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Public school district · California

Capistrano Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

Compare elementary, middle, and high schools across Capistrano Unified—and look beyond a single district average.

Tesoro HighLadera Ranch MiddleCanyon Vista ElementaryArroyo Vista MiddleBernice Ayer MiddleOxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange CountyLas Flores ElementaryChaparral ElementaryPhilip J. Reilly ElementaryAliso Niguel HighFred Newhart MiddleSan Juan Hills HighCapistrano Valley HighLas Flores MiddleSan Clemente HighVista del Mar ElementaryCastille ElementaryWagon Wheel ElementaryTruman Benedict ElementaryCapistrano Home/VirtualOso Grande ElementaryEsencia MiddleLadera Ranch ElementaryEsenciaDon Juan Avila MiddleVista del Mar MiddleLaguna Niguel ElementaryAliso Viejo MiddleDana Hills HighMarian Bergeson ElementaryMoulton ElementaryCarl Hankey ElementaryJohn Malcom ElementaryCommunity Roots AcademyArroyo Vista ElementaryBathgate ElementaryCalifornia Preparatory AcademyGeorge White ElementaryNiguel Hills MiddleCarl Hankey MiddleConcordia ElementaryDon Juan Avila ElementaryTijeras Creek ElementaryOak Grove ElementaryPalisades ElementaryViejo ElementaryLas Palmas ElementaryRichard Henry Dana ElementaryMarco Forster MiddleShorecliffs MiddleWood Canyon ElementaryHarold Ambuehl ElementaryDel Obispo ElementaryClarence Lobo ElementaryOCASA College PrepCapistrano Union HighMarblehead ElementaryHidden Hills ElementarySan Juan ElementaryJourneyCalifornia Connections Academy Southern CaliforniaOpportunities for Learning - CapistranoKinoshita ElementaryCapistrano UnifiedN ↑
63 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary39 schools
avg 57.3/10028 Strong, 8 Solid, +3 more
Middle15 schools
avg 64.8/10014 Strong, 1 Solid
High9 schools
avg 62.8/1007 Strong, 2 Solid

Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.

Stage 1 of 3

The elementary years

54 points separate Canyon Vista Elementary (81) from Kinoshita Elementary (26) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

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Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

54 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 39 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.

The strength

Canyon Vista Elementary (81/100) holds the Strong band — 61.8% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 39.2%. 10 schools here rank as Growth Engines — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.

The catch

54 points separate the top and bottom elementary schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.

99th percentile · StrongScope Score 81/100
97th percentile · StrongScope Score 76/100
97th percentile · StrongScope Score 75/100

All 39 elementary schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 3

The middle years

The middle schools average 64.8/100 — 26.2 points above the state average, with 14 of 15 in the Strong band.

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43 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 15 middle schools — the average hides more than it tells.

The strength

Ladera Ranch Middle (82/100) holds the Strong band — 50.6% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 38.0%. 5 schools here rank as Growth Engines — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.

The catch

43 points separate the top and bottom middle schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.

98th percentile · StrongScope Score 82/100
97th percentile · StrongScope Score 79/100
Bernice Ayer Middle
Growth Engine
96th percentile · StrongScope Score 77/100

All 15 middle schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 3 of 3

The high school years

The high schools average 62.8/100 — 8.8 points above the state average, with 7 of 9 in the Strong band.

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56 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 9 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.

2 continuation/alternative schools not plotted — they rank within their own class, not on this statewide axis.

The strength

Tesoro High (82/100) holds the Strong band — 50.6% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 30.2%. 5 schools classify as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.

The catch

56 points separate the top and bottom high schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.

Tesoro High
High Ceiling
97th percentile · StrongScope Score 82/100
Aliso Niguel High
Strong All-Around
92nd percentile · StrongScope Score 75/100
San Juan Hills High
Strong All-Around
91st percentile · StrongScope Score 74/100

All 9 high schools, ranked, in the appendix →

What it means for your family

If you're choosing a neighborhood

Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Canyon Vista Elementary at 81/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.

If you already live here

6 of the 63 ranked schools are charters — enrollment paths that don't depend on your address. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, those lotteries and applications are the levers worth the paperwork.

If your kid is enrolled now

A band is a position, not a prophecy — 20 campuses here rank as Growth Engine (15) or On the Rise (5), their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.

The strongest-scoring run through the district:

Canyon Vista Elementary 99th percentile · StrongScope Score 81/100Ladera Ranch Middle 98th percentile · StrongScope Score 82/100Tesoro High 97th percentile · StrongScope Score 82/100

Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.

What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.

Capistrano Unified has 63 public schools in this SchoolScope results directory. Compare schools by their primary reporting level below.

2024–25 CAASPP reporting · SchoolScope analysis. Directory coverage, not a complete inventory of every campus. Each school appears at its primary reporting level; K–8 and K–12 campuses can serve additional grades. Sources and methodology →

One district, three stages

The average changes with the journey.

Elementary schools

Explore elementary →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

39 comparable schools · average 57.3/100 · range 26.4–80.8

Middle schools

Explore middle →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

15 comparable schools · average 64.8/100 · range 38.2–81.5

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

7 comparable schools · average 71.6/100 · range 60.8–82.1

Explore Capistrano Unified by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
Capistrano Unifiedthis district60.8 / 10061Tesoro High—
Orange County Department of Education64.8 / 1004Oxford Preparatory Academy - Middle2.9 mi
Laguna Beach Unified71.2 / 1003Laguna Beach High6.2 mi
Saddleback Valley Unified49.1 / 10024Trabuco Hills High6.7 mi
Irvine Unified62.3 / 1007Eastshore Elementary12.1 mi

Averages blend every school level in a district and carry no score band. Compare a level at a time in the spreads above, then open the schools. Distances run between school-location centers.

Cities served

City pages include schools from other districts too. Check the district named on each school profile.

Patterns across the district

What kinds of schools are here?

Patterns worth exploring.

Choose a pattern to find matching schools in the lists below. Open a profile to see the underlying measures and questions to ask on a visit.

How patterns are defined →

Archetypes describe reported patterns, not school quality or fit. Available measures differ by school level.

Schools in Capistrano Unified

Browse by level, then compare the evidence behind each profile.

Map ↗

Elementary schools in Capistrano Unified · 39 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Canyon Vista Elementary
Capistrano Unified High Ceiling
61.8%99th percentile · StrongScope Score 81/100
Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County
Capistrano Unified High Ceiling
54.5%97th percentile · StrongScope Score 76/100
Las Flores Elementary
Capistrano Unified High Ceiling
51.8%97th percentile · StrongScope Score 75/100
Chaparral Elementary
Capistrano Unified High Ceiling
63.5%97th percentile · StrongScope Score 75/100
Philip J. Reilly Elementary
Capistrano Unified High Ceiling
57.0%97th percentile · StrongScope Score 75/100
Vista del Mar Elementary
Capistrano Unified High Ceiling
51.0%94th percentile · StrongScope Score 71/100

Middle schools in Capistrano Unified · 15 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Ladera Ranch Middle
Capistrano Unified High Ceiling
50.6%98th percentile · StrongScope Score 82/100
Arroyo Vista Middle
Capistrano Unified High Ceiling
52.2%97th percentile · StrongScope Score 79/100
Bernice Ayer Middle
Capistrano Unified Growth Engine
42.5%96th percentile · StrongScope Score 77/100
Fred Newhart Middle
Capistrano Unified Growth Engine
43.9%96th percentile · StrongScope Score 75/100
Las Flores Middle
Capistrano Unified Growth Engine
45.0%95th percentile · StrongScope Score 73/100
Capistrano Home/Virtual
Capistrano Unified Strong All-Around
38.0%93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 69/100

High schools in Capistrano Unified · 9 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Tesoro High
Capistrano Unified High Ceiling
50.6%97th percentile · StrongScope Score 82/100
Aliso Niguel High
Capistrano Unified Strong All-Around
42.1%92nd percentile · StrongScope Score 75/100
San Juan Hills High
Capistrano Unified Strong All-Around
37.8%91st percentile · StrongScope Score 74/100
Capistrano Valley High
Capistrano Unified Strong All-Around
39.9%91st percentile · StrongScope Score 74/100
San Clemente High
Capistrano Unified Strong All-Around
33.4%89th percentile · StrongScope Score 71/100
Dana Hills High
Capistrano Unified Strong All-Around
25.0%79th percentile · StrongScope Score 64/100
Compare selected schools

Select two to four schools at the same level. Rankings and score bands compare each school with its own enrollment group.

District finance · FY 2024–25

Where the district's dollars go.

Capistrano Unified spent $17,166 per student in FY 2024–25 — $3,325 less than the median California district ($20,491), about 16% lower. About 64 cents of every dollar goes to classroom instruction.

Current expense per student

Current expense of education per unit of average daily attendance, from the district's annual SACS filing to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus. Spending is context, not a measure of school quality.

Share by function

  • Instruction64%
  • Instruction support10%
  • Student services10%
  • Administration5%
  • Buildings & maintenance9%
  • Other1%

Shares of the same current-expense total, by SACS function. Names are simplified from the filing's own categories.

The system behind the schools

The people behind the classrooms — district-grain context that never enters a school's score.

People
Teacher salary range$65,219–$130,638
Teaching staff2,080 · FTE
District enrollment43,719 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 28.2% · White 49.6% · Black 0.7% · Asian 6.8% · Other 14.8%
Free/reduced lunch36% · economic need indicator

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule 2024–25 · CDE enrollment (district averages)

See how the school years fit together.

Explore the next stage, then verify the schools available for your address.

These are browsing links, not a feeder path. Assignments vary by residence, program, permits, and available space.

Looking beyond Capistrano Unified?

Explore public, private, and early-learning options.

Know what you’re comparing.

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology

Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.

Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 63 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in Capistrano Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 63 public schools in Capistrano Unified with 2024–25 reporting records. This is directory coverage, not a complete campus inventory. Each school appears under its primary reporting level; a K–8 or K–12 campus may serve additional grades.
Which schools have the highest scores in Capistrano Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: Canyon Vista Elementary (81/100). Middle: Ladera Ranch Middle (82/100). High: Tesoro High (82/100). These are separate level rankings, not a single cross-level league table. A score does not establish fit or enrollment eligibility. See the methodology.
Can I compare elementary, middle, and high schools directly?
Compare schools at the same level and within the same enrollment group. Scope Score formulas and available measures differ by level. The plots show comprehensive public schools separately for each level; individual profiles explain their comparison group.
Does living in Capistrano Unified guarantee a particular school?
A district outline does not establish assignment to an individual school. Attendance boundaries, programs, permits, and available space can affect enrollment. Confirm the requirements directly with the district.
What does a SchoolScope pattern mean?
Archetypes summarize patterns in publicly reported academic and school-climate measures. They describe reported results, not a school’s quality or a child’s fit. Open the school profile for reporting years, missing measures, and questions to ask. Read how the patterns are defined.
Where do these results come from?
The underlying public data comes from the California Department of Education, including CAASPP reporting for 2024–25. Scope Scores and archetypes are SchoolScope calculations, not official CDE ratings. View CDE data and SchoolScope’s methodology and limitations.