Central Unified: Central Unified schools score 4.1 points below the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 3.5 points.
Central Unified has 20 ranked schools across elementary and high levels with an average Scope Score of 40.7/100 — 4.1 points below the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is River Bluff Elementary at 60/100, where 28.8% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $12,844 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 3 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 24.4%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Developing 41.7/100 | 16 | 15.3% | 21.3% |
| High | Developing 36.9/100 | 4 | 9.0% | 36.8% |
Central Unified's elementary schools average 41.7/100 — 3.2 points below the state average with a −3.5pp declining trajectory.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Central Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Central Unified has 20 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 40.7/100 — 4.1 points below the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: Central Unified's elementary schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 41.7.
District-wide elementary growth averages -3.5pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.
Score range of 41.0 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 24.4%, 6.5pp above the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 2.8%, near the state average of 1.6%.
River Bluff Elementary leads the district at 60 with 28.8% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Central Unified
Hidden gems: 4 schools in Central Unified are classified as Growth Engine (3) or On the Rise — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.
Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more
Student demographics
District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data
District Funding
Central Unified spends $12,844 per student in current expenditures — $1,971 below the state average of $14,815.
Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020
Teacher compensation
CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25
Every school in Central Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (16)
Central Unified has 16 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 41.7 — 3.2 points below the state average of 44.8.
Growth averages -3.5pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring elementary school is River Bluff Elementary with a Scope Score of 60 and 28.8% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | River Bluff Elementary Central Unified Growth Engine | 28.8% | Solid 60/100 |
| 2 | Norman Liddell Elementary Central Unified Building Momentum | 27.4% | Solid 54/100 |
| 3 | Herndon-Barstow Elementary Central Unified Growth Engine | 26.6% | Solid 53/100 |
| 4 | Biola-Pershing Elementary Central Unified Building Momentum | 14.4% | Solid 50/100 |
| 5 | Teague Elementary Central Unified Growth Engine | 10.3% | Developing 48/100 |
| 6 | Harvest Elementary Central Unified Building Momentum | 15.7% | Developing 47/100 |
| 7 | Central Elementary Central Unified Building Momentum | 21.1% | Developing 43/100 |
| 8 | Madison Elementary Central Unified Building Momentum | 19.7% | Developing 42/100 |
| 9 | Hanh Phan Tilley Elementary Central Unified Building Momentum | 10.4% | Developing 42/100 |
| 10 | John Steinbeck Elementary Central Unified Building Momentum | 9.8% | Developing 40/100 |
| 11 | Central Online Home Central Unified Culture First | 10.7% | Developing 39/100 |
| 12 | William Saroyan Elementary Central Unified Building Momentum | 17.6% | Developing 35/100 |
| 13 | McKinley Elementary Central Unified Building Momentum | 7.5% | Developing 33/100 |
| 14 | Roosevelt Elementary Central Unified Building Momentum | 6.9% | Needs Support 29/100 |
| 15 | Houghton-Kearney Elementary Central Unified On the Rise | 14.1% | Needs Support 28/100 |
| 16 | Central Unified Alternative/Opportunity Central Unified Building Momentum | 3.5% | Needs Support 23/100 |
High Schools (4)
Central Unified has 4 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 36.9 — 6.8 points below the state average of 43.7.
The highest-scoring high school is Justin Garza High with a Scope Score of 46 and 14.3% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Garza High Central Unified Building Momentum | 14.3% | Developing 46/100 |
| 2 | Central East High Central Unified Building Momentum | 9.0% | Developing 43/100 |
| 3 | Central High Central Unified Building Momentum | 12.8% | Developing 41/100 |
| 4 | Pershing Continuation High Central Unified Building Momentum | 0.0% | Needs Support 19/100 |
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.
Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology