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Central Union High · El Centro

Central Union High: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Central Union posts 34% meeting the standard and 11.4% exceeding it, against 36% and 15.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

1001 Brighton Avenue, 92243 (opens in new tab)·Central Union High·El Centro·Grades 9-12·2,006 students·73% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 336-4300·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4844
% Exceeded11%16%
% Met+34%36%
Grad rate98.5%87.6%
College readiness39.7%35.4%
Absence12.0%30.2%
Suspension1.9%3.6%
Scope Score
48
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #896 statewide · #1 of 3 in Central Union High

Central Union High scores 48 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 59th 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 “34% proficient” and call it done. Central Union deserves a closer read. The school sits in El Centro, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 12.0% chronic absenteeism — versus 30.2% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 59th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELARed(Declined Significantly)MathYellow(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 34% meet the standard today, versus 42% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1163%58%58%61%48%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1121%18%18%24%19%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
34%
State 36%
Graduate
99%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
40%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 34 are proficient by 11th grade → 99 graduate → 40 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
98.5%
State 87.6%
10.9pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
11.4%
State 15.8%
4.5pp below state avg
College readiness
39.7%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
33.9%
State 35.7%
1.9pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
12.0%
State 30.2%
18.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.9%
State 3.6%
1.8pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
16.8%
State 18.0%
1.1pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • 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.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Central Union High in El Centro, 43.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 43.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Central Union High trails its district average for low-income students by 0.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (16.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (47.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 43.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 309 students tested.

All students at this school: 34% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 34%, district —, state 36%34%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 33%, district 33%, state 32%33% · −1 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 30%, district 29%, state 32%30% · −4 vs school
MaleMale: this school 33%, district 31%, state 42%33% · −0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 34%, district 36%, state 44%34% · +0 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 3%, district 3%, state 11%3% · −31 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 5%, district 8%, state 15%5% · −28 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 26%, district 28%, state 22%26% · −7 vs school
WhiteWhite: too few students to report‹11
AsianAsian: too few students to report‹11
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: too few students to report‹11
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: too few students to report‹11
this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 12.0%, district 29.7%, state 30.2%12.0% · −18.2pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.9%, district —, state 3.6%1.9% · −1.8pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1211.3%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 21:1, district 20:121:1
Teaching staff98 teachers
Avg. experience13.8 years
Fully credentialed84%
First-year teachers5%
Intern / emergency permit2.7%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$70,961 – $163,382
Principal salary$0 – $203,460
Superintendent salary$227,678

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered28
AP exam qualifiers119 students
CTE pathway completers188 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,850, CA average $14,815$19,850 · spent at this school
Federal share$837 per student

$837 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,691 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
Instruction59%
Instruction support11%
Student services10%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance12%
Other2%

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$14,577 per pupil
2019$13,337 per pupil
2018$13,804 per pupil
2017$12,429 per pupil
2016$11,768 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic96.3%
District 95.9% · CA 56.1%
White2.0%
District 2.5% · CA 19.9%
Black0.9%
District 0.7% · CA 4.8%
Other0.4%
District 0.3% · CA 9.0%
Asian0.3%
District 0.6% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 72.6% (9pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$55K · CA $85K
Median home value$318K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+15% · CA 35%
ZIP population49,069
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), 24% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Central Union High a good high school?

Central Union High has a Scope Score of 48 out of 100, placing it in the 59th percentile of California high schools and ranked #896 statewide. 11.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 4.5 percentage points below 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 Central Union High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 33.9% of students at Central Union High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 11.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 11.4% 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. 863 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Central Union High rank in California?

Central Union High ranks #896 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 59th 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 Central Union High?

12.0% of students at Central 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 1.9%, 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 Central Union High compare to other schools in El Centro?

Central Union High scores 48/100 (59th 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 2,006 students. Use the schools in El Centro page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At Central Union High in El Centro, 43.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 43.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Central Union High trails its district average for low-income students by 0.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (16.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (47.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 43.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 309 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 El Centro →

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%
98.5%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 63th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
11.4%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 45th pctile
College readiness · 20%
39.7%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 52th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
33.9%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 49th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
12.0%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 65th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.9%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 58th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
16.8%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 51th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1143117%32%26%26%48%+1
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 114326%13%30%51%19%−4
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/114384%20%66%10%

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 Disadvantaged30943.7%−0+5
Hispanic/Latino41647.6%−0+9
English Learners785.1%−1−5
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Central Union High ←—4811.4%33.9%—1.9%
Southwest High1.2 mi4614.7%37.0%—2.8%
Desert Oasis High (Continuation)0.9 mi240.7%11.0%—4.4%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
98.5%
AP Exam Prepared
39.7%
A-G Completion
45.2%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
75.8%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195264#72814.5%42.1%10.4%3.5%—
20225068#67216.3%37.9%27.1%2.6%—
20235068#68415.1%38.3%16.4%2.3%—
20245270#63716.0%42.6%13.8%1.7%—
20254859#89611.4%33.9%12.0%1.9%—
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
Female9.1%12.8%+3.7pp
Male10.3%9.9%-0.4pp
Black/African American13.3%10.5%-2.8pp
Hispanic/Latino9.6%11.3%+1.7pp
Students with Disabilities16.3%21.2%+4.9pp
English Learners12.1%13.6%+1.5pp
Foster Youth41.2%——
Homeless16.2%22.0%+5.8pp
Military-Connected10.3%13.2%+2.9pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged11.3%12.7%+1.4pp
All Students9.8%11.3%+1.5pp
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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