County scores 21 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 11th percentile of 2,238 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

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

Most rating sites would stop at “13% proficient” and call it done. Altus Schools North County deserves a closer read. The school sits in Escondido, where three in four 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.

As a charter, Altus Schools North County enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.

The 4 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
4.2%
State 16.8%
12.7pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
12.5%
State 39.3%
26.8pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
22.3%
State 18.5%
3.8pp above state avg
Suspension rate
1.4%
State 3.7%
2.3pp 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.

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

Estimated K-12 Path
Middle
Altus Schools North Count…
21
This school

Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

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.

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic75.8%
White15.4%
Asian0.7%
Black2.0%
Other6.0%
GenderFemale 51.0%Male 47.6%Non-binary 1.3%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 76.5% (13pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
149
1,051 below CA avg (~1,200)
Transitional Kindergarten
TK status unconfirmed
No TK enrollment is on file with the state for this school — that isn't the same as “no TK.” Confirm directly with the district.
Student-Teacher Ratio
37:1
16 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$15,874
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$64,175 – $137,909
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 54%Support 42%Other 5%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$81K
$4K below CA median
Median Home Value
$828K
$169K above CA median
Bachelor's+
29%
6pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
9.4 years avg experience
5 teachers · 20% second-year
Teacher Credentials
12% fully credentialed

Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25

Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
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 · 43%
4.2%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 36th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
12.5%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 29th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
22.3%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 45th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.4%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 59th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 68
Grade 7120%25%33%42%25%−23
Grade 8128%0%33%58%8%−38
Grade 111619%56%19%6%75%+28
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 68
Grade 7120%8%8%83%8%−26
Grade 8128%0%17%75%8%−24
Grade 111613%0%19%69%13%−11
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11462%17%74%7%

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

03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Altus Schools North County ←214.2%12.5%1.4%
Bear Valley Middle1 mi3917.3%40.7%−1.62.8%
Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences3.5 mi299.1%26.2%−0.69.0%
California average4016.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
13%21%'19'22'23'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1971 → #1266 → #1521 → #1990
What we can't show
  • — Growth data isn't available — the state needs matched grades across years to compute it.
  • — Subgroup results are suppressed for small student counts (fewer than 15 tested), following CDE privacy rules.
  • — Scored here as a middle school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

Frequently asked questions

Is Altus Schools North County a good middle school?
Altus Schools North County has a Scope Score of 21 out of 100, placing it in the 11th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,990 statewide. 4.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 12.7 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Altus Schools North County's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 12.5% of students at Altus Schools North County met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 4.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 8.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 4.2% 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. 48 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Altus Schools North County rank in California?
Altus Schools North County ranks #1,990 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 11th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 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.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Altus Schools North County?
22.3% of students at Altus Schools North County are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 1.4%, 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 Altus Schools North County compare to other schools in Escondido?
Altus Schools North County scores 21/100 (11th percentile) among California middle 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 149 students. Use the schools in Escondido page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.