Murrieta Valley Unified: Murrieta Valley Unified high schools lead at 59.3. A 35.1-point spread across all schools shows this is a district of contrasts.
Murrieta Valley Unified has 19 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 55.8/100 — 11.0 points above the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Murrieta Canyon Academy at 73/100, where 36.2% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $12,094 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 3 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 18.9%, near the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Solid 56.9/100 | 12 | 28.2% | 18.7% |
| Middle | Solid 50.0/100 | 4 | 22.3% | 17.3% |
| High | Solid 59.3/100 | 3 | 29.9% | 21.9% |
Murrieta Valley Unified's high schools average 59.3/100 — 15.6 points above the state average.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Murrieta Valley Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Murrieta Valley Unified has 19 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 55.8/100 — 11.0 points above the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: Murrieta Valley Unified's high schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 59.3.
District-wide elementary growth averages -1.1pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.
Score range of 35.1 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 18.9%, 1.0pp near the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 2.3%, near the state average of 1.6%.
Murrieta Canyon Academy leads the district at 73 with 36.2% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Murrieta Valley Unified
Hidden gems: 4 schools in Murrieta Valley Unified are classified as Growth Engine (3) or On the Rise — 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
District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data
District Funding
Murrieta Valley Unified spends $12,094 per student in current expenditures — $2,720 below the state average of $14,815.
Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020
Teacher compensation
CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25
Every school in Murrieta Valley Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (12)
Murrieta Valley Unified has 12 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 56.9 — 12.1 points above the state average of 44.8. 1 of 12 elementary schools score above 70.
Growth averages -1.1pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Murrieta Canyon Academy with a Scope Score of 73 and 36.2% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murrieta Canyon Academy Murrieta Valley Unified Growth Engine | 36.2% | Strong 73/100 |
| 2 | Alta Murrieta Elementary Murrieta Valley Unified Strong All-Around | 36.5% | Solid 70/100 |
| 3 | Cole Canyon Elementary Murrieta Valley Unified Building Momentum | 41.4% | Solid 65/100 |
| 4 | Antelope Hills Elementary Murrieta Valley Unified Building Momentum | 31.6% | Solid 61/100 |
| 5 | Tovashal Elementary Murrieta Valley Unified Building Momentum | 36.1% | Solid 61/100 |
| 6 | Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary Murrieta Valley Unified Growth Engine | 26.0% | Solid 59/100 |
| 7 | Murrieta Elementary Murrieta Valley Unified Building Momentum | 24.9% | Solid 53/100 |
| 8 | E. Hale Curran Elementary Murrieta Valley Unified Building Momentum | 21.8% | Solid 52/100 |
| 9 | Monte Vista Elementary Murrieta Valley Unified Building Momentum | 24.9% | Solid 51/100 |
| 10 | Lisa J. Mails Elementary Murrieta Valley Unified Culture First | 25.9% | Solid 51/100 |
| 11 | Rail Ranch Elementary Murrieta Valley Unified Growth Engine | 20.5% | Developing 50/100 |
| 12 | Avaxat Elementary Murrieta Valley Unified On the Rise | 12.9% | Developing 38/100 |
Middle Schools (4)
Murrieta Valley Unified has 4 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 50.0 — 7.4 points above the state average of 42.6.
Growth is essentially flat at -0.2pp.
The highest-scoring middle school is Dorothy McElhinney Middle with a Scope Score of 61 and 29.6% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dorothy McElhinney Middle Murrieta Valley Unified Strong All-Around | 29.6% | Solid 61/100 |
| 2 | Thompson Middle Murrieta Valley Unified Building Momentum | 21.5% | Developing 49/100 |
| 3 | Shivela Middle Murrieta Valley Unified Building Momentum | 19.8% | Developing 45/100 |
| 4 | Warm Springs Middle Murrieta Valley Unified Building Momentum | 18.2% | Developing 45/100 |
High Schools (3)
Murrieta Valley Unified has 3 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 59.3 — 15.6 points above the state average of 43.7.
The highest-scoring high school is Vista Murrieta High with a Scope Score of 61 and 31.7% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vista Murrieta High Murrieta Valley Unified Strong All-Around | 31.7% | Solid 61/100 |
| 2 | Murrieta Valley High Murrieta Valley Unified Strong All-Around | 29.9% | Solid 60/100 |
| 3 | Murrieta Mesa High Murrieta Valley Unified Building Momentum | 28.2% | Solid 57/100 |
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.
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