School district · San Diego County

Carlsbad Unified schools

Carlsbad Unified’s 9 public elementary schools run from the 59th to the 96th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Elementary · 9 schools

from 59th to 96th · among 5,726 California elementary schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • Aviara Oaks Elementary: 96th percentile, Strong
  • Kelly Elementary: 95th percentile, Strong
  • Pacific Rim Elementary: 95th percentile, Strong
  • Poinsettia Elementary: 91st percentile, Strong
  • Magnolia Elementary: 90th percentile, Strong
  • Buena Vista Elementary: 89th percentile, Strong
  • Hope Elementary: 85th percentile, Strong
  • Calavera Hills Elementary: 84th percentile, Strong
  • Jefferson Elementary: 59th percentile, Solid
0Needs Support
0Developing
1Solid
8Strong

One dot per school.

Middle and high school pictures

Middle · 3 schools

from 49th to 85th · among 2,529 California middle schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • Aviara Oaks Middle: 85th percentile, Strong
  • Calavera Hills Middle: 75th percentile, Strong
  • Valley Middle: 49th percentile, Developing
0Needs Support
1Developing
0Solid
2Strong

High · 2 schools

from 86th to 91st · among 1,498 California high schools we score · spring 2025 tests

  • Sage Creek High: 91st percentile, Strong
  • Carlsbad High: 86th percentile, Strong
0Needs Support
0Developing
0Solid
2Strong

One dot per school. Each stage is placed only among California schools at its own level.

  • 1 school not ranked statewide

Schools around Carlsbad Unified

15 listed public schools with mapped locations.

Open full map →

Loading school locations…

Percentile among California schools at the same level

  • Strong75th+
  • Solid50–74th
  • Developing25–49th
  • Needs Supportbelow 25th
  • Not scored

The school lists on this page are also available without the map.

Elementary schools

Which elementary schools in Carlsbad Unified score highest?

Aviara Oaks Elementary is highest, at the 96th percentile.

That’s higher than 96 in 100 of the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in Carlsbad Unified

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. What patterns mean

Show the other 6 elementary schools
Context

The average elementary school in Carlsbad Unified had 10 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once.

Middle schools

Which middle schools in Carlsbad Unified score highest?

Aviara Oaks Middle is highest, at the 85th percentile.

That’s higher than 85 in 100 of the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in Carlsbad Unified

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. What patterns mean

Context

The average middle school in Carlsbad Unified had 12 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100.

High schools

Which high schools in Carlsbad Unified score highest?

Sage Creek High is highest, at the 91st percentile.

That’s higher than 91 in 100 of the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests).

Highest in Carlsbad Unified

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. What patterns mean

1 high school not ranked statewide

The district

Where does Carlsbad Unified’s money go, and what does it plan?

Carlsbad Unified spent $17,482 per student in the 2024–25 school year.

The typical California district spent $20,491. About 62 cents of every Carlsbad Unified dollar went to classroom instruction.

Spending by function

Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus.

Share by function, 2024–25

  • Instruction62%
  • Instruction support10%
  • Student services10%
  • Administration7%
  • Buildings & maintenance10%
  • Other1%

Shares of the same spending total, by the report’s spending categories, rounded so they add up to 100. Names are simplified from the report’s own categories.

What the district plans

$47.7 million

planned in its 2026–27 plan for 24 funded actions in 3 goals. That’s 27% of its $179.3 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts; the district reports what it spent in a later plan.

The plan in short

Source: the district’s yearly spending plan (Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, 93 pages), as posted to the California School Dashboard.

Where the money goes

Three actions take 63% of the money. The plan itself puts 92% of it toward staff.

  • Special Education Services $22.8 million
  • Academic interventions & support $4.1 million
  • Professional Learning $3.0 million
  • 21 other actions
Reading, math and catch-up help

4 of the plan’s 24 funded actions name reading, math, catch-up help or English learners in their titles.

Actions whose titles name catch-up help or English learners
  • Catch-up help $6.7 million
  • English learners $0.6 million

Largest of these

  • Academic interventions & support$4.1 million
  • Academic interventions & support$2.6 million
  • English Learner Services$341,848
For high-need students (English learners, low-income students and foster youth), what changed and what its goals measure
For high-need students

It plans $6.6 million in extra services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth. For 2025–26, it planned $7.5 million and estimates it spent $7.5 million, within 1% of the plan.

What changed

The total is $4.8 million (11%) higher than in the 2025–26 plan. The biggest change in dollars is Special Education Services, which went from $18.5 million to $22.8 million.

Largest cuts

  • Academic interventions & support−⁠$729,146
  • Academic and Social Emotional Supports−⁠$555,825
  • Site funds−⁠$345,746

Largest increases

  • Special Education Services+⁠$4.3 million
  • Academic interventions & support+⁠$1.3 million
  • Instructional materials+⁠$523,684

New in the 2026–27 plan

  • Academic and Social Emotional Supports (LREBG Funded)$248,812
What its goals measure

Read these state results for the district’s own schools as context for the goals they measure; results alone can’t show what the plan caused.

What its goals measure: state results, 2024–25 and 2025–26
Measure2024–252025–26Change
English, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 171%72%up 1 pt
Math, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 162%62%no change
Chronically absentCounted across all the district’s students, not averaged by schoolGoal 315 in 10013 in 1002 fewer in 100
Suspended at least onceGoal 21.8%2.0%up 0.2 pts

Figures from CDE’s state test, chronic absence and suspension files. Test figures cover every grade the district tests (California tests grades 3–8 and 11), so they differ from a profile’s rated grades. We combined the district’s schools ourselves, weighted by students and leaving out charter schools. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days.

The plan’s own titles and amounts
  • Special Education Services · $22,790,686
  • Academic interventions & support · $4,102,632
  • Professional Learning · $3,042,989
The full plan3 goals, 35 measures and where the money goes

We calculate each action’s share of the plan by dividing its planned amount by the total of the plan’s funded actions ($47.7 million).

Where does the money go?

72% to Goal 1. Each box is one action, sized by its planned dollars and coloured by its change since last year’s plan. Tap a box to open its goal.

G1
G2
G3

Change since the 2025–26 plan, same title

  • fell 25% or more
  • fell 10–25%
  • fell 2–10%
  • within 2%
  • grew 2–10%
  • grew 10–25%
  • grew 25% or more
  • new or renamed title
  • not compared: unconfirmed, or repeated across goals

Every goal, in the plan’s order

Goal 1Ensure that students demonstrate academic growth and proficiencies so they leave TK-12 ready for college/​career$34.3 million72% of action budgets

8 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $29.2 million (+⁠$5.1 million) · p. 14 ↗

Largest funded actions

  1. Special Education Services$22.8 millionaction 1.8 · p. 49 ↗
  2. Academic interventions & support$4.1 millionaction 1.4 · p. 49 ↗
  3. Professional Learning$3.0 millionaction 1.2 · p. 49 ↗
  4. Academic interventions & support$2.6 millionaction 1.3 · p. 49 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  5. Professional Learning$0.9 millionaction 1.1 · p. 49 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services

3 more funded actions in this goal

  • English Learner Services · action 1.5 · p. 49 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.3 million
  • Site funds · action 1.7 · p. 49 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.3 million
  • English Learner Services · action 1.6 · p. 49 ↗$0.2 million

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Special Education Services+⁠$4.3 million$18.5 million → $22.8 million · p. 49 ↗
  2. Academic interventions & support+⁠$1.3 million$2.8 million → $4.1 million · p. 49 ↗
  3. Academic interventions & support−⁠$0.7 million$3.3 million → $2.6 million · p. 49 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

  • Professional Learning · $2.9 million → $3.0 million · p. 49 ↗+⁠$0.2 million
  • Professional Learning · $678,239 → $932,249 · p. 49 ↗+⁠$254,010
  • English Learner Services · $305,651 → $341,848 · p. 49 ↗+⁠$36,197
  • Site funds · $619,676 → $273,930 · p. 49 ↗−⁠$345,746
  • English Learner Services · $202,374 → $216,857 · p. 49 ↗+⁠$14,483

How the plan measures it · 14 measures

None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 14 ↗.

Goal 2Align student learning to State-adopted standards supported by materials, instruction, and technology in a…$9.4 million20% of action budgets

“Align student learning to State-adopted standards supported by materials, instruction, and technology in a fiscally sound, safe and clean environment” p. 24 ↗

10 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $9.8 million (−⁠$316,109)

Largest funded actions

  1. Academic and Social Emotional Supports$2.5 millionaction 2.8 · p. 50 ↗
  2. Digital hardware and software$1.9 millionaction 2.4 · p. 50 ↗
  3. Instructional materials$1.7 millionaction 2.3 · p. 50 ↗
  4. Academic and Social Emotional Supports$1.4 millionaction 2.7 · p. 50 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  5. Professional Development$1.0 millionaction 2.2 · p. 49 ↗

5 more funded actions in this goal

  • Safety and Security · action 2.6 · p. 50 ↗$0.3 million
  • Academic and Social Emotional Supports (LREBG Funded) · action 2.11 · p. 50 ↗$0.2 million
  • Professional Development · action 2.1 · p. 49 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.2 million
  • Student Wellness · action 2.10 · p. 50 ↗$0.1 million
  • Student Discipline, Safety, and Behavior · action 2.12 · p. 50 ↗$0.1 million

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Academic and Social Emotional Supports−⁠$0.6 million$3.0 million → $2.5 million · p. 50 ↗
  2. Instructional materials+⁠$0.5 million$1.2 million → $1.7 million · p. 50 ↗
  3. Professional Development−⁠$0.3 million$1.3 million → $1.0 million · p. 49 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

  • Digital hardware and software · $2.0 million → $1.9 million · p. 50 ↗−⁠$26,728
  • Academic and Social Emotional Supports · $1.4 million → $1.4 million · p. 50 ↗−⁠$10,303
  • Safety and Security · $259,658 → $282,499 · p. 50 ↗+⁠$22,841
  • Academic and Social Emotional Supports (LREBG Funded) · $248,812 · p. 50 ↗new or renamed
  • Professional Development · $220,299 → $232,942 · p. 49 ↗+⁠$12,643
  • Student Wellness · $200,000 → $120,000 · p. 50 ↗−⁠$80,000
  • Student Discipline, Safety, and Behavior · $118,750 · p. 50 ↗new or renamed

A reworded title counts as new.

How the plan measures it · 12 measures · 1 quoted

  • Williams Sufficiency of Instructional Material resolution p. 24 ↗
    Baseline
    100% of students have access to standards- aligned instructional materials
    Target for year 3
    Maintain 100%

11 more measures in the plan’s table.

Goal 3Engage parents, staff & community to promote unique educational opportunities for students$4.0 million8% of action budgets

6 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $4.0 million (−⁠$12,894) · p. 35 ↗

Largest funded actions

  1. Career Pathways$2.7 millionaction 3.2 · p. 50 ↗
  2. Career Pathways$0.6 millionaction 3.1 · p. 50 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  3. Communication Tools$0.3 millionaction 3.4 · p. 50 ↗
  4. Communication Tools$0.3 millionaction 3.3 · p. 50 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
  5. Parent Engagementunder $0.1 millionaction 3.6 · p. 50 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services

1 more funded action in this goal

  • Student Engagement · action 3.5 · p. 50 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need servicesunder $0.1 million

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

  1. Communication Tools−⁠$113,578$406,687 → $293,109 · p. 50 ↗
  2. Career Pathways+⁠$0.1 million$2.6 million → $2.7 million · p. 50 ↗
  3. Career Pathways+⁠$23,051$605,861 → $628,912 · p. 50 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

  • Communication Tools · $334,867 → $342,911 · p. 50 ↗+⁠$8,044
  • Parent Engagement · $15,000 → $15,000 · p. 50 ↗unchanged
  • Student Engagement · $9,000 → $9,000 · p. 50 ↗unchanged

How the plan measures it · 9 measures

None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 35 ↗.

All amounts are planned. We read them from the PDF and added up each goal’s actions ourselves. Page links open the plan at that page.

Who goes to the district’s schools
Who attends

Student mix

2024–25 · October enrollment count, 10,708 students
1. White: 56%2. Hispanic or Latino: 26%3. Two or more races: 10%4. Asian: 5%5. Black or African American: 1%6. Filipino: <1%7. American Indian or Alaska Native: <1%8. Pacific Islander: <1%Student mix2024–25
  1. White56%
  2. Hispanic or Latino26%
  3. Two or more races10%
  4. Asian5%
  5. Black or African American1%
  6. Filipino<1%
  7. American Indian or Alaska Native<1%
  8. Pacific Islander<1%
  9. Not reported0%
Shares use the district's own October enrollment counts from the CDE, including its charter schools. Rounded labels may not total 100%; segments use the original shares.

Free or reduced-price meals

30%

Across California, 63% of students qualify.

2024–25 · 3,221 of 10,678 students qualify, summed from the CDE’s meal counts for every school it lists under the district, charters included. It comes from a different CDE file than the student mix, so the two totals differ.

The district’s state records

Is the state giving the district extra help?

Carlsbad Unified isn’t getting extra state help in 2026, only the standard support every district gets.

How English learners moved up on the state’s English test

From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 53% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (175 of 328 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent.

2 schools getting state support, 2025–26

Carlsbad Village Academy (Most intensive support, graduation rate) · Poinsettia Elementary (Targeted support)

This list covers the district’s own schools; each charter school’s page shows its record. Federal designation under the Every Student Succeeds Act, 2025–26.

Sources: District help (CDE) ↗ · English learner progress (CDE) ↗ · School support (CDE) ↗. State results from the 2026 California School Dashboard.

Which places nearby can you look at next?

Cities in the district

More places (5)

Districts nearby

Common questions

Which public schools in Carlsbad Unified rank highest?

Elementary: Aviara Oaks Elementary, 96th percentile (Strong). Middle: Aviara Oaks Middle, 85th percentile (Strong). High: Sage Creek High, 91st percentile (Strong). Each percentile is among the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.

Does living in the Carlsbad Unified district decide which school my child attends?

Not by itself. Attendance boundaries, programs, transfers and space all matter. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
More questions (5)

Are the public schools in Carlsbad Unified good?

Carlsbad Unified’s 9 public elementary schools run from the 59th to the 96th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 8 Strong and 1 Solid. Carlsbad Unified’s 3 public middle schools run from the 49th to the 85th percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 2 Strong and 1 Developing. Carlsbad Unified’s 2 public high schools run from the 86th to the 91st percentile among the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests). By band: 2 Strong. A percentile compares a school with California public schools at the same level that we score. How we score schools.

How does chronic absence in Carlsbad Unified compare with California?

The average elementary school in Carlsbad Unified had 10 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once. The average middle school in Carlsbad Unified had 12 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100. These are averages of school rates: each school counts once, whatever its size.

How much does Carlsbad Unified spend per student?

Carlsbad Unified spent $17,482 per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491. About 62 cents of every Carlsbad Unified dollar went to classroom instruction. Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from its annual financial report to the California Department of Education. The district’s spending, by function.

What is in Carlsbad Unified’s 2026–27 spending plan?

The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $47.7 million into 24 funded actions in 3 goals, 27% of its $179.3 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $34.3 million, 72% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.

Where do these results come from?

California’s state tests (CAASPP): spring 2026 for elementary and middle schools, spring 2025 for high schools, and chronic-absence rates for 2025–26, published by the California Department of Education. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.

Sources and methodology

This page lists the public schools governed and funded by Carlsbad Unified, with the district’s spending and state accountability records.

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.

View CDE data ↗ (opens in a new tab)How Scope Scores work →

Download these schools (CSV)Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.