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Imperial High · Imperial

Imperial High: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Imperial posts 42% meeting the standard against 36% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

517 West Barioni Boulevard, 92251 (opens in new tab)·Imperial Unified·Imperial·Grades 9-12·1,439 students·47% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 355-3220·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4944
% Exceeded15%16%
% Met+42%36%
Grad rate97.6%87.6%
College readiness26.7%35.4%
Absence20.8%30.2%
Suspension3.7%3.6%
Scope Score
49
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #816 statewide

Imperial 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.

Most rating sites would stop at “42% proficient” and call it done. Imperial deserves a closer read. The school sits in Imperial, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Imperial's low-income kids hit 57.0% 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
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 42% meet the standard today, versus 56% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1175%65%67%63%60%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1136%27%24%21%24%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
42%
State 36%
Graduate
98%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
27%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 42 are proficient by 11th grade → 98 graduate → 27 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

57.0%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Imperial's most underrated number

57.0% 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.

Imperial low-income: 57.0%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
97.6%
State 87.6%
10.0pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
15.5%
State 15.8%
0.4pp below state avg
College readiness
26.7%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
42.3%
State 35.7%
6.6pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
20.8%
State 30.2%
9.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.7%
State 3.6%
0.1pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
34.9%
State 18.0%
16.9pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

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

How every group of students does here

At Imperial High in Imperial, 57.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 46.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Imperial High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 10.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (20.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (58.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 47.0 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 149 students tested.

All students at this school: 42% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 42%, district —, state 36%42%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 40%, district 44%, state 32%40% · −3 vs school
MaleMale: this school 43%, district 46%, state 42%43% · +0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 42%, district 43%, state 44%42% · −1 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 38%, district 38%, state 32%38% · −4 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 12%, district 15%, state 15%12% · −30 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 60%, district 55%, state 56%60% · +18 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 38%, district 35%, state 22%38% · −5 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 10%, district 21%, state 11%10% · −32 vs school
AsianAsian: too few students to report‹11
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: too few students to report‹11
FilipinoFilipino: 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 20.8%, district 18.4%, state 30.2%20.8% · −9.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.7%, district —, state 3.6%3.7% · +0.1pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1220.3%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

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 staff64 teachers
Avg. experience13.0 years
Fully credentialed76%
First-year teachers5%
Intern / emergency permit3.5%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$72,916 – $149,089
Principal salary$170,079 – $183,493
Superintendent salary$261,541

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered14
AP exam qualifiers46 students
CTE pathway completers78 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,868, CA average $14,815$18,868 · spent at this school
Federal share$120 per student

$120 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$16,995 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
Instruction67%
Instruction support7%
Student services11%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance9%
Other1%

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$11,903 per pupil
2019$11,286 per pupil
2018$11,762 per pupil
2017$10,778 per pupil
2016$10,475 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic88.8%
District 90.7% · CA 56.1%
White8.1%
District 7.1% · CA 19.9%
Other1.6%
District 1.4% · CA 9.0%
Black0.8%
District 0.4% · CA 4.8%
Asian0.6%
District 0.5% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 47.0% (17pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$91K · CA $85K
Median home value$369K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+18% · CA 35%
ZIP population27,454
Median age34 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 39% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Imperial High a good high school?

Imperial High has a Scope Score of 49 out of 100, placing it in the 62nd percentile of California high schools and ranked #816 statewide. 15.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near 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 Imperial High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 42.3% of students at Imperial High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 15.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 26.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 15.5% 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. 667 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Imperial High rank in California?

Imperial High ranks #816 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 Imperial High?

20.8% of students at Imperial 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 3.7%. 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 Imperial High compare to other schools in Imperial?

Imperial 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 1,439 students. Use the schools in Imperial page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Imperial High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Imperial High in Imperial, 57.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 46.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Imperial High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 10.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (20.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (58.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 47.0 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 149 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

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%
97.6%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 62th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
15.5%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 50th pctile
College readiness · 20%
26.7%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 45th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
42.3%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 55th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
20.8%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 58th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.7%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 50th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
34.9%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 80th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1133323%37%18%22%60%+13
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 113347%17%29%47%24%+1
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/113389%30%56%5%

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 Disadvantaged14957.0%+11+19
Hispanic/Latino29458.5%+7+20
Students with Disabilities3724.3%+6+7
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Imperial High ←4915.5%42.3%3.7%
Imperial Ave. Holbrook High0.4 mi2418.2%27.3%7.7%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
97.6%
AP Exam Prepared
26.7%
A-G Completion
43.9%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
80.1%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195570#61224.8%55.5%6.7%8.5%
20224965#74016.3%45.6%29.1%3.2%
20235067#70019.9%45.3%23.7%3.4%
20244862#81415.7%41.7%17.0%4.2%
20254962#81615.5%42.3%20.8%3.7%
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
Female5.2%22.9%+17.7pp
Male6.1%17.9%+11.8pp
Asian0.0%
Black/African American0.0%15.4%+15.4pp
White0.0%15.4%+15.4pp
Hispanic/Latino5.6%20.5%+14.9pp
Two or More Races5.6%
Students with Disabilities18.5%27.7%+9.2pp
English Learners6.6%21.9%+15.3pp
Homeless7.0%28.0%+21.0pp
Military-Connected11.8%26.1%+14.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged7.0%24.1%+17.1pp
All Students5.7%20.3%+14.6pp
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