School Profile · Temecula
Empire Springs Charter: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.
Empire Springs Charter posts 32% meeting the standard and 13.5% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.
27740 Jefferson Avenue, 92590 (opens in new tab)·Helendale Elementary·Temecula·Grades K-12·1,854 students·61% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(951) 252-8800·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
39
🤝 Culture First · Developing
ranked #3,094 statewide · #4 of 5 in Helendale Elementary
Empire Springs Charter scores 39 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 46th 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 →
Most rating sites would stop at “32% proficient” and call it done. Empire Springs Charter deserves a closer read. The school sits in Temecula, where three in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The headline number: 5.2% chronic absenteeism — versus 17.9% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.
As a charter, Empire Springs Charter enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.
The story this school is actually telling
The school, grade by grade
ELA · CAASPP 2024–25Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.
19%
13%
68%
Grade 3 · 32% proficient
17%
21%
62%
Grade 4 · 38% proficient
17%
27%
56%
Grade 5 · 44% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding falls 2.1pp across grades; the floor rises 11.3pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.
The 5 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
13.5%
State 21.3%
7.8pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
32.2%
State 42.7%
10.4pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-0.4pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
5.2%
State 17.9%
12.7pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.1%
State 1.6%
1.6pp 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.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
Estimated K-12 Path
Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Planning ahead? 5 licensed preschools near this school →
Your other options
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 54
Ysabel Barnett Elementary
Temecula Valley Unified · 2.1 mi
Solid
56/100
Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary
Murrieta Valley Unified · 2.6 mi
Solid
53/100
Temecula International Academy
Riverside County Office of Education · 3 mi
Solid
53/100
Nearby Middle Schools
2 within ~3 mi · avg 45
James L. Day Middle
Temecula Valley Unified · 1.3 mi
Solid
53/100
Margarita Middle
Temecula Valley Unified · 1.8 mi
Developing
36/100
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
Hispanic53.3%
White29.5%
Asian2.0%
Black7.0%
Other8.3%
GenderFemale 50.4%Male 49.6%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 60.6% (3pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
1,854
654 above 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
28:1
7 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$11,199
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$52,126 – $135,696
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Empire Springs Charter in Temecula, 36.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Empire Springs Charter outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (26.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (41.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 29.8 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 602 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · Disabilities−29.8pp
15.8% vs 45.6% overall · n=129
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−11.9pp
6.1% vs 18.0% overall · n=129
Math · Disabilities−24.5pp
6.5% vs 31.0% overall · n=128
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−11.2pp
3.1% vs 14.3% overall · n=128
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income602 tested
ELA 36.7%·Math 26.2%· +6.9pp vs district
Hispanic550 tested
ELA 41.8%·Math 26.6%· +8.0pp vs district
White314 tested
ELA 49.0%·Math 35.4%· +4.9pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.
Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 21.3pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: -3.6pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$85K
$253 above CA median
Median Home Value
$1.46M
$802K above CA median
Bachelor's+
32%
3pp 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
12.6 years avg experience
131 teachers · 3% first-year · 3% second-year
Teacher Credentials
86% 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
Exceeded standard · 43%
13.5%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 42th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
32.2%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 42th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
-0.4pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 44th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
5.2%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 71th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.1%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 63th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 141 | 19% | 13% | 23% | 45% | 33% | −11 |
| Grade 4 | 126 | 17% | 21% | 23% | 40% | 37% | −8 |
| Grade 5 | 123 | 17% | 27% | 20% | 36% | 44% | −4 |
| Grade 6 | 174 | 10% | 30% | 30% | 30% | 40% | −7 |
| Grade 7 | 190 | 20% | 35% | 22% | 24% | 55% | +7 |
| Grade 8 | 189 | 17% | 33% | 27% | 23% | 50% | +4 |
| Grade 11 | 100 | 27% | 34% | 22% | 17% | 61% | +14 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 141 | 12% | 21% | 21% | 46% | 33% | −12 |
| Grade 4 | 125 | 9% | 16% | 38% | 38% | 25% | −17 |
| Grade 5 | 122 | 7% | 14% | 24% | 55% | 21% | −14 |
| Grade 6 | 174 | 15% | 18% | 24% | 43% | 33% | −2 |
| Grade 7 | 189 | 24% | 16% | 20% | 40% | 40% | +6 |
| Grade 8 | 188 | 18% | 12% | 24% | 46% | 30% | −2 |
| Grade 11 | 100 | 14% | 20% | 23% | 43% | 34% | +11 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 420 | 9% | 25% | 51% | 15% |
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 | 602 | 36.7% | +7 | −2 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 550 | 41.8% | +8 | +3 |
| White | 314 | 49.0% | +5 | −13 |
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Springs Charter ← | — | 39 | 13.5% | 32.2% | −0.4 | 0.1% |
| Ysabel Barnett Elementary | 2.1 mi | 56 | 33.0% | 61.7% | −3.0 | 2.3% |
| Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary | 2.6 mi | 53 | 26.0% | 54.0% | +5.0 | 2.2% |
| Temecula International Academy | 3 mi | 53 | 28.6% | 59.2% | +22.3 | 0.2% |
| California average | — | 43 | 21.3% | 42.7% | −2.9 | 1.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #3247 → #2428 → #2710 → #2790 → #3094
What we can't show
- — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary 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 Empire Springs Charter a good elementary school?
Empire Springs Charter has a Scope Score of 39 out of 100, placing it in the 46th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,094 statewide. 13.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 7.8 percentage points below the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary 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 Empire Springs Charter's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 32.2% of students at Empire Springs Charter met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 13.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 18.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 13.5% 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. 778 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Empire Springs Charter rank in California?
Empire Springs Charter ranks #3,094 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 46th 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 Empire Springs Charter getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Empire Springs Charter decreases by 0.4 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 Empire Springs Charter?
5.2% of students at Empire Springs Charter are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.1%, 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 Empire Springs Charter compare to other schools in Temecula?
Empire Springs Charter scores 39/100 (46th 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 1,854 students. Use the schools in Temecula page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Empire Springs Charter serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Empire Springs Charter in Temecula, 36.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Empire Springs Charter outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (26.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (41.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 29.8 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 602 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.