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Public school district · California

Laguna Beach Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

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

Laguna Beach HighTop of the World ElementaryThurston MiddleEl Morro ElementaryLaguna Beach UnifiedN ↑
4 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary2 schools
avg 64.6/1002 Strong
Middle1 school
avg 67.1/1001 Strong
High1 school
avg 75.5/1001 Strong

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

The elementary schools average 64.6/100 — 25.8 points above the state average, with 2 of 2 in the Strong band.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

2 elementary schools span 13 points around an average of 64.6.

The strength

Top of the World Elementary (71/100) holds the Strong band — 53.0% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 47.9%.

The catch

Only 2 campuses at this level — one school's year moves every number in this chapter.

95th percentile · StrongScope Score 71/100
85th percentile · StrongScope Score 58/100

Elementary school detail in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 3

The middle years

One middle school: Thurston Middle at 67/100 — 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

Thurston Middle (67/100) holds the Strong band — 38.9% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 38.9%.

The catch

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

Thurston Middle
Building Momentum
92nd percentile · StrongScope Score 67/100

Middle school detail in the appendix →

Stage 3 of 3

The high school years

One high school: Laguna Beach High at 76/100 — 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

Laguna Beach High (76/100) holds the Strong band — 41.8% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 41.8%. 1 school classifies as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.

The catch

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

Laguna Beach High
Strong All-Around
93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 76/100

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 Top of the World Elementary at 71/100 — 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:

Top of the World Elementary 95th percentile · StrongScope Score 71/100Thurston Middle 92nd percentile · StrongScope Score 67/100Laguna Beach High 93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 76/100

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.

Laguna Beach 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

2 comparable schools · average 64.6/100 · range 58.2–71.1

Middle schools

Explore middle →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

1 comparable schools · average 67.1/100 · range 67.1–67.1

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

1 comparable schools · average 75.5/100 · range 75.5–75.5

Explore Laguna Beach Unified by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
Laguna Beach Unifiedthis district68.0 / 1004Laguna Beach High—
Orange County Department of Education62.3 / 1007International School for Science and Culture4.3 mi
Capistrano Unified59.9 / 10044Ladera Ranch Middle5.6 mi
Saddleback Valley Unified52.3 / 10021Portola Hills Elementary7.9 mi
Irvine Unified65.3 / 10025Deerfield Elementary8.8 mi
Newport-Mesa Unified55.1 / 10020Corona del Mar High9.5 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 Laguna Beach Unified

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

Map ↗

Elementary schools in Laguna Beach Unified · 2 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Top of the World Elementary
Laguna Beach Unified High Ceiling
53.0%95th percentile · StrongScope Score 71/100
El Morro Elementary
Laguna Beach Unified Solid Base
42.8%85th percentile · StrongScope Score 58/100

Middle schools in Laguna Beach Unified · 1 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Thurston Middle
Laguna Beach Unified Building Momentum
38.9%92nd percentile · StrongScope Score 67/100

High schools in Laguna Beach Unified · 1 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Laguna Beach High
Laguna Beach Unified Strong All-Around
41.8%93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 76/100
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.

Laguna Beach Unified spent $37,631 per student in FY 2024–25 — $17,139 more than the median California district ($20,491), about 84% higher. About 60 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

  • Instruction60%
  • Instruction support10%
  • Student services11%
  • Administration9%
  • Buildings & maintenance7%
  • Other3%

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$74,634–$173,453
Teaching staff158 · FTE
District enrollment2,634 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 12.3% · White 70.7% · Black 0.6% · Asian 5.5% · Other 10.9%
Free/reduced lunch19% · 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 Laguna Beach 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 · 4 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in Laguna Beach Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 4 public schools in Laguna Beach 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 Laguna Beach Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: Top of the World Elementary (71/100). Middle: Thurston Middle (67/100). High: Laguna Beach High (76/100). 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 Laguna Beach 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.