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Brawley Union High · Brawley

Brawley Union High: 46% of kids clear the bar — ahead of the state's 36%. But suspensions run 2× the state rate.

Brawley Union posts 46% meeting the standard, against 36% across the state. The number below is the one to ask about on a visit.

480 North Imperial Avenue, 92227 (opens in new tab)·Brawley Union High·Brawley·Grades 9-12·1,863 students·71% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 312-6073·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4944
% Exceeded19%16%
% Met+46%36%
Grad rate98.0%87.6%
College readiness37.7%35.4%
Absence20.5%30.2%
Suspension7.3%3.6%
Scope Score
49
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #818 statewide

Brawley Union High scores 49 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 62nd percentile of 2,160 California high 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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “46% proficient” and call it done. Brawley Union deserves a closer read. The school sits in Brawley, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Brawley Union's low-income kids hit 59.8% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 62nd percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 46% meet the standard today, versus 51% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1163%57%53%61%65%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1138%18%18%23%27%

The story this school is actually telling

The floor · met or exceeded
46.0%

of students met or exceeded the standard, versus 35.7% statewide.

↑ what most “best schools” lists are measuring
The catch · suspensions
7.3%

of students were suspended, versus 3.6% statewide — a school visit will tell you more than this number.

↓ the part no ranking site shows you
Proficient by 11th grade
46%
State 36%
Graduate
98%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
38%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 46 are proficient by 11th grade → 98 graduate → 38 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

59.8%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Brawley Union's most underrated number

59.8% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.

Brawley Union low-income: 59.8%State low-income: 38.2%Brawley Union EL: 25.6%State EL: 10.4%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
98.0%
State 87.6%
10.4pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
18.6%
State 15.8%
2.8pp above state avg
College readiness
37.7%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
46.0%
State 35.7%
10.3pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
20.5%
State 30.2%
9.7pp below state avg
Suspension rate
7.3%
State 3.6%
3.6pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
12.1%
State 18.0%
5.8pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask about the discipline philosophy and what a typical suspension is for. Numbers can't tell you whether a campus feels strict or chaotic — a visit can.

  • Ask what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • Ask what share of students complete the full college-prep course sequence, and who gets steered into it.
  • 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.

How every group of students does here

At Brawley Union High in Brawley, 59.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 51.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Brawley Union High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 8.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (23.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (63.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 50.3 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 271 students tested.

All students at this school: 46% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 46%, district —, state 36%46%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 45%, district 39%, state 32%45% · −1 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 42%, district 36%, state 32%42% · −4 vs school
MaleMale: this school 45%, district 38%, state 42%45% · −1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 46%, district 42%, state 44%46% · +1 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 15%, district 13%, state 11%15% · −31 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 10%, district 9%, state 15%10% · −36 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 56%, district 56%, state 56%56% · +10 vs school

6 of 14 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 20.5%, district 46.9%, state 30.2%20.5% · −9.7pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 7.3%, district —, state 3.6%7.3% · +3.6pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1220.1%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 23:1, district 23:123:1
Teaching staff82 teachers
Avg. experience15.4 years
Fully credentialed83%
First-year teachers10%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$71,660 – $162,343
Principal salary$0 – $176,792
Superintendent salary$233,999

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered19
AP exam qualifiers80 students
CTE pathway completers98 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,623, CA average $14,815$19,623 · spent at this school
Federal share$563 per student

$563 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,316 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
Instruction58%
Instruction support6%
Student services15%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance12%
Other3%

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$13,634 per pupil
2019$13,614 per pupil
2018$14,081 per pupil
2017$13,395 per pupil
2016$12,616 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic93.5%
District 94.0% · CA 56.1%
White3.3%
District 3.0% · CA 19.9%
Other1.9%
District 1.7% · CA 9.0%
Black0.8%
District 0.7% · CA 4.8%
Asian0.6%
District 0.5% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 70.7% (7pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$59K · CA $85K
Median home value$292K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+16% · CA 35%
ZIP population28,315
Median age31 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 33% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Brawley Union High a good high school?

Brawley Union High has a Scope Score of 49 out of 100, placing it in the 62nd percentile of California high schools and ranked #818 statewide. 18.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 2.8 percentage points above the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights 7 dimensions for high schools: graduation rate (25%), exceeded standard (22%), college/career readiness (20%), met or exceeded (proficient) (18%), 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 Brawley Union High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 46.0% of students at Brawley Union High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 18.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 18.6% 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. 805 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Brawley Union High rank in California?

Brawley Union High ranks #818 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 62nd percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), 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 Brawley Union High?

20.5% of students at Brawley Union High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 7.3%. 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 Brawley Union High compare to other schools in Brawley?

Brawley Union High scores 49/100 (62nd percentile) among California high 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 1,863 students. Use the schools in Brawley page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Brawley Union High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Brawley Union High in Brawley, 59.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 51.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Brawley Union High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 8.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (23.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (63.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 50.3 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 271 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

All schools in Brawley →

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
Graduation rate · 25%
98.0%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 62th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
18.6%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 53th pctile
College readiness · 20%
37.7%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 51th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
46.0%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 57th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
20.5%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 58th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
7.3%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 34th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
12.1%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 43th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1140226%39%18%17%65%+18
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1140311%16%22%52%27%+3
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/114045%28%63%4%

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 Disadvantaged27159.8%+9+22
Hispanic/Latino37863.5%+9+25
English Learners7825.6%+6+15
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Brawley Union High ←—4918.6%46.0%—7.3%
Desert Valley High (Continuation)0.4 mi202.7%15.5%—8.6%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
98.0%
AP Exam Prepared
37.7%
A-G Completion
47.0%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
75.0%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195468#65420.2%50.8%10.6%8.7%—
20224761#82014.0%37.6%23.5%8.4%—
20234655#96512.0%35.5%24.0%10.4%—
20244963#79315.3%41.9%21.3%7.8%—
20254962#81818.6%46.0%20.5%7.3%—
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female10.3%22.3%+12.0pp
Male9.4%18.1%+8.7pp
Black/African American26.3%56.3%+30.0pp
Hispanic/Latino9.9%20.3%+10.4pp
Students with Disabilities18.7%33.6%+14.9pp
English Learners16.2%24.6%+8.4pp
Foster Youth15.4%36.4%+21.0pp
Homeless28.6%——
Military-Connected11.3%18.6%+7.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged11.3%23.6%+12.3pp
All Students9.9%20.1%+10.2pp
Asian—0.0%—
Filipino—21.1%—
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high 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

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