School Profile · La Mesa
Helix High: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.
Helix posts 40.8% exceeding the standard — versus 15.8% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.
7323 University Avenue, 91941 (opens in new tab)·Grossmont Union High·La Mesa·Grades 9-12·2,554 students·65% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(619) 644-1940·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
76
💪 Strong All-Around · Strong
ranked #49 statewide · #1 of 16 in Grossmont Union High
Helix High scores 76 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 98th 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 →
Most rating sites would stop at “76% proficient” and call it done. Helix deserves a closer read. The school sits in La Mesa, where three in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The headline number: 40.8% of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 15.8%.
As a charter, Helix enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.
80.8%
Low-income · ELA · met standard
Helix's most underrated number
80.8% 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.
Helix low-income: 80.8%State low-income: 38.2%
The 4 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
40.8%
State 15.8%
24.9pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
76.3%
State 35.7%
40.6pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
6.0%
State 30.2%
24.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.9%
State 3.6%
1.7pp 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.
Your other options
Nearby High Schools
2 within ~3 mi · avg 33
Crawford High
San Diego Unified · 2.2 mi
Developing
33/100
Mount Miguel High
Grossmont Union High · 2.5 mi
Developing
32/100
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 68
Hearst Elementary
San Diego Unified · 2.3 mi
Strong
72/100
Benchley/Weinberger Elementary
San Diego Unified · 2.7 mi
Solid
68/100
Hardy Elementary
San Diego Unified · 2.5 mi
Solid
64/100
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
Hispanic47.0%
White24.2%
Asian4.8%
Black10.6%
Other13.4%
GenderFemale 49.9%Male 49.8%Non-binary 0.3%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 65.5% (2pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
2,554
1,104 above CA avg (~1,450)
Student-Teacher Ratio
23:1
2 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$15,094
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$60,339 – $126,286
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Helix High in La Mesa, 80.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 43.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Helix High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 37.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (64.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (84.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 45.9 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 426 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · Disabilities−45.9pp
38.3% vs 84.2% overall · n=49
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−36.3pp
10.6% vs 47.0% overall · n=49
Math · Disabilities−45.0pp
23.4% vs 68.4% overall · n=47
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−32.4pp
2.1% vs 34.5% overall · n=47
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income426 tested
ELA 80.8%·Math 64.5%· +37.5pp vs district
Hispanic282 tested
ELA 84.5%·Math 62.1%· +40.2pp vs district
White139 tested
ELA 90.5%·Math 83.3%· +31.6pp 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
$115K
$30K above CA median
Median Home Value
$929K
$270K above CA median
Bachelor's+
47%
12pp above 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
14.6 years avg experience
113 teachers · 6% first-year · 4% second-year
Teacher Credentials
76% fully credentialed
1.0% on intern/emergency permit
AP Courses Offered
11 AP courses
102 students qualified via AP exam
Sources: CDE SARC · CDE College/Career Indicator, 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 · 22%
40.8%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 77th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
76.3%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 79th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
6.0%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 70th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.9%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 58th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 577 | 47% | 37% | 11% | 4% | 84% | +37 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 579 | 35% | 34% | 21% | 10% | 68% | +45 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 573 | 17% | 40% | 39% | 3% |
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 | 426 | 80.8% | +37 | +43 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 282 | 84.5% | +40 | +46 |
| White | 138 | 90.5% | +32 | +29 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helix High ← | — | 76 | 40.8% | 76.3% | — | 1.9% |
| Crawford High | 2.2 mi | 33 | 11.8% | 30.2% | — | 4.8% |
| Mount Miguel High | 2.5 mi | 32 | 8.8% | 27.8% | — | 4.8% |
| California average | — | 44 | 15.8% | 35.7% | — | 3.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
AP Exam Prepared
Not offered
This school may not offer AP courses
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #64 → #82 → #90 → #49 → #49
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Helix High a good high school?
Helix High has a Scope Score of 76 out of 100, placing it in the 98th percentile of California high schools and ranked #49 statewide. 40.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 24.9 percentage points above the California average of 15.8%. 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 Helix High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 76.3% of students at Helix High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 40.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 35.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 40.8% 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. 1,156 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Helix High rank in California?
Helix High ranks #49 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 98th 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 Helix High?
6.0% of students at Helix 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 Helix High compare to other schools in La Mesa?
Helix High scores 76/100 (98th 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 2,554 students. Use the schools in La Mesa page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Helix High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Helix High in La Mesa, 80.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 43.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Helix High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 37.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (64.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (84.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 45.9 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 426 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.