School Profile · Salinas
El Puente: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
El Puente posts low test scores — and suspensions run below the state rate (1.0% vs 4.0%). If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
20 Sherwood Place, 93906·Salinas Union High·Salinas·Grades 7-12·326 students·94% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(831) 796-7700·Website
Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.
Scope Score
22
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,551 statewide · #7 of 7 in Salinas Union High
El Puente scores 22 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 11th percentile of 1,739 California high 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 “18% proficient” and call it done. El Puente deserves a closer read. The school sits in Salinas, 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 story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
18%
State 35%
Graduate
58%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
0%
State 36%
Of 100 students here: 18 are proficient by 11th grade → 58 graduate → 0 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
The 7 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
58.4%
State 87.6%
29.2pp below state avg
Exceeded standard
4.3%
State 15.5%
11.2pp below state avg
College readiness
0.0%
State 35.5%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
18.3%
State 34.6%
16.4pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
59.8%
State 32.1%
27.7pp above state avg
Suspension rate
1.0%
State 4.0%
3.0pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
16.1%
State 17.7%
1.6pp 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.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
No feeder data available for this level
▼
Middle
▼
High School
El Puente
22/100
This school
Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. 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 ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic93.3%
White4.0%
Black0.3%
Other2.5%
GenderFemale 53.4%Male 46.6%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
326
1,124 below CA avg (~1,450)
Free/Reduced Lunch
94%
30pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
17:1
4 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$23,136
District avg: $13,447 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
16.1% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$61,054 – $143,305
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At El Puente in Salinas, 33.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. El Puente trails its district average for low-income students by 7.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (1.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (34.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 37.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 97 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · English Learner+15.8pp
75.6% vs 59.8% overall · n=90
Suspension · RW+3.5pp
4.5% vs 1.0% overall · n=22
ELA · English Learner−37.4pp
0.0% vs 37.4% overall · n=16
1 more gap by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−8.9pp
0.0% vs 8.9% overall · n=16
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income97 tested
ELA 33.0%·Math 1.0%· -7.5pp vs district
Hispanic94 tested
ELA 34.0%·Math 1.1%· -6.6pp vs district
English Learner16 tested
ELA 0.0%·Math 0.0%· -3.5pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$98K
$13K above CA median
Median Home Value
$639K
$21K below CA median
Bachelor's+
18%
17pp 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
13.5 years avg experience
28 teachers · 4% first-year
Teacher Credentials
63% 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 nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
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%
58.4%
↓ vs CA 87.6% · 15th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
4.3%
↓ vs CA 15.5% · 38th pctile
College readiness · 20%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 35.5% · 29th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
18.3%
↓ vs CA 34.6% · 39th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
59.8%
↓ vs CA 32.1% · 28th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.0%
↑ vs CA 4.0% · 63th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
16.1%
↓ vs CA 17.7% · 68th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 8 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 11 | 104 | 9% | 27% | 42% | 22% | 36% | −12 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 8 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 11 | 104 | 0% | 1% | 12% | 88% | 1% | −22 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 63 | 2% | 16% | 65% | 17% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 97 | 33.0% | −7 | −5 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 94 | 34.0% | −7 | −5 |
| English Learners | 16 | 0.0% | −3 | −10 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Puente ← | — | 22 | 4.3% | 18.3% | — | 1.0% |
| Salinas High | 1.5 mi | 61 | 23.7% | 51.6% | — | 2.8% |
| North Salinas High | 1.3 mi | 52 | 10.9% | 32.6% | — | 2.1% |
| Everett Alvarez High | 2.2 mi | 50 | 9.9% | 31.3% | — | 4.7% |
| California average | — | 47 | 15.5% | 34.6% | — | 4.0% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
58.4%
AP Exam Prepared
Not offered
This school may not offer AP courses
A-G Completion
0.0%
This school may not offer A-G courses
College-Going Rate
41.7%
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1393 → #1412 → #1450 → #1394 → #1551
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,739 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Frequently asked questions
Is El Puente a good high school?
El Puente has a Scope Score of 22 out of 100, placing it in the 11th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,551 statewide. 4.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 11.2 percentage points below the California average of 15.5%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for high 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 El Puente's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 18.3% of students at El Puente met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 4.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 13.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 4.3% 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. 208 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does El Puente rank in California?
El Puente ranks #1,551 among California high 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), 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 El Puente?
59.8% of students at El Puente are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 32.1%. The suspension rate is 1.0%, 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 El Puente compare to other schools in Salinas?
El Puente scores 22/100 (11th 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 326 students. Use the schools in Salinas page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does El Puente serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At El Puente in Salinas, 33.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. El Puente trails its district average for low-income students by 7.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (1.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (34.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 37.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 97 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.