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Orange Unified: Orange Unified elementary schools lead at 53.1. A 55.6-point spread across all schools shows this is a district of contrasts.

Above Average2024–25 data33 schools · avg 53.0/100

Orange Unified has 33 ranked schools across elementary and high levels with an average Scope Score of 53.0/100 — 8.2 points above the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Anaheim Hills Elementary at 82/100, where 50.0% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $13,360 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 5 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 15.7%, below the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.

Avg Scope Score
53.0
State avg: 44.8
SchoolScope composite
Score Range
55.6
26.6 – 82.2
Avg Exceeded %
25.5%
State avg: 21.3%
Chronic Absenteeism
15.7%
State avg: 17.9%
Schools Ranked
33
With Scope Scores
LevelAvg ScoreSchoolsExceededAbsent
ElementarySolid
53.1/100
2827.0%12.9%
HighSolid
53.0/100
517.2%31.3%

Orange Unified's elementary schools average 53.1/100 — 8.2 points above the state average.

K–12 pipeline

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

Elementary
53.1
avg score · 28 schools
+25 more elementary schools
High
53.0
avg score · 5 schools
Canyon High
Solid
68/100
Villa Park High
Solid
58/100
El Modena High
Solid
56/100
+2 more high schools

District Analysis

Orange Unified has 33 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 53.0/100 — 8.2 points above the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Strongest level: Orange Unified's elementary schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 53.1.

District-wide elementary growth averages +0.1pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — schools are making incremental gains.

Score range of 55.6 points — showing significant variation between schools.

District chronic absenteeism averages 15.7%, 2.2pp below the state average of 17.9%.

District suspension rate averages 0.7%, near the state average of 1.6%.

Anaheim Hills Elementary leads the district at 82 with 50.0% exceeding standard.

How we score · Scope Score methodology

School archetypes in Orange Unified

5 Growth Engine5 Culture First4 Strong All-Around4 On the Rise11 Building Momentum

Hidden gems: 9 schools in Orange Unified are classified as Growth Engine (5) or On the Rise (4) — 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
60.8%
White
20.2%
Asian
8.5%
Black
1.2%
Other
9.3%
Free/Reduced Lunch
57%
Economic need indicator · district avg

District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data

District Funding

Orange Unified spends $13,360 per student in current expenditures — $1,454 below the state average of $14,815.

Per-Pupil Spending
$13,360
State avg: $14,815
District Enrollment
25,420
Students for funding calc
2016–2020 Trend
↑ 19.4%
$11,193 → $13,360
Spending Efficiency
3.97
Scope Score per $1K spent
Spending Breakdown
Instruction 58%Support 39%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

Teacher compensation

Salary Range
$65,014–$136,010
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
Teaching Staff
1,062
Full-time equivalent teachers

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25

For the data nerds

Every school in Orange Unified

ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP

Elementary Schools (28)

Orange Unified has 28 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 53.1 — 8.2 points above the state average of 44.8. 6 of 28 elementary schools score above 70.

Grade-to-grade growth averages +0.1pp — schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.

The highest-scoring elementary school is Anaheim Hills Elementary with a Scope Score of 82 and 50.0% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Anaheim Hills Elementary
Orange Unified Growth Engine
50.0%Strong
82/100
2Crescent Elementary
Orange Unified High Ceiling
57.5%Strong
77/100
3Nohl Canyon Elementary
Orange Unified High Ceiling
53.0%Strong
75/100
4La Veta Elementary
Orange Unified Growth Engine
36.6%Strong
72/100
5Panorama Elementary
Orange Unified Strong All-Around
46.2%Strong
71/100
6McPherson Magnet
Orange Unified Building Momentum
45.7%Strong
71/100
7OUSD EDGE Virtual Academy
Orange Unified Strong All-Around
28.7%Solid
69/100
8Running Springs Academy
Orange Unified Strong All-Around
43.8%Solid
69/100
9Fletcher Mandarin Language & GATE Academy
Orange Unified Building Momentum
41.7%Solid
63/100
10Villa Park Elementary
Orange Unified Solid Base
39.8%Solid
58/100
11Serrano Elementary
Orange Unified Growth Engine
30.9%Solid
57/100
12Canyon Rim Elementary
Orange Unified Solid Base
33.9%Solid
55/100
13Imperial Elementary
Orange Unified Culture First
28.7%Solid
52/100
14Palmyra GATE Magnet
Orange Unified Culture First
22.9%Solid
51/100
15Taft Elementary
Orange Unified Growth Engine
18.4%Developing
50/100
16Linda Vista Elementary
Orange Unified Culture First
22.9%Developing
49/100
17Handy Elementary
Orange Unified On the Rise
13.0%Developing
46/100
18California iInspire Academy
Orange Unified Growth Engine
15.2%Developing
45/100
19Jordan Academy of Language and Computer Science
Orange Unified Culture First
18.1%Developing
45/100
20Chapman Hills Elementary
Orange Unified Culture First
28.8%Developing
44/100
21Fairhaven Elementary
Orange Unified On the Rise
5.8%Developing
41/100
22Olive Elementary
Orange Unified Building Momentum
12.8%Developing
40/100
23Prospect Elementary
Orange Unified Building Momentum
16.0%Developing
39/100
24Lampson Elementary
Orange Unified On the Rise
8.6%Developing
37/100
25West Orange Elementary
Orange Unified On the Rise
13.6%Developing
35/100
26Esplanade Elementary
Orange Unified Building Momentum
7.2%Developing
34/100
27Sycamore Elementary
Orange Unified Building Momentum
11.1%Developing
33/100
28Cambridge Elementary
Orange Unified Building Momentum
4.5%Needs Support
27/100

High Schools (5)

Orange Unified has 5 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 53.0 — 9.3 points above the state average of 43.7.

The highest-scoring high school is Canyon High with a Scope Score of 68 and 35.8% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Canyon High
Orange Unified Strong All-Around
35.8%Solid
68/100
2Villa Park High
Orange Unified Building Momentum
20.7%Solid
58/100
3El Modena High
Orange Unified Building Momentum
20.9%Solid
56/100
4Orange High
Orange Unified Building Momentum
8.6%Developing
45/100
5Richland Continuation High
Orange Unified Building Momentum
0.0%Developing
38/100
Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 33 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 Orange 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 Orange Unified a good school district?
Orange Unified has 33 ranked schools averaging a Scope Score of 53.0/100, which is 8.2 points above the state average. 25.5% 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 Orange Unified?
The highest-scoring school in Orange Unified is Anaheim Hills Elementary with a Scope Score of 82/100 and 50.0% exceeding standard. See methodology.
How much does Orange Unified spend per student?
Orange Unified spends $13,360 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 is the teacher salary range in Orange Unified?
Teacher salaries in Orange Unified range from $65,014–$136,010 based on the district's salary schedule (CDE Form J-90). The California statewide median teacher salary is approximately $98,000.
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.