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Mountain Empire Unified: Mountain Empire Unified high schools lead at 44.0. A 33.5-point spread across all schools shows this is a district of contrasts.

Below Average2024–25 data10 schools · avg 35.1/100

Mountain Empire Unified has 10 ranked schools across elementary and high levels with an average Scope Score of 35.1/100 — 8.2 points below the state average of 43.2. The highest-scoring school is San Diego Virtual at 51/100, where 16.9% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $15,429 per student (above the state average of $14,815). Chronic absenteeism averages 21.6%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.

Avg Scope Score
35.1
State avg: 43.2
SchoolScope composite
Score Range
33.5
17.3 – 50.9
Avg Exceeded %
12.0%
State avg: 21.3%
Chronic Absenteeism
21.6%
State avg: 17.9%
Schools Ranked
10
With Scope Scores
Charter Schools
5
of 10 ranked
LevelAvg ScoreSchoolsExceededAbsent
ElementaryDeveloping
32.8/100
811.8%19.8%
HighDeveloping
44.0/100
212.7%28.7%

Mountain Empire Unified's high schools average 44.0/100 — within 0.3 points of the state average.

K–12 pipeline

The typical school path in Mountain Empire Unified, top-scoring shown first.

Elementary
32.8
avg score · 8 schools
Descanso Elementary
Developing
40/100
+5 more elementary schools
High
44.0
avg score · 2 schools
Mountain Empire High
Developing
37/100

District Analysis

Mountain Empire Unified has 10 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 35.1/100 — 8.2 points below the state average of 43.2 (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Strongest level: Mountain Empire Unified's high schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 44.0.

District-wide elementary growth averages +0.7pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — schools are making incremental gains.

Score range of 33.5 points — showing significant variation between schools.

District chronic absenteeism averages 21.6%, 3.7pp above the state average of 17.9%.

District suspension rate averages 1.8%, near the state average of 1.6%.

San Diego Virtual leads the district at 51 with 16.9% exceeding standard.

How we score · Scope Score methodology

School archetypes in Mountain Empire Unified

2 Culture First2 On the Rise6 Building Momentum

Hidden gems: 2 schools in Mountain Empire Unified are classified as On the Rise (2) — 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

Hispanic
51.0%
White
35.0%
Asian
0.8%
Black
1.8%
Other
11.4%
Free/Reduced Lunch
58%
Economic need indicator · district avg

District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data

District Funding

Mountain Empire Unified spends $15,429 per student in current expenditures — $614 above the state average of $14,815.

Per-Pupil Spending
$15,429
State avg: $14,815
District Enrollment
1,674
Students for funding calc
2016–2020 Trend
↑ 92.6%
$8,011 → $15,429
Spending Efficiency
2.27
Scope Score per $1K spent
Spending Breakdown
Instruction 61%Support 36%Other 3%
NCES F-33 Finance · District-level data — not school-specific

Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020

For the data nerds

Every school in Mountain Empire Unified

ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP

Elementary Schools (8)

Mountain Empire Unified has 8 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 32.8 — 10.4 points below the state average of 43.2.

Grade-to-grade growth averages +0.7pp — schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.

The highest-scoring elementary school is Elite Academic Academy - Mountain Empire with a Scope Score of 49 and 26.1% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Elite Academic Academy - Mountain Empire
Mountain Empire Unified Culture First
26.1%Developing
49/100
2Compass Charter Schools of San Diego
Mountain Empire Unified Culture First
17.9%Developing
44/100
3Descanso Elementary
Mountain Empire Unified On the Rise
17.3%Developing
40/100
4JCS - Pine Valley
Mountain Empire Unified On the Rise
14.8%Developing
39/100
5Motivated Youth Academy
Mountain Empire Unified Building Momentum
6.3%Needs Support
28/100
6Campo Elementary
Mountain Empire Unified Building Momentum
9.4%Needs Support
24/100
7Potrero Elementary
Mountain Empire Unified Building Momentum
2.2%Needs Support
21/100
8Clover Flat Elementary
Mountain Empire Unified Building Momentum
0.5%Needs Support
17/100

High Schools (2)

Mountain Empire Unified has 2 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 44.0 — within 0.3 points of the state average of 43.7.

The highest-scoring high school is San Diego Virtual with a Scope Score of 51 and 16.9% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1San Diego Virtual
Mountain Empire Unified Building Momentum
16.9%Solid
51/100
2Mountain Empire High
Mountain Empire Unified Building Momentum
8.5%Developing
37/100
Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 10 schoolsMethodology · Explore all schools

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.

What Scope Scores can't tell you about Mountain Empire Unified

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Mountain Empire Unified a good school district?
Mountain Empire Unified has 10 ranked schools averaging a Scope Score of 35.1/100, which is 8.2 points below the state average. 12.0% of students exceed the state standard on average. The Scope Score measures academic performance and school climate across seven dimensions. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What is the best school in Mountain Empire Unified?
The highest-scoring school in Mountain Empire Unified is San Diego Virtual with a Scope Score of 51/100 and 16.9% exceeding standard. See methodology.
How much does Mountain Empire Unified spend per student?
Mountain Empire Unified spends $15,429 per student in current expenditures. The state average is $14,815. Spending data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data Fiscal Survey (F-33). Higher spending does not automatically mean better outcomes — the Scope Score measures what happens in the classroom regardless of budget.
What does the Scope Score measure?
The Scope Score is SchoolScope's proprietary composite rating (0–100) based on seven dimensions of publicly available California school data: the exceeded-vs-met standard split, overall proficiency, grade-level growth, chronic absenteeism, suspension rate, ELPAC English Learner proficiency, and baseline proficiency. Full methodology and weights.