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Verdugo Hills Senior High · Tujunga

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

Verdugo Hills posts 49% meeting the standard against 36% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

10625 Plainview Avenue, 91042 (opens in new tab)·Los Angeles Unified·Tujunga·Grades 9-12·1,195 students·84% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(818) 951-5400·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5444
% Exceeded22%16%
% Met+49%36%
Grad rate94.9%87.6%
College readiness51.7%35.4%
Absence27.5%30.2%
Suspension0.8%3.6%
Scope Score
54
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #597 statewide · #76 of 240 in Los Angeles Unified

Verdugo Hills Senior High scores 54 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 72nd 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 “49% proficient” and call it done. Verdugo Hills deserves a closer read. The school sits in Tujunga, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Verdugo Hills's low-income kids hit 59.6% 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 72nd percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELARed(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 49% of students meet the standard today, above the 43% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1155%49%64%69%65%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1131%22%39%31%34%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
49%
State 36%
Graduate
95%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
52%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 49 are proficient by 11th grade → 95 graduate → 52 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

59.6%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Verdugo Hills's most underrated number

59.6% 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.

Verdugo Hills low-income: 59.6%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
94.9%
State 87.6%
7.3pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
22.2%
State 15.8%
6.4pp above state avg
College readiness
51.7%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
49.5%
State 35.7%
13.8pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
27.5%
State 30.2%
2.7pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.8%
State 3.6%
2.9pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
13.5%
State 18.0%
4.5pp below 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 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 Verdugo Hills Senior High in Tujunga, 59.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Verdugo Hills Senior High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 18.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (61.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 60.0 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 225 students tested.

All students at this school: 49% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 49%, district —, state 36%49%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 45%, district 36%, state 32%45% · −5 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 46%, district 36%, state 32%46% · −4 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 52%, district 42%, state 44%52% · +3 vs school
MaleMale: this school 46%, district 41%, state 42%46% · −3 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 56%, district 65%, state 56%56% · +6 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 20%, district 14%, state 15%20% · −29 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 7%, district 9%, state 11%7% · −43 vs school

7 of 15 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 27.5%, district 24.5%, state 30.2%27.5% · −2.7pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.8%, district —, state 3.6%0.8% · −2.9pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1227.3%

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 17:1, district 20:117:1
Teaching staff70 teachers
Avg. experience17.8 years
Fully credentialed82%
First-year teachers1%
Intern / emergency permit3.0%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$60,420 – $122,706
Principal salary$154,576 – $170,030
Superintendent salary$440,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered22
AP exam qualifiers90 students
CTE pathway completers8 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $24,623, CA average $14,815$24,623 · spent at this school

These measure different things: this figure is spending attributed to this campus, while district-wide figures also include central administration, districtwide programs, and the state's pension contributions made on the district's behalf — costs that never get assigned to a single school. The district number runs higher at nearly every school, not just this one.

Federal share$1,967 per student

$1,967 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$29,292 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
Instruction52%
Instruction support16%
Student services12%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other2%

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$18,180 per pupil
2019$16,355 per pupil
2018$15,793 per pupil
2017$13,247 per pupil
2016$13,549 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic64.0%
District 73.2% · CA 56.1%
White29.0%
District 9.9% · CA 19.9%
Other4.2%
District 6.3% · CA 9.0%
Asian1.5%
District 3.4% · CA 10.2%
Black1.3%
District 7.2% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 83.7% (20pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$86K · CA $85K
Median home value$841K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+32% · CA 35%
ZIP population26,928
Median age46 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 33% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Verdugo Hills Senior High a good high school?

Verdugo Hills Senior High has a Scope Score of 54 out of 100, placing it in the 72nd percentile of California high schools and ranked #597 statewide. 22.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.4 percentage points above 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 Verdugo Hills Senior High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 49.5% of students at Verdugo Hills Senior High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 22.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 22.2% 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. 558 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Verdugo Hills Senior High rank in California?

Verdugo Hills Senior High ranks #597 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 72nd 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 Verdugo Hills Senior High?

27.5% of students at Verdugo Hills Senior 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 0.8%, 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 Verdugo Hills Senior High compare to other schools in Tujunga?

Verdugo Hills Senior High scores 54/100 (72nd 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 1,195 students. Use the schools in Tujunga page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Verdugo Hills Senior High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Verdugo Hills Senior High in Tujunga, 59.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Verdugo Hills Senior High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 18.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (61.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 60.0 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 225 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%
94.9%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 59th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
22.2%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 57th pctile
College readiness · 20%
51.7%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 59th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
49.5%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 60th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
27.5%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 52th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.8%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 63th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
13.5%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 46th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1127933%32%18%18%65%+17
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1127911%23%20%46%34%+11
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/112945%28%57%10%

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 Disadvantaged22559.6%+19+21
Hispanic/Latino18561.1%+20+22
White7768.8%−0+7
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Verdugo Hills Senior High ←5422.2%49.5%0.8%
Mt. Lukens Continuation0.2 mi269.1%18.2%3.1%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
94.9%
AP Exam Prepared
51.7%
A-G Completion
71.3%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
64.3%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195570#61419.2%42.9%22.0%0.4%
20225067#70014.0%35.5%34.8%0.2%
20235578#46423.0%51.2%27.5%0.5%
20245780#42426.7%50.2%22.2%0.7%
20255472#59722.2%49.5%27.5%0.8%
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
Female21.7%25.5%+3.8pp
Male21.9%29.1%+7.2pp
Asian18.6%0.0%-18.6pp
Black/African American26.3%12.5%-13.8pp
White0.0%20.0%+20.0pp
Hispanic/Latino23.8%25.8%+2.0pp
Two or More Races23.5%42.9%+19.4pp
Students with Disabilities28.4%34.7%+6.3pp
English Learners22.3%32.4%+10.1pp
Homeless39.1%32.5%-6.6pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged23.0%28.8%+5.8pp
All Students21.8%27.3%+5.5pp
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