School Profile · Lake Elsinore
Ortega High: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Ortega posts low test scores — and suspensions run below the state rate (2.6% vs 3.6%). If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
520 Chaney Street, Building 100, 92530 (opens in new tab)·Lake Elsinore Unified·Lake Elsinore·Grades 9-12·463 students·90% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(951) 253-7065
Continuation school — a small alternative high school designed for students at risk of not graduating. Focuses on credit recovery and flexible scheduling. Test scores and college-readiness rates are not directly comparable to comprehensive high schools.
Scope Score
29
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,696 statewide · #5 of 5 in Lake Elsinore Unified
Ortega High scores 29 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 21st 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 “4% proficient” and call it done. Ortega deserves a closer read. The school sits in Lake Elsinore, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.
The story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
4%
State 36%
Graduate
97%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
0%
State 35%
Of 100 students here: 4 are proficient by 11th grade → 97 graduate → 0 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
The 7 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
96.7%
State 87.6%
9.1pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
0.7%
State 15.8%
15.2pp below state avg
College readiness
0.0%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
4.1%
State 35.7%
31.6pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
61.9%
State 30.2%
31.8pp above state avg
Suspension rate
2.6%
State 3.6%
1.1pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
6.9%
State 18.0%
11.1pp below state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
▼
Middle
▼
High School
Ortega High
29/100
This school
Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Your other options
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 34
Keith McCarthy Academy
Lake Elsinore Unified · 0.2 mi
Developing
37/100
Earl Warren Elementary
Lake Elsinore Unified · 1.7 mi
Developing
36/100
Railroad Canyon Elementary
Lake Elsinore Unified · 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
Hispanic72.6%
White16.4%
Asian1.3%
Black5.0%
Other4.8%
GenderFemale 37.4%Male 62.6%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 90.3% (26pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
463
987 below CA avg (~1,450)
Student-Teacher Ratio
19:1
2 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$20,174
District avg: $13,540 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
6.9% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$57,705 – $139,342
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Ortega High in Lake Elsinore, 6.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 33.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Ortega High trails its district average for low-income students by 26.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (0.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (4.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 7.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 204 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Black+14.0pp
75.9% vs 61.9% overall · n=29
ELA · Disabilities−7.7pp
0.0% vs 7.7% 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-Income204 tested
ELA 6.9%·Math 0.0%· -26.7pp vs district
Hispanic183 tested
ELA 4.9%·Math 0.0%· -28.6pp vs district
English Learner32 tested
ELA 0.0%·Math 0.0%· -4.3pp 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
$87K
$2K above CA median
Median Home Value
$502K
$157K below CA median
Bachelor's+
17%
18pp 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
17.0 years avg experience
27 teachers
Teacher Credentials
64% fully credentialed
CTE Pathway Completers
3 completed a career pathway
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 →
Frequently asked questions
Is Ortega High a good high school?
Ortega High has a Scope Score of 29 out of 100, placing it in the 21st percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,696 statewide. 0.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 15.2 percentage points below 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 Ortega High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 4.1% of students at Ortega High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 0.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 3.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 0.7% 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. 466 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Ortega High rank in California?
Ortega High ranks #1,696 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 21st 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 Ortega High?
61.9% of students at Ortega High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 2.6%. 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 Ortega High compare to other schools in Lake Elsinore?
Ortega High scores 29/100 (21st 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 463 students. Use the schools in Lake Elsinore page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Ortega High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Ortega High in Lake Elsinore, 6.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 33.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Ortega High trails its district average for low-income students by 26.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (0.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (4.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 7.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 204 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.
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
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%
96.7%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 61th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
0.7%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 34th pctile
College readiness · 20%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 29th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
4.1%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 27th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
61.9%
↓ vs CA 30.2% · 24th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.6%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 55th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
6.9%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 35th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 233 | 1% | 7% | 24% | 68% | 8% | −39 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 233 | 0% | 0% | 2% | 98% | 0% | −23 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 243 | 0% | 2% | 63% | 35% |
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 | 204 | 6.9% | −27 | −31 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 183 | 4.9% | −29 | −34 |
| English Learners | 32 | 0.0% | −4 | −10 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ortega High ← | — | 29 | 0.7% | 4.1% | — | 2.6% |
| Temescal Canyon High | 1.6 mi | 52 | 17.4% | 45.9% | — | 3.2% |
| California average | — | 44 | 15.8% | 35.7% | — | 3.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
96.7%
AP Exam Prepared
Not offered
This school may not offer AP courses
A-G Completion
0.0%
This school may not offer A-G courses
College-Going Rate
13.4%
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1495 → #1627 → #1654 → #1657 → #1696
What we can't show
- — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 31 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue