School Profile · Salinas
North Monterey County Center for Independent Study: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.
North Monterey County Center for Independent Study posts 34% meeting the standard and 11.8% exceeding it, against 35% and 15.5% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.
17500 Pesante Road, 93907·North Monterey County Unified·Salinas·Grades 7-12·96 students·83% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(831) 633-7050
Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.
Scope Score
50
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #856 statewide · #1 of 3 in North Monterey County Unified
North Monterey County Center for Independent Study scores 50 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 51st 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 “34% proficient” and call it done. North Monterey County Center for Independent Study 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.
The story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
34%
State 35%
Graduate
89%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
50%
State 36%
Of 100 students here: 34 are proficient by 11th grade → 89 graduate → 50 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
The 7 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
88.9%
State 87.6%
1.3pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
11.8%
State 15.5%
3.7pp below state avg
College readiness
50.0%
State 35.5%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
33.8%
State 34.6%
0.8pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
32.0%
State 32.1%
0.0pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.3%
State 4.0%
2.8pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
11.1%
State 17.7%
6.6pp 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.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
▼
High School
North Monterey County Center f…
50/100
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.
Chartwell School
Numa Watson Rd · Nonsectarian · Grades 2-12 · 160 students
5:1Private12.1 mi
Palma School
Iverson St · Roman Catholic · Grades 6-12 · 457 students
15:1Private7.7 mi
Notre Dame High School
Palma Dr · Roman Catholic · Grades 9-12 · 177 students
9:1Private7.7 mi
Central Christian School
E Beach St · Presbyterian · Grades 3-12 · 29 students
10:1Private10.5 mi
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic80.2%
White18.8%
Asian1.0%
GenderFemale 45.8%Male 52.1%Non-binary 2.1%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
96
1,354 below CA avg (~1,450)
Free/Reduced Lunch
83%
20pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
24:1
3 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$14,613
District avg: $14,578 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
11.1% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
At North Monterey County Center for Independent Study in Salinas, 30.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 25.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. North Monterey County Center for Independent Study outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (30.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (35.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 3.2 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 30 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · RW+8.0pp
40.0% vs 32.0% overall · n=25
ELA · Low-Income−3.2pp
30.0% vs 33.2% overall · n=30
1 more gap by subject
ELA Exceeded · Low-Income−3.7pp
6.7% vs 10.3% overall · n=30
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income30 tested
ELA 30.0%·Math 30.0%· +4.3pp vs district
Hispanic31 tested
ELA 35.5%·Math 32.3%· +7.4pp 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
$105K
$20K above CA median
Median Home Value
$750K
$91K above CA median
Bachelor's+
23%
12pp 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
19.0 years avg experience
4 teachers
Teacher Credentials
66% fully credentialed
AP Exam Qualifiers
2 students qualified via AP
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
Graduation rate · 25%
88.9%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 52th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
11.8%
↓ vs CA 15.5% · 46th pctile
College readiness · 20%
50.0%
↑ vs CA 35.5% · 58th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
33.8%
↓ vs CA 34.6% · 49th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
32.0%
↑ vs CA 32.1% · 50th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.3%
↑ vs CA 4.0% · 62th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
11.1%
↓ vs CA 17.7% · 48th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 8 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 11 | 34 | 12% | 24% | 26% | 38% | 35% | −12 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 8 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 11 | 34 | 12% | 21% | 9% | 59% | 32% | +9 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 43 | 5% | 14% | 63% | 19% |
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 | 30 | 30.0% | +4 | −8 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 31 | 35.5% | +7 | −3 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Monterey County Center for Independent Study ← | — | 50 | 11.8% | 33.8% | — | 1.3% |
| Central Bay High (Continuation) | 0 mi | 29 | 0.0% | 0.0% | — | 4.4% |
| California average | — | 47 | 15.5% | 34.6% | — | 4.0% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
88.9%
AP Exam Prepared
50.0%
A-G Completion
8.3%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
39.6%
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1050 → #1028 → #1051 → #1091 → #856
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,739 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is North Monterey County Center for Independent Study a good high school?
North Monterey County Center for Independent Study has a Scope Score of 50 out of 100, placing it in the 51st percentile of California high schools and ranked #856 statewide. 11.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 3.7 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 North Monterey County Center for Independent Study's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 33.8% of students at North Monterey County Center for Independent Study met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 11.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 11.8% 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. 68 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does North Monterey County Center for Independent Study rank in California?
North Monterey County Center for Independent Study ranks #856 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 51st 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 North Monterey County Center for Independent Study?
32.0% of students at North Monterey County Center for Independent Study are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 32.1%. The suspension rate is 1.3%, 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 North Monterey County Center for Independent Study compare to other schools in Salinas?
North Monterey County Center for Independent Study scores 50/100 (51st 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 96 students. Use the schools in Salinas page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does North Monterey County Center for Independent Study serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At North Monterey County Center for Independent Study in Salinas, 30.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 25.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. North Monterey County Center for Independent Study outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (30.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (35.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 3.2 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 30 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.