Murrieta Valley Unified’s 11 public elementary schools run from the 27th to the 94th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests).
Elementary · 11 schools
from 27th to 94th · among 5,726 California elementary schools we score · spring 2026 tests
from 8th to 82nd · among 1,498 California high schools we score · spring 2025 tests
Vista Murrieta High: 82nd percentile, Strong
Murrieta Valley High: 82nd percentile, Strong
Murrieta Mesa High: 74th percentile, Solid
Murrieta Canyon Academy: 8th percentile, Needs Support
1Needs Support
0Developing
1Solid
2Strong
← lower percentilehigher →
One dot per school. Each stage is placed only among California schools at its own level. 1 of the 19 ranked schools teaches two levels, so it appears in more than one picture.
The average elementary school in Murrieta Valley Unified had 16 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once.
Middle schools
Which middle schools in Murrieta Valley Unified score highest?
Dorothy McElhinney Middle is highest, at the 82nd percentile.
That’s higher than 82 in 100 of the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests).
Highest in Murrieta Valley Unified
Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level.
The average middle school in Murrieta Valley Unified had 20 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100.
High schools
Which high schools in Murrieta Valley Unified score highest?
Vista Murrieta High and Murrieta Valley High are highest, both at the 82nd percentile.
That’s higher than 82 in 100 of the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests).
Highest in Murrieta Valley Unified
Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level.
The average high school in Murrieta Valley Unified had 24 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California high school we score had 22 in 100.
The district
Where does Murrieta Valley Unified’s money go, and what does it plan?
Murrieta Valley Unified spent $16,831 per student in the 2024–25 school year.
The typical California district spent $20,491. About 64 cents of every Murrieta Valley Unified dollar went to classroom instruction.
Spending by function
Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus.
Share by function, 2024–25
Instruction64%
Instruction support9%
Student services10%
Administration6%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other1%
Shares of the same spending total, by the report’s spending categories, rounded so they add up to 100. Names are simplified from the report’s own categories.
What the district plans
$31.9 million
planned in its 2026–27 plan for 22 funded actions in 5 goals. That’s 9% of its $352.1 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts; the district reports what it spent in a later plan.
The plan in short
Source: the district’s yearly spending plan (Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, 165 pages), as posted to the California School Dashboard.
Where the money goes
Three actions take 48% of the money. The plan itself puts 87% of it toward staff.
Additional Counselors TK - 12 $8.0 million
Elementary Intervention Teachers $3.7 million
Career Technical Education (CTE) $3.5 million
19 other actions
Reading, math and catch-up help
7 of the plan’s 22 funded actions name reading, math, catch-up help or English learners in their titles.
Actions whose titles name catch-up help or English learners
Catch-up help $8.6 million
English learners $1.2 million
Largest of these
Elementary Intervention Teachers$3.7 million
Mental Health Supports and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)$2.9 million
Secondary Intervention$1.5 million
For high-need students (English learners, low-income students and foster youth), what changed and what its goals measure
For high-need students
It plans $27.8 million in extra services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth. For 2025–26, it planned $26.3 million and estimates it spent $26.9 million, $0.6 million (2%) more than planned (our arithmetic).
$26.9 million spent (estimated)$26.3 million planned
What changed
The total is $3.0 million (10%) higher than in the 2025–26 plan. The biggest change in dollars is Additional Counselors TK - 12, which went from $3.9 million to $8.0 million.
Largest cuts
Elementary Intervention Teachers−$2.4 million
Instructional Coaches−$241,084
Practices to Support All Students−$229,896
Largest increases
Additional Counselors TK - 12+$4.2 million
Mental Health Supports and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)+$1.1 million
Additional Teachers for Smaller Class Sizes+$294,334
Ask: What did Elementary Intervention Teachers pay for, and what changes now that the 2026–27 plan gives it $2.4 million less?
What its goals measure
Read these state results for the district’s own schools as context for the goals they measure; results alone can’t show what the plan caused.
What its goals measure: state results, 2024–25 and 2025–26
Measure
2024–25
2025–26
Change
English, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 1 · Student Learning and Achievement
63%
63%
no change
Math, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 1 · Student Learning and Achievement
48%
49%
up 1 pt
Chronically absentCounted across all the district’s students, not averaged by schoolGoals 1, 3 and 4
19 in 100
18 in 100
1 fewer in 100
Suspended at least onceGoal 4 · Engagement and School Culture
2.3%
2.5%
up 0.2 pts
Goal 5 tracks named schools and Goal 2 tracks other measures, so they aren’t shown here.
Figures from CDE’s state test, chronic absence and suspension files. Test figures cover every grade the district tests (California tests grades 3–8 and 11), so they differ from a profile’s rated grades. We combined the district’s schools ourselves, weighted by students and leaving out charter schools. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days.
The plan’s own titles and amounts
Additional Counselors TK - 12 · $8,034,523
Elementary Intervention Teachers · $3,656,162
Career Technical Education (CTE) · $3,548,549
The full plan5 goals, 46 measures and where the money goes
We calculate each action’s share of the plan by dividing its planned amount by the total of the plan’s funded actions ($31.9 million).
Where does the money go?
57% to Goal 1, Student Learning and Achievement. Each box is one action, sized by its planned dollars and coloured by its change since last year’s plan. Tap a box to open its goal.
not compared: unconfirmed, or repeated across goals
Every goal, in the plan’s order
Goal 1Student Learning and Achievement$18.3 million57% of action budgets
“Ensure all students have access to high quality actions and services that increase student learning, academic achievement, and college and career readiness” p. 21 ↗
6 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $13.8 million (+$4.4 million)
Largest funded actions
Additional Counselors TK - 12$8.0 millionaction 1.2 · p. 124 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $5.4 million is state funding counted toward those services
Career Technical Education (CTE)$3.5 millionaction 1.5 · p. 124 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Additional Teachers for Smaller Class Sizes$2.8 millionaction 1.1 · p. 124 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program$2.5 millionaction 1.4 · p. 124 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Coordinators and PLT Leads$1.2 millionaction 1.3 · p. 124 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
1 more funded action in this goal
College/Career Readiness · action 1.6 · p. 124 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.2 million
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Additional Counselors TK - 12+$4.2 million$3.9 million → $8.0 million · p. 124 ↗
Additional Teachers for Smaller Class Sizes+$0.3 million$2.5 million → $2.8 million · p. 124 ↗
Coordinators and PLT Leads−$0.2 million$1.3 million → $1.2 million · p. 124 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Career Technical Education (CTE) · $3.5 million → $3.5 million · p. 124 ↗+$0.1 million
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program · $2.5 million → $2.5 million · p. 124 ↗+$42,587
College/Career Readiness · $153,818 → $168,412 · p. 124 ↗+$14,594
How the plan measures it · 17 measures
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 21 ↗.
Goal 2Intervention$7.0 million22% of action budgets
“Provide high quality early intervention actions and services to close achievement gaps and ensure high levels of learning for all students” p. 39 ↗
5 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $9.6 million (−$2.6 million)
Largest funded actions
Elementary Intervention Teachers$3.7 millionaction 2.1 · p. 124 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Secondary Intervention$1.5 millionaction 2.2 · p. 124 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $1.3 million is state funding counted toward those services
English Learner Program Support$1.0 millionaction 2.3 · p. 124 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Intervention Programs and Support$0.5 millionaction 2.4 · p. 125 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Long-term English Learner Supports$0.2 millionaction 2.5 · p. 125 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Elementary Intervention Teachers−$2.4 million$6.1 million → $3.7 million · p. 124 ↗
Intervention Programs and Support−$122,122$662,429 → $540,307 · p. 125 ↗
English Learner Program Support−$0.1 million$1.1 million → $1.0 million · p. 124 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Secondary Intervention · $1.5 million → $1.5 million · p. 124 ↗−$6,208
Long-term English Learner Supports · $210,060 → $213,815 · p. 125 ↗+$3,755
How the plan measures it · 7 measures
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 39 ↗.
Goal 3Professional Development$1.3 million4% of action budgets
“Ensure classroom teachers, instructional support staff, and school administrators are trained in key areas that will support them in meeting the needs of all students, including research-based instructional practices, standards-aligned curriculum and assessments, the implementation of professional learning teams, positive behavioral support systems, and strategies for addressing the needs of all learners” p. 51 ↗
4 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $1.2 million (+$118,253)
Largest funded actions
Curriculum Work Teams$388,279action 3.3 · p. 125 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Data and Assessment Programs$362,624action 3.4 · p. 125 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Induction Program$339,745action 3.2 · p. 125 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Instructional Coaches$253,573action 3.1 · p. 125 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Instructional Coaches−$241,084$494,657 → $253,573 · p. 125 ↗
Curriculum Work Teams+$241,009$147,270 → $388,279 · p. 125 ↗
Induction Program+$74,260$265,485 → $339,745 · p. 125 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Data and Assessment Programs · $318,556 → $362,624 · p. 125 ↗+$44,068
How the plan measures it · 7 measures
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 51 ↗.
Goal 4Engagement and School Culture$5.3 million17% of action budgets
“Ensure all school sites develop positive environments where students, staff, and families feel connected and valued and where the needs of the whole child are prioritized as a fundamental part of student growth and achievement” p. 63 ↗
5 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $4.3 million (+$994,263)
Largest funded actions
Mental Health Supports and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)$2.9 millionaction 4.3 · p. 125 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $1.7 million is state funding counted toward those services
Attendance Supports$1.9 millionaction 4.5 · p. 125 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Foster Youth Support Services$0.3 millionaction 4.4 · p. 125 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Educational Partner Engagement$0.2 millionaction 4.2 · p. 125 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Practices to Support All Studentsunder $0.1 millionaction 4.1 · p. 125 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Mental Health Supports and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)+$1.1 million$1.8 million → $2.9 million · p. 125 ↗
Practices to Support All Students−$229,896$260,396 → $30,500 · p. 125 ↗
Foster Youth Support Services+$99,129$172,384 → $271,513 · p. 125 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Attendance Supports · $1.9 million → $1.9 million · p. 125 ↗+$48,740
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 63 ↗.
Goal 5 · Equity Multiplier Focus GoalProvide targeted attendance and academic intervention supports at Murrieta Options Academy to address…$51,697under 1% of action budgets
“Provide targeted attendance and academic intervention supports at Murrieta Options Academy to address barriers to learning and improve student achievement and graduation outcomes. By the end of the 2026-27 school year, Murrieta Options Academy will demonstrate growth by improving attendance rates for all students by 2%, as well as by improving graduation rates for all students, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, and Hispanic students by 2%. Socioeconomically disadvantaged students and Hispanic students are the student groups demonstrating low performance in the graduation rate metric based on the CA Dashboard. Additionally, the school will increase the percentage of teachers authorized by a clear or preliminary credential for their assigned content area by 2%” p. 78 ↗
2 funded actions · no goal 5 in the 2025–26 plan
Largest funded actions
Attendance Intervention$35,750action 5.1 · p. 126 ↗
All amounts are planned. We read them from the PDF and added up each goal’s actions ourselves. Page links open the plan at that page.
Who goes to the district’s schools
Who attends
Student mix
2024–25 · October enrollment count, 21,712 students
1Hispanic or Latino43%
2White33%
3Two or more races9%
4Black or African American5%
5Asian4%
6Filipino4%
7Not reported2%
8Pacific Islander<1%
9American Indian or Alaska Native<1%
Shares use the district's own October enrollment counts from the CDE, including its charter schools. Rounded labels may not total 100%; segments use the original shares.
Free or reduced-price meals
54%
Across California, 63% of students qualify.
2024–25 · 11,651 of 21,621 students qualify, summed from the CDE’s meal counts for every school it lists under the district, charters included. It comes from a different CDE file than the student mix, so the two totals differ.
The district’s state records
Is the state giving the district extra help?
Murrieta Valley Unified isn’t getting extra state help in 2026, only the standard support every district gets.
How English learners moved up on the state’s English test
From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 58% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (482 of 835 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent.
This list covers the district’s own schools; each charter school’s page shows its record. Federal designation under the Every Student Succeeds Act, 2025–26.
Which public schools in Murrieta Valley Unified rank highest?
Elementary: Alta Murrieta Elementary, 94th percentile (Strong). Middle: Dorothy McElhinney Middle, 82nd percentile (Strong). High: 2 schools at the 82nd percentile (Strong): Vista Murrieta High and Murrieta Valley High. Each percentile is among the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.
Does living in the Murrieta Valley Unified district decide which school my child attends?
Not by itself. Attendance boundaries, programs, transfers and space all matter. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
More questions (5)
Are the public schools in Murrieta Valley Unified good?
Murrieta Valley Unified’s 11 public elementary schools run from the 27th to the 94th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 5 Strong, 5 Solid and 1 Developing. Murrieta Valley Unified’s 5 public middle schools run from the 50th to the 82nd percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 2 Strong and 3 Solid. Murrieta Valley Unified’s 4 public high schools run from the 8th to the 82nd percentile among the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests). By band: 2 Strong, 1 Solid and 1 Needs Support. A percentile compares a school with California public schools at the same level that we score. How we score schools.
How does chronic absence in Murrieta Valley Unified compare with California?
The average elementary school in Murrieta Valley Unified had 16 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once. The average middle school in Murrieta Valley Unified had 20 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100. The average high school in Murrieta Valley Unified had 24 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California high school we score had 22 in 100. These are averages of school rates: each school counts once, whatever its size.
How much does Murrieta Valley Unified spend per student?
Murrieta Valley Unified spent $16,831 per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491. About 64 cents of every Murrieta Valley Unified dollar went to classroom instruction. Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from its annual financial report to the California Department of Education. The district’s spending, by function.
What is in Murrieta Valley Unified’s 2026–27 spending plan?
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $31.9 million into 22 funded actions in 5 goals, 9% of its $352.1 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $18.3 million, 57% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.
Where do these results come from?
California’s state tests (CAASPP): spring 2026 for elementary and middle schools, spring 2025 for high schools, and chronic-absence rates for 2025–26, published by the California Department of Education. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.
Sources and methodology
This page lists the public schools governed and funded by Murrieta Valley Unified, with the district’s spending and state accountability records.
Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2025–26 elementary and middle school; 2024–25 high school
Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s own calculations from these state files.