Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
Consistently strong: all 5 elementary schools land within 10 points of each other, averaging 81.8/100 — 43.0 points above the state average.
5 elementary schools span 10 points around an average of 81.8.
Aurelia Pennekamp Elementary (87/100) holds the Strong band — 71.2% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 62.8%.
What these numbers can't see: class sizes, arts, teacher turnover, how a hallway feels at 8 a.m. Strong scores are the start of the question, not the answer.
The middle years
One middle school: Manhattan Beach Middle at 72/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.
One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.
Manhattan Beach Middle (72/100) holds the Strong band — 48.3% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 48.3%.
One campus is the whole sample — a single year's cohort moves every number in this chapter.
The high school years
One high school: Mira Costa High at 83/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.
One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.
Mira Costa High (83/100) holds the Strong band — 42.7% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 42.7%. 1 school classifies as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.
One campus is the whole sample — a single year's cohort moves every number in this chapter.
What it means for your family
Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Aurelia Pennekamp Elementary at 87/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
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.
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:
Aurelia Pennekamp Elementary 99th percentile · StrongScope Score 87/100Manhattan Beach Middle 95th percentile · StrongScope Score 72/100Mira Costa High 97th percentile · StrongScope Score 83/100
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.