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Public school district · California

North Monterey County Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

Compare elementary, middle, and high schools across North Monterey County Unified—and look beyond a single district average.

North Monterey County Center for Independent StudyNorth Monterey County HighCastroville ElementaryCentral Bay High (Continuation)Prunedale ElementaryElkhorn ElementaryEcho Valley ElementaryNorth Monterey County UnifiedN ↑
7 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary4 schools
avg 28.7/1002 Needs Support, 1 Solid, +1 more
High3 schools
avg 41.4/1002 Developing, 1 Strong

Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.

Stage 1 of 2

The elementary years

The elementary schools average 28.7/100 — 10.2 points below the state average. Here is what that number does and doesn't say.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

4 elementary schools span 18 points around an average of 28.7.

The strength

Castroville Elementary is the strongest option at 39/100 — 11.3% of its students exceed the state standard.

The catch

2 of 4 elementary schools sit in the Needs Support band — which campus you're zoned for carries real weight here.

58th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100
32nd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 29/100
Elkhorn Elementary
Building Momentum
21st percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 25/100

All 4 elementary schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 2

The high school years

The high schools average 41.4/100 — 12.5 points below the state average. Here is what that number does and doesn't say.

0100

3 high schools span 19 points around an average of 41.4.

1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.

The strength

North Monterey County Center for Independent Study is the strongest option at 49/100 — 11.8% of its students exceed the state standard.

The catch

37.0% of students are chronically absent (state: 23.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.

36th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100
26th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 46/100
83rd percentile · StrongWithin its own school classScope Score 30/100

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 Castroville Elementary at 39/100 — 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 — 2 campuses here rank as On the Rise, their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. 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:

Castroville Elementary 58th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100North Monterey County Center for Independent Study 36th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100

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.

North Monterey County Unified has 7 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

4 comparable schools · average 28.7/100 · range 21.5–39.0

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

2 comparable schools · average 47.2/100 · range 45.7–48.6

Explore North Monterey County Unified by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
North Monterey County Unifiedthis district34.8 / 1006North Monterey County Center for Independent Study—
Santa Rita Union Elementary27.2 / 1006New Republic Elementary5.1 mi
Salinas Union High53.2 / 1005Salinas High7.0 mi
Alisal Union28.8 / 10012Monte Bella Elementary8.2 mi
Aromas - San Juan Unified37.5 / 1002Anzar High8.8 mi
Monterey Peninsula Unified37.0 / 1005Marina 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 North Monterey County Unified

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

Map ↗

Elementary schools in North Monterey County Unified · 4 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Castroville Elementary
North Monterey County Unified On the Rise
11.3%58th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100
Prunedale Elementary
North Monterey County Unified On the Rise
8.3%32nd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 29/100
Elkhorn Elementary
North Monterey County Unified Building Momentum
9.1%21st percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 25/100
Echo Valley Elementary
North Monterey County Unified Building Momentum
6.0%13th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 21/100

High schools in North Monterey County Unified · 3 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
North Monterey County Center for Independent Study
North Monterey County Unified Building Momentum
11.8%36th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100
North Monterey County High
North Monterey County Unified Building Momentum
9.8%26th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 46/100
Central Bay High (Continuation)
North Monterey County Unified continuation high school
0.0%83rd percentile · StrongWithin its own school classScope Score 30/100
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.

North Monterey County Unified spent $23,874 per student in FY 2024–25 — $3,383 more than the median California district ($20,491), about 17% higher. About 59 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

  • Instruction59%
  • Instruction support11%
  • Student services11%
  • Administration10%
  • Buildings & maintenance8%

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
District enrollment4,583 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 90.8% · White 7.6% · Black 0.1% · Asian 0.4% · Other 1.0%
Free/reduced lunch88% · economic need indicator

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 North Monterey County 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 · 7 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in North Monterey County Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 7 public schools in North Monterey County 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 North Monterey County Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: Castroville Elementary (39/100). High: North Monterey County Center for Independent Study (49/100). 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 North Monterey County 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.