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Pacific High · Ventura

Pacific High: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Pacific posts low test scores — and test scores are one lens among several. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

501 College Drive, 93003 (opens in new tab)·Ventura Unified·Ventura·Grades 9-12·213 students·89% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(805) 289-7950·Website
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.
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope2744
% Exceeded3%16%
% Met+13%36%
Grad rate87.0%86.6%
College readiness0.0%33.9%
Absence66.5%30.2%
Suspension7.5%3.6%
Scope Score
27
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,749 statewide · #5 of 5 in Ventura Unified

Pacific High scores 27 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 19th 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 “13% proficient” and call it done. Pacific deserves a closer read. The school sits in Ventura, 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 seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 19th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 13% of students meet the standard today, above the 2% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 114%21%14%10%25%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 110%0%0%0%0%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
13%
State 36%
Graduate
87%
State 87%
Pass an AP exam
0%
State 34%

Of 100 students here: 13 are proficient by 11th grade → 87 graduate → 0 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
87.0%
State 86.6%
0.4pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
2.5%
State 15.8%
13.3pp below state avg
College readiness
0.0%
State 33.9%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
12.7%
State 35.7%
23.0pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
66.5%
State 30.2%
36.3pp above state avg
Suspension rate
7.5%
State 3.6%
3.9pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
26.8%
State 18.0%
8.9pp above 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.

  • Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
  • Ask what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
  • 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.

How every group of students does here

At Pacific High in Ventura, 23.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 36.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Pacific High trails its district average for low-income students by 12.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (0.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (16.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 19.1 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 69 students tested.

All students at this school: 13% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 13%, district —, state 36%13%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 12%, district 30%, state 32%12% · −1 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 9%, district 32%, state 32%9% · −5 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 15%, district 45%, state 44%15% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 11%, district 41%, state 42%11% · −3 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 6%, district 19%, state 22%6% · −7 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 3%, district 5%, state 11%3% · −10 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 31%, district 58%, state 56%31% · +17 vs school

5 of 13 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 66.5%, district 18.3%, state 30.2%66.5% · +36.3pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 7.5%, district —, state 3.6%7.5% · +3.9pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1273.5%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 15:1, district 25:115:1
Teaching staff16 teachers
Avg. experience17.8 years
Fully credentialed25%
First-year teachers6%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$58,866 – $117,409
Principal salary$148,018 – $169,124
Superintendent salary$291,604

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
CTE pathway completers1 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $31,749, CA average $14,491$31,749 · spent at this school
Federal share$3,550 per student

$3,550 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$19,316 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
Instruction55%
Instruction support12%
Student services12%
Administration9%
Buildings & maintenance10%
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$12,949 per pupil
2019$11,763 per pupil
2018$12,006 per pupil
2017$11,435 per pupil
2016$11,262 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic75.1%
District 55.3% · CA 56.1%
White18.8%
District 35.2% · CA 19.9%
Other5.2%
District 5.4% · CA 9.0%
Asian0.5%
District 2.9% · CA 10.2%
Black0.5%
District 1.2% · CA 4.8%
GenderFemale 45.5%Male 53.0%Non-binary 1.4%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 88.7% (25pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$104K · CA $85K
Median home value$816K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+42% · CA 35%
ZIP population52,906
Median age41 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 213 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 11% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pacific High a good high school?

Pacific High has a Scope Score of 27 out of 100, placing it in the 19th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,749 statewide. 2.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 13.3 percentage points below 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 Pacific High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 12.7% of students at Pacific High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 2.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 10.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 2.5% 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. 150 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Pacific High rank in California?

Pacific High ranks #1,749 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 19th 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 Pacific High?

66.5% of students at Pacific High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 7.5%. 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 Pacific High compare to other schools in Ventura?

Pacific High scores 27/100 (19th 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 213 students. Use the schools in Ventura page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At Pacific High in Ventura, 23.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 36.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Pacific High trails its district average for low-income students by 12.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (0.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (16.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 19.1 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 69 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%
87.0%
↑ vs CA 86.6% · 49th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
2.5%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 36th pctile
College readiness · 20%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 33.9% · 29th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
12.7%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 34th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
66.5%
↓ vs CA 30.2% · 20th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
7.5%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 32th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
26.8%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 65th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 11795%20%27%48%25%−22
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 11710%0%8%92%0%−23
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11830%11%65%24%

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 Disadvantaged6923.9%−13−14
Hispanic/Latino6116.7%−22−22
English Learners166.3%+1−4
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Pacific High ←272.5%12.7%7.5%
Foothill Technology High1.1 mi6739.6%68.7%0.7%
Ventura High1.7 mi5621.6%42.1%1.3%
El Camino High1.1 mi5327.9%52.9%0.7%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
87.0%
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
41.9%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20192416#17240.0%1.8%48.6%13.5%
20222618#17250.0%10.5%55.7%4.4%
20232518#17721.0%7.2%57.7%4.4%
20242416#18080.6%5.0%59.9%6.3%
20252719#17492.5%12.7%66.5%7.5%
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 14 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female53.8%78.7%+24.9pp
Male54.7%69.6%+14.9pp
Hispanic/Latino52.5%73.3%+20.8pp
Students with Disabilities64.3%87.5%+23.2pp
English Learners45.0%75.4%+30.4pp
Foster Youth62.5%
Homeless67.3%85.1%+17.8pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged54.7%75.4%+20.7pp
All Students54.3%73.5%+19.2pp
Two or More Races81.8%
09Advanced coursework — 2020-21 federal civil-rights snapshotstructural, dated — newest published; biennial
MeasureThis school
AP offerednot offered
AP course countnot reported
AP enrollmentnot reported
IB participationnot offered
Dual enrollmentnot reported
Algebra I in grade 8not reported
Calculus sections0
Physics sections0
Chemistry sections0
Total enrollment (CRDC)165

Shown, never scored — no entry to any composite. NULL/reserve codes render "not reported," never a fabricated zero. The equity block above this table (§4) is the per-subgroup view of this same collection.

10College destinationsclass of 2023 · CDE 12-mo College-Going Rate
DestinationCompleters% (derived)
University of California00.0%
California State University00.0%
California community college4441.9%
In-state private00.0%
Out-of-state, 4-year00.0%
Out-of-state, 2-year00.0%
Not enrolled6158.1%

105 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 42% · % column is computed by SchoolScope (count ÷ completers), not a CDE-native rate · a missing cell is CDE suppression, never a fabricated zero · source: CDE 12-mo CGR, 2023 cohort (the newest published), National Student Clearinghouse match — a different, older vintage than the fall 2025 UC admissions rows in tables 06-07 above.

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 · CRDC 2020-21 (biennial; next expected 2021-22) · CDE 12-mo CGR 2023 cohort, National Student Clearinghouse match · 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