Students
11,113
enrolled at the 21 public schools with a El Centro address.
El Centro · Imperial County
Schools in El Centro
El Centro’s 13 public elementary schools have Scope Scores from 69 to 79.
75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state.
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Open the map →Elementary schools
Which elementary schools in El Centro score highest?
McCabe Elementary is highest, with a Scope Score of 79. That is higher than 66 in 100 California elementary schools we score.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
McCabe Elementary
McCabe Union Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–8
192655% below the standard
Scope Score 79Solid · 66th percentile
Rank 2
Lincoln Elementary
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–6
192754% below the standard
Scope Score 78Solid · 63rd percentile
Rank 3
Sunflower Elementary
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–6
242254% below the standard
Scope Score 76Solid · 55th percentile
Rank 4
De Anza Magnet
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–8 · Check how it admits students.
142264% below the standard
Scope Score 76Solid · 52nd percentile
Rank 5
Harding Elementary
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–6
2267% below the standard
Scope Score 75Solid · 51st percentile
Rank 6
Ballington Academy for the Arts and SciencesCharter
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–6 · Check how it admits students.
182161% below the standard
Scope Score 74Developing · 47th percentile
Rank 7
Imperial Valley Home School AcademyCharter
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–8 · Check how it admits students.
132760% below the standard
Scope Score 74Developing · 46th percentile
Rank 8
McKinley Elementary
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–6
132265% below the standard
Scope Score 74Developing · 42nd percentile
Rank 9
Meadows Elementary
Meadows Union · 92243 · Grades K–8
1774% below the standard
Scope Score 73Developing · 39th percentile
Rank 10
Desert Garden Elementary
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–6
202159% below the standard
Scope Score 73Developing · 39th percentile
Show the other 3 elementary schools
Rank 11
Margaret Hedrick Elementary
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–6
1676% below the standard
Scope Score 72Developing · 31st percentile
Rank 12
Booker T. Washington Elementary
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–6
1774% below the standard
Scope Score 69Needs Support · 14th percentile
Rank 13
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–6
132067% below the standard
Scope Score 69Needs Support · 14th percentile
14in 100
The average El Centro elementary school had 14 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100.
Each score compares a school with the 5,726 California elementary schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days. Each figure is an average of school rates. Each school counts once.
Middle schools
Which middle schools in El Centro score highest?
McCabe Elementary is highest, with a Scope Score of 83. That is higher than 83 in 100 California middle schools we score.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
McCabe Elementary
McCabe Union Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–8
342937% below the standard
Scope Score 83Strong · 83rd percentile
Rank 2
De Anza Magnet
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–8 · Check how it admits students.
213643% below the standard
Scope Score 82Strong · 81st percentile
Rank 3
Imperial Valley Home School AcademyCharter
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades K–8 · Check how it admits students.
213148% below the standard
Scope Score 79Solid · 70th percentile
Rank 4
Meadows Elementary
Meadows Union · 92243 · Grades K–8
122167% below the standard
Scope Score 76Solid · 53rd percentile
Rank 5
Wilson Jr. High
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades 7–8
132265% below the standard
Scope Score 74Developing · 43rd percentile
Rank 6
Kennedy Middle
El Centro Elementary · 92243 · Grades 7–8
2366% below the standard
Scope Score 74Developing · 42nd percentile
9in 100
The average El Centro middle school had 9 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California middle school we score had 18 in 100.
Each score compares a school with the 2,529 California middle schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026.
High schools
Which high schools in El Centro score highest?
Central Union High is highest, with a Scope Score of 75. That is higher than 52 in 100 California high schools we score.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Central Union High
Central Union High · 92243 · Grades 9–12
2366% below the standard
Scope Score 75Solid · 52nd percentile
Rank 2
Southwest High
Central Union High · 92243 · Grades 9–12
152263% below the standard
Scope Score 73Developing · 41st percentile
4 high schools not ranked statewide
Continuation schools, court and community schools and special education centers enroll students differently from a regular school, so each is compared only with its own kind or not ranked.
- Desert Oasis High (Continuation)Continuation high school
- Imperial County Juvenile Hall/CommunityJuvenile court school
- Imperial County Special EducationSpecial education center
- Valley AcademyCounty community school
Each score compares a school with the 1,498 California high schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2025. The state called the top two levels Exceeded and Met in spring 2025.
Districts
Which districts run the schools here?
Five districts run the public schools with a El Centro address. The home address decides which district serves a child. Charter schools are not counted here.
District
El Centro Elementary
11schools here
Elementary, Middle. Lincoln, Sunflower, De Anza Magnet, Harding, Wilson Jr., Kennedy, McKinley, Desert Garden and 3 more.
Open the district →District
Central Union High
3schools here
High. Central Union High, Southwest, Desert Oasis High (Continuation).
District
Imperial County Office of Education
3schools here
High. Imperial County Juvenile Hall/Community, Imperial County Special Education, Valley Academy.
District
McCabe Union Elementary
1school here
Elementary. McCabe Elementary.
Also here: Meadows Union (1).
Does living in El Centro decide which school my child attends?
No. A city can hold schools from more than one district, and attendance boundaries decide which school serves an address. Confirm the school for your address with the district.
Charter and private
What other schools are here?
2 private schools have a El Centro address. They don’t take California’s state tests, so we don’t score them.
- St. Mary S School92243 · 211 students
- Calvary Chapel Christian School El Centro92243 · 39 students
Open the private-school directory →
2 charter schools have a El Centro address. They are in the lists above, marked Charter. Private school names and enrollment are from the California Department of Education’s private school filings and the federal Private School Survey.
Students
Who goes to school here?
11,113 students go to the 21 public schools with a El Centro address. 74 in 100 qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Low-income families
42–95%
of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, from the lowest elementary school to the highest. California: 63%.
Missing school
14in 100
students chronically absent at the average elementary school here. California: 17 in 100.
Students and meal counts: California Department of Education, free or reduced-price meal file, 2024–25. Chronic absence: California Department of Education, 2025–26, an average of school rates.
Common questions
What do parents ask about schools in El Centro?
Are the public schools in El Centro good?
El Centro’s 13 public elementary schools have Scope Scores from 69 to 79. Of those, 5 are Solid, 6 are Developing and 2 are Needs Support. El Centro’s 6 public middle schools have Scope Scores from 74 to 83. Of those, 2 are Strong, 2 are Solid and 2 are Developing. El Centro’s 2 public high schools have Scope Scores from 73 to 75. Of those, 1 is Solid and 1 is Developing. 75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How we score schools.
Which public schools in El Centro rank highest?
McCabe Elementary is the highest elementary school, with a Scope Score of 79. It is Solid, at the 66th percentile. McCabe Elementary is the highest middle school, with a Scope Score of 83. It is Strong, at the 83rd percentile. Central Union High is the highest high school, with a Scope Score of 75. It is Solid, at the 52nd percentile. Each score compares a school with the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.
How does chronic absence in El Centro compare with California?
The average El Centro elementary school had 14 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days. Each figure is an average of school rates. Each school counts once. The average El Centro middle school had 9 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California middle school we score had 18 in 100.
Where do these results come from?
The test results are from California’s state tests (CAASPP). They are from spring 2026 for elementary and middle schools. The results are from spring 2025 for high schools. Chronic-absence rates are for 2025–26. The California Department of Education publishes both. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.
Next
Which places nearby can you look at next?
El Centro Elementary
The district that runs the public schools here.
Compare schoolsSee the same numbers for each school.
Open the mapSee these schools on the map.
School districts
Before kindergarten
Sources and methodology
This page lists the public schools with a El Centro address. They can belong to more than one school district.
Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2025–26 elementary and middle school; 2024–25 high school
Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s own calculations from these state files.
State tests are the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), springs 2025 and 2026.
Download these schools (CSV) Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.