School Profile · Salinas
North Salinas High: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.
North Salinas posts 33% meeting the standard and 10.9% exceeding it, against 35% and 15.5% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.
55 Kip Drive, 93906·Salinas Union High·Salinas·Grades 9-12·2,106 students·93% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(831) 796-7500
Scope Score
52
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #745 statewide · #4 of 7 in Salinas Union High
North Salinas High scores 52 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 57th 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 “33% proficient” and call it done. North Salinas 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 headline number: 15.5% chronic absenteeism — versus 32.1% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.
The story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
33%
State 35%
Graduate
91%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
57%
State 36%
Of 100 students here: 33 are proficient by 11th grade → 91 graduate → 57 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
The 7 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
91.2%
State 87.6%
3.6pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
10.9%
State 15.5%
4.6pp below state avg
College readiness
57.0%
State 35.5%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
32.6%
State 34.6%
2.0pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
15.5%
State 32.1%
16.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.1%
State 4.0%
2.0pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
16.5%
State 17.7%
1.2pp 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
No feeder data available for this level
▼
High School
North Salinas High
52/100
This school
Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.
Your other options
Nearby High Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 56
Salinas High
Salinas Union High · 2.8 mi
Solid
61/100
Rancho San Juan High
Salinas Union High · 1.8 mi
Solid
57/100
Everett Alvarez High
Salinas Union High · 1.5 mi
Solid
50/100
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 39
Boronda Elementary
Salinas City Elementary · 1.8 mi
Developing
42/100
Alisal Community
Alisal Union · 2.7 mi
Developing
38/100
La Joya Elementary
Santa Rita Union Elementary · 2.1 mi
Developing
37/100
Nearby Middle Schools
2 within ~3 mi · avg 31
John Gutierrez Middle
Santa Rita Union Elementary · 1.9 mi
Developing
32/100
Gavilan View Middle
Santa Rita Union Elementary · 1.9 mi
Needs Support
30/100
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
Hispanic92.0%
White2.5%
Asian0.8%
Black0.6%
Other4.1%
GenderFemale 47.9%Male 51.9%Non-binary 0.2%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
2,106
656 above CA avg (~1,450)
Free/Reduced Lunch
93%
30pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
20:1
1 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$17,719
District avg: $13,447 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
16.5% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$61,054 – $143,305
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At North Salinas High in Salinas, 47.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. North Salinas High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (17.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (46.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 44.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 497 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Homeless+11.3pp
26.8% vs 15.5% overall · n=168
ELA · English Learner−44.6pp
3.1% vs 47.8% overall · n=64
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−16.6pp
0.0% vs 16.6% overall · n=40
Math · Disabilities−14.9pp
2.5% vs 17.4% overall · n=40
Math Exceeded · White−5.2pp
0.0% vs 5.2% overall · n=17
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income497 tested
ELA 47.1%·Math 17.2%· +6.6pp vs district
Hispanic476 tested
ELA 46.9%·Math 16.7%· +6.2pp vs district
English Learner65 tested
ELA 3.1%·Math 4.6%· -0.3pp 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
$94K
$9K above CA median
Median Home Value
$569K
$91K below CA median
Bachelor's+
17%
18pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2022) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
10.8 years avg experience
116 teachers · 2% first-year · 11% second-year
Teacher Credentials
77% fully credentialed
1.9% on intern/emergency permit
AP Courses Offered
20 AP courses
158 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
Graduation rate · 25%
91.2%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 54th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
10.9%
↓ vs CA 15.5% · 45th pctile
College readiness · 20%
57.0%
↑ vs CA 35.5% · 62th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
32.6%
↓ vs CA 34.6% · 49th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
15.5%
↑ vs CA 32.1% · 63th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.1%
↑ vs CA 4.0% · 59th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
16.5%
↓ vs CA 17.7% · 48th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 519 | 17% | 31% | 27% | 25% | 48% | +1 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 517 | 5% | 12% | 21% | 61% | 17% | −6 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 483 | 1% | 16% | 76% | 8% |
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 | 497 | 47.1% | +7 | +9 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 476 | 46.9% | +6 | +8 |
| English Learners | 64 | 3.1% | −0 | −7 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Salinas High ← | — | 52 | 10.9% | 32.6% | — | 2.1% |
| Salinas High | 2.8 mi | 61 | 23.7% | 51.6% | — | 2.8% |
| Rancho San Juan High | 1.8 mi | 57 | 14.5% | 38.4% | — | 1.7% |
| Everett Alvarez High | 1.5 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
91.2%
AP Exam Prepared
57.0%
A-G Completion
46.6%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
73.1%
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #809 → #915 → #836 → #858 → #745
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 Salinas High a good high school?
North Salinas High has a Scope Score of 52 out of 100, placing it in the 57th percentile of California high schools and ranked #745 statewide. 10.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 4.6 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 Salinas High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 32.6% of students at North Salinas High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 10.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 21.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 10.9% 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. 1,036 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does North Salinas High rank in California?
North Salinas High ranks #745 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 57th 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 Salinas High?
15.5% of students at North Salinas High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 32.1%. The suspension rate is 2.1%. 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 Salinas High compare to other schools in Salinas?
North Salinas High scores 52/100 (57th 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 2,106 students. Use the schools in Salinas page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does North Salinas High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At North Salinas High in Salinas, 47.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. North Salinas High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (17.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (46.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 44.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 497 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.