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Public school district · California

La Canada Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

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

Change location →Compare schools →
La Canada HighLa Canada ElementaryParadise Canyon ElementaryPalm Crest ElementaryLa Canada UnifiedN ↑
4 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary3 schools
avg 80.4/1003 Strong
High1 school
avg 92.9/1001 Strong

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

Stage 1 of 2

The elementary years

Consistently strong: all 3 elementary schools land within 8 points of each other, averaging 80.4/100 — 41.5 points above the state average.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

All 3 elementary schools land within 8 points — the average is a fair summary here.

The strength

La Canada Elementary (85/100) holds the Strong band — 63.2% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 62.0%.

The catch

Only 3 campuses at this level — one school's year moves every number in this chapter.

La Canada Elementary
High Ceiling
99th percentile · StrongScope Score 85/100
Paradise Canyon Elementary
High Ceiling
98th percentile · StrongScope Score 79/100
Palm Crest Elementary
High Ceiling
98th percentile · StrongScope Score 77/100

Elementary school detail in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 2

The high school years

One high school: La Canada High at 93/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.

0100

One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.

The strength

La Canada High (93/100) holds the Strong band — 64.4% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 64.4%.

The catch

One campus is the whole sample — a single year's cohort moves every number in this chapter.

La Canada High
High Ceiling
99th percentile · StrongScope Score 93/100

High school detail 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 La Canada Elementary at 85/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.

If you already live here

No charters or magnets among the ranked schools here, so the main lever is an intra-district transfer — California districts run them on their own windows and criteria. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, ask the district office for this year's dates.

If your kid is enrolled now

A band is a position, not a prophecy — a school's number can move without your kid's experience moving with it. 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:

La Canada Elementary 99th percentile · StrongScope Score 85/100La Canada High 99th percentile · StrongScope Score 93/100

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.

La Canada Unified has 4 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

3 comparable schools · average 80.4/100 · range 77.1–85.0

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

1 comparable schools · average 92.9/100 · range 92.9–92.9

Explore La Canada Unified by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
La Canada Unifiedthis district83.5 / 1004La Canada High—
Glendale Unified51.1 / 10028Anderson W. Clark Magnet High3.7 mi
South Pasadena Unified79.5 / 1005South Pasadena Senior High7.2 mi
San Marino Unified82.1 / 1004San Marino High7.9 mi
San Gabriel Unified50.2 / 1007Gabrielino High9.5 mi
Temple City Unified63.3 / 1003Temple City High9.7 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

La Canada

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?

High Ceiling 4
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 La Canada Unified

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

Map ↗

Elementary schools in La Canada Unified · 3 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
La Canada Elementary
La Canada Unified High Ceiling
63.2%99th percentile · StrongScope Score 85/100
Paradise Canyon Elementary
La Canada Unified High Ceiling
55.1%98th percentile · StrongScope Score 79/100
Palm Crest Elementary
La Canada Unified High Ceiling
67.6%98th percentile · StrongScope Score 77/100

High schools in La Canada Unified · 1 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
La Canada High
La Canada Unified High Ceiling
64.4%99th percentile · StrongScope Score 93/100
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.

La Canada Unified spent $17,349 per student in FY 2024–25 — $3,142 less than the median California district ($20,491), about 15% lower. About 65 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

  • Instruction65%
  • Instruction support8%
  • Student services7%
  • Administration8%
  • Buildings & maintenance12%

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$62,598–$126,899
Teaching staff197 · FTE
District enrollment3,988 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 12.6% · White 41.3% · Black 0.3% · Asian 30.6% · Other 15.2%
Free/reduced lunch5% · 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.

Elementary3 listed schools →High1 listed school →

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

Looking beyond La Canada Unified?

Explore public, private, and early-learning options.

Public schools →Private schools →Preschools →

Know what you’re comparing.

Sources & reporting years

Find the underlying data and reporting years.

Read more →

How patterns are defined

Understand each metric and pattern.

Read more →

Data limitations

See what is missing and what the data cannot show.

Read more →

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 · 4 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in La Canada Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 4 public schools in La Canada 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 La Canada Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: La Canada Elementary (85/100). High: La Canada High (93/100). 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 La Canada 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.

Related

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