Orange Unified’s 27 public elementary schools run from the 21st to the 98th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). They sit in all four bands, from Strong to Needs Support.
Elementary · 27 schools
from 21st to 98th · among 5,726 California elementary schools we score · spring 2026 tests
Anaheim Hills Elementary: 98th percentile, Strong
Crescent Elementary: 97th percentile, Strong
Panorama Elementary: 92nd percentile, Strong
Nohl Canyon Elementary: 92nd percentile, Strong
Chapman Hills Elementary: 90th percentile, Strong
Villa Park Elementary: 89th percentile, Strong
Running Springs Academy: 88th percentile, Strong
Fletcher Mandarin Language & GATE Academy: 84th percentile, Strong
McPherson Magnet: 84th percentile, Strong
Serrano Elementary: 80th percentile, Strong
Linda Vista Elementary: 79th percentile, Strong
La Veta Elementary: 77th percentile, Strong
Imperial Elementary: 76th percentile, Strong
Palmyra GATE Magnet: 71st percentile, Solid
Canyon Rim Elementary: 69th percentile, Solid
Taft Elementary: 62nd percentile, Solid
California iInspire Academy: 48th percentile, Developing
Sycamore Elementary: 47th percentile, Developing
West Orange Elementary: 46th percentile, Developing
Olive Elementary: 46th percentile, Developing
Jordan Academy of Language and Computer Science: 43rd percentile, Developing
Cambridge Elementary: 40th percentile, Developing
Esplanade Elementary: 39th percentile, Developing
Handy Elementary: 38th percentile, Developing
Fairhaven Elementary: 24th percentile, Needs Support
Prospect Elementary: 23rd percentile, Needs Support
Lampson Elementary: 21st percentile, Needs Support
3Needs Support
8Developing
3Solid
13Strong
← lower percentilehigher →
One dot per school.
Middle and high school pictures
Middle · 7 schools
from 44th to 95th · among 2,529 California middle schools we score · spring 2026 tests
from 28th to 88th · among 1,498 California high schools we score · spring 2025 tests
Canyon High: 88th percentile, Strong
OUSD EDGE Virtual Academy: 67th percentile, Solid
El Modena High: 65th percentile, Solid
Villa Park High: 64th percentile, Solid
Orange High: 28th percentile, Developing
0Needs Support
1Developing
3Solid
1Strong
← lower percentilehigher →
One dot per school. Each stage is placed only among California schools at its own level. 2 of the 37 ranked schools teach two levels, so they appear in more than one picture.
The average elementary school in Orange Unified had 12 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 Orange Unified score highest?
El Rancho Charter is highest, at the 95th percentile.
That’s higher than 95 in 100 of the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests).
Highest in Orange Unified
Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. What patterns mean
El Rancho CharterAnaheim · Broad base · Charter school. Check how it admits students.
95thStrongScope Score 74
McPherson MagnetOrange · Magnet school. Check how it admits students.
The average middle school in Orange Unified had 12 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 Orange Unified score highest?
Canyon High is highest, at the 88th percentile.
That’s higher than 88 in 100 of the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests).
Highest in Orange Unified
Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. What patterns mean
The average high school in Orange Unified had 21 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California high school we score had 22 in 100.
3 high schools not ranked statewide
Continuation schools, special education centers and court and community schools enroll students differently from a regular school, so each is compared only with its own kind or not ranked.
Canyon HillsSpecial education center: students are placed here by an IEP team, not by address and not by lottery, so we don’t rank it
OUSD Community DayCommunity day school: students are placed here by probation, district or voluntary referral, including after an expulsion, so we don’t rank it
The district
Where does Orange Unified’s money go, and what does it plan?
Orange Unified spent $18,412 per student in the 2024–25 school year.
The typical California district spent $20,491. About 60 cents of every Orange 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
Instruction60%
Instruction support14%
Student services12%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance9%
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
$438.1 million
planned in its 2026–27 plan for 50 funded actions in 4 goals. That’s all of its 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, 196 pages), as posted to the California School Dashboard.
Where the money goes
Three actions take 80% of the money; their titles are below. The plan itself puts 82% of it toward staff.
High Quality Educators and Staff: Targeted Professional Learning for Academic Recovery $271.3 million
Action 2 $60.2 million
Expanded Learning and Summer Enrichment $20.1 million
47 other actions
Reading, math and catch-up help
8 of the plan’s 50 funded actions name reading, math, catch-up help or English learners in their titles.
Actions whose titles name math, catch-up help or English learners
Math $0.3 million
Catch-up help $5.2 million
English learners $4.7 million
An action naming two of these appears under both.
Largest of these
EL Academic Support Services$3.2 million
Secondary Academic Support$1.5 million
EL and Academic Language Professional Development$1.1 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 $42.4 million in extra services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth. For 2025–26, it planned $55.6 million and estimates it spent $41.6 million, $14.0 million (25%) less than planned (our arithmetic).
$41.6 million spent (estimated)$55.6 million planned
Ask: Why did estimated spending on these services come in $14.0 million under the 2025–26 plan, and where does that money go in 2026–27?
What changed
The total is $34.8 million (9%) higher than in the 2025–26 plan. We couldn’t match $273.4 million of this $438.1 million plan to individual actions in last year’s plan. These lists cover the rest.
Largest cuts
Special Education Programs, Supports, Staff and Supplies−$83.8 million
Textbooks−$8.0 million
Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA)−$3.4 million
Largest increases
Expanded Learning and Summer Enrichment+$10.1 million
Elementary Support+$4.6 million
Maintain Infrastructure: Business, Human Resources, Maintenance, Operations and Transportation+$4.0 million
New in the 2026–27 plan
High Quality Educators and Staff: Targeted Professional Learning for Academic Recovery$271.3 million
Assessment and Ed. Tech Support$1.3 million
Ask: What did Special Education Programs, Supports, Staff and Supplies pay for, and what changes now that the 2026–27 plan gives it $83.8 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 · Academic Performance
57%
57%
no change
Math, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goals 1 and 2
44%
46%
up 2 pts
Chronically absentCounted across all the district’s students, not averaged by schoolGoal 2 · Academic Engagement
16 in 100
16 in 100
no change
Suspended at least onceGoals 2 and 3
1.0%
0.8%
down 0.2 pts
Goal 4 isn’t shown because it tracks named schools.
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
High Quality Educators and Staff: Targeted Professional Learning for Academic Recovery · $271,296,074
Maintain Infrastructure: Business, Human Resources, Maintenance, Operations and Transportation · $60,245,015
Expanded Learning and Summer Enrichment · $20,089,998
The full plan4 goals, 71 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 ($438.1 million).
Where does the money go?
86% to Goal 3, Conditions & Climate. 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
small actions drawn together
Every goal, in the plan’s order
Goal 1Academic Performance$36.8 million8% of action budgets
“Orange Unified is focused on continuous improvement of student academic outcomes to prepare them for success for college and/or career” p. 25 ↗
22 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $38.7 million (−$1.8 million)
Largest funded actions
Elementary Support$8.3 millionaction 1.6 · p. 148 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $3.4 million is state funding counted toward those services
Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA)$8.1 millionaction 1.17 · p. 149 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $3.6 million is state funding counted toward those services
Career Technical Education$5.1 millionaction 1.8 · p. 149 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $3.5 million is state funding counted toward those services
Elementary Resource Teachers$4.6 millionaction 1.16 · p. 149 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
EL Academic Support Services$3.2 millionaction 1.2 · p. 148 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $824,090 is state funding counted toward those services
16 more funded actions in this goal
Secondary Academic Support · action 1.18 · p. 149 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$1.5 million
Assessment and Ed. Tech Support · action 1.25 · p. 150 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$1.3 million
EL and Academic Language Professional Development · action 1.1 · p. 148 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $550,370 is state funding counted toward those services$1.1 million
Early Learning and Elementary Support · action 1.5 · p. 148 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $538,424 is state funding counted toward those services$0.7 million
Professional Development and Support for Core Subjects · action 1.4 · p. 148 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $23,381 is state funding counted toward those services$0.6 million
P21 Specialists · action 1.19 · p. 149 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.4 million
Mathmatics Support Services · action 1.7 · p. 148 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.3 million
Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) · action 1.11 · p. 149 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.3 million
College and Career Readiness · action 1.9 · p. 149 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $112,170 is state funding counted toward those services$0.3 million
Special Education Instruction Specialists · action 1.20 · p. 149 ↗$0.3 million
Science Center · action 1.12 · p. 149 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.2 million
Student Achievement Data Analysis, Progress Monitoring Software, Student Achievement Committee, and Student Achievement Professional Learning · action 1.22 · p. 149 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $162,500 is state funding counted toward those services$0.2 million
STEAM Education · action 1.23 · p. 150 ↗$0.2 million
EL and Academic Language Supplemental Resources · action 1.3 · p. 148 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.1 million
Innovative Learning-Educational Technology · action 1.21 · p. 149 ↗under $0.1 million
Foster Youth Support · action 1.14 · p. 149 ↗under $0.1 million
1 more action is in the plan, counted in the goal’s total: p. 149 ↗
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Elementary Support+$4.6 million$3.7 million → $8.3 million · p. 148 ↗
Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA)−$3.4 million$11.5 million → $8.1 million · p. 149 ↗
Secondary Academic Support−$1.8 million$3.3 million → $1.5 million · p. 149 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Career Technical Education · $5.4 million → $5.1 million · p. 149 ↗−$0.3 million
Elementary Resource Teachers · $3.9 million → $4.6 million · p. 149 ↗+$0.7 million
EL Academic Support Services · $3.3 million → $3.2 million · p. 148 ↗−$0.1 million
Assessment and Ed. Tech Support · $1.3 million · p. 150 ↗new or renamed
EL and Academic Language Professional Development · $1.3 million → $1.1 million · p. 148 ↗−$0.1 million
Early Learning and Elementary Support · $1.6 million → $0.7 million · p. 148 ↗−$0.9 million
Professional Development and Support for Core Subjects · $71,118 → $573,381 · p. 148 ↗+$502,263
P21 Specialists · $338,272 → $428,004 · p. 149 ↗+$89,732
Mathmatics Support Services · $349,319 · p. 148 ↗new or renamed
Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) · $255,339 → $326,000 · p. 149 ↗+$70,661
College and Career Readiness · $1.1 million → $0.3 million · p. 149 ↗−$0.8 million
Special Education Instruction Specialists · $266,999 → $295,237 · p. 149 ↗+$28,238
Science Center · $176,207 → $190,980 · p. 149 ↗+$14,773
Student Achievement Data Analysis, Progress Monitoring Software, Student Achievement Committee, and Student Achievement Professional Learning · $296,838 → $177,500 · p. 149 ↗−$119,338
STEAM Education · $137,495 → $170,860 · p. 150 ↗+$33,365
EL and Academic Language Supplemental Resources · $142,000 → $80,000 · p. 148 ↗−$62,000
Title not confirmed · $53,125 · p. 149 ↗not compared
Foster Youth Support · $25,699 → $18,507 · p. 149 ↗−$7,192
A reworded title counts as new.
How the plan measures it · 23 measures
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 25 ↗.
Goal 2Academic Engagement$23.6 million5% of action budgets
“Orange Unified is committed to the wellbeing and engagement of all our students” p. 61 ↗
6 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $13.1 million (+$10.5 million)
Largest funded actions
Expanded Learning and Summer Enrichment$20.1 millionaction 2.2 · p. 150 ↗
Additional Health Supports$2.0 millionaction 2.6 · p. 150 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Increase Attendance and Enrollment Rates$0.6 millionaction 2.3 · p. 150 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Student and Community Services Administrator$0.4 millionaction 2.4 · p. 150 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Engaging,Rigorous and Student Centered Learning Environments$0.3 millionaction 2.1 · p. 150 ↗
1 more funded action in this goal
Student Intervention Resources and Support · action 2.7 · p. 150 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.2 million
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Expanded Learning and Summer Enrichment+$10.1 million$10.0 million → $20.1 million · p. 150 ↗
Increase Attendance and Enrollment Rates+$245,213$365,156 → $610,369 · p. 150 ↗
Additional Health Supports+$0.2 million$1.9 million → $2.0 million · p. 150 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Student and Community Services Administrator · $281,069 → $404,150 · p. 150 ↗+$123,081
Engaging,Rigorous and Student Centered Learning Environments · $236,206 → $257,385 · p. 150 ↗+$21,179
Student Intervention Resources and Support · $209,000 → $202,608 · p. 150 ↗−$6,392
How the plan measures it · 13 measures
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 61 ↗.
Goal 3Conditions & Climate$377.2 million86% of action budgets
“Orange Unified maintains strong conditions and climates that directly support efficient and effective teaching and learning environments for our students and staff as well as a welcoming atmosphere for our families and our community” p. 76 ↗
19 funded actions · reworded since the 2025–26 plan
Largest funded actions
High Quality Educators and Staff: Targeted Professional Learning for Academic Recovery$271.3 millionaction 3.12 · p. 151 ↗
Maintain Infrastructure: Business, Human Resources, Maintenance, Operations and Transportation$60.2 millionaction 3.16 · p. 152 ↗
Technology: Infrastructure, Devices$13.7 millionaction 3.22 · p. 152 ↗
School site allocations$7.8 millionaction 3.1 · p. 150 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $5.5 million is state funding counted toward those services
Safe and Welcoming Schools$7.2 millionaction 3.5 · p. 151 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $6.0 million is state funding counted toward those services
14 more funded actions in this goal
Special Education Programs, Supports, Staff and Supplies · action 3.7 · p. 151 ↗$3.9 million
Counseling Services · action 3.6 · p. 151 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$3.7 million
Community Schools, including Native American Students and Families · action 3.21 · p. 152 ↗$3.6 million
Administrative Support for Categorical Programs · action 3.2 · p. 151 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $2.0 million is state funding counted toward those services$2.5 million
Teacher Preparation and Support · action 3.10 · p. 151 ↗$0.4 million
Communication Tools and Resources · action 3.11 · p. 151 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $75,000 is state funding counted toward those services$0.3 million
Parent and Family Engagement · action 3.14 · p. 151 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.2 million
Foster Youth Coordinator · action 3.3 · p. 151 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $126,048 is state funding counted toward those services$0.2 million
Technology, Devices · action 3.8 · p. 151 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.1 million
Early Learning Partnerships · action 3.19 · p. 152 ↗$0.1 million
LCAP Survey · action 3.15 · p. 151 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $58,800 is state funding counted toward those services$0.1 million
Interpreter · action 3.18 · p. 152 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need servicesunder $0.1 million
Climate Survey · action 3.13 · p. 151 ↗under $0.1 million
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Special Education Programs, Supports, Staff and Supplies−$83.8 million$87.7 million → $3.9 million · p. 151 ↗
Textbooks−$8.0 million$9.7 million → $1.8 million · p. 151 ↗
Maintain Infrastructure: Business, Human Resources, Maintenance, Operations and Transportation+$4.0 million$56.2 million → $60.2 million · p. 152 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
High Quality Educators and Staff: Targeted Professional Learning for Academic Recovery · $271.3 million · p. 151 ↗new or renamed
Technology: Infrastructure, Devices · $12.1 million → $13.7 million · p. 152 ↗+$1.6 million
School site allocations · $7.4 million → $7.8 million · p. 150 ↗+$0.5 million
Safe and Welcoming Schools · $6.7 million → $7.2 million · p. 151 ↗+$0.6 million
Counseling Services · $3.0 million → $3.7 million · p. 151 ↗+$0.7 million
Community Schools, including Native American Students and Families · $5.0 million → $3.6 million · p. 152 ↗−$1.4 million
Administrative Support for Categorical Programs · $2.9 million → $2.5 million · p. 151 ↗−$0.4 million
Teacher Preparation and Support · $331,423 → $386,576 · p. 151 ↗+$55,153
Communication Tools and Resources · $325,000 · p. 151 ↗new or renamed
Parent and Family Engagement · $18,661 → $214,903 · p. 151 ↗+$196,242
“Within three years, all students, and particularly low-income, EL, and Hispanic students, at Richland Continuation High School and our OUSD Community Day School, will demonstrate growth towards meeting or exceeding standards in Math as measured by CAASPP test results (Richland only) and local benchmark assessments. In addition, the percentage of EL students making progress toward English language proficiency will exceed 14.5% achieved in 2023. The percentage of all students including low-income, EL and Hispanic students prepared for college and career will exceed the.8% from 2023” p. 103 ↗
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, 24,960 students
1Hispanic or Latino58%
2White22%
3Asian10%
4Two or more races4%
5Filipino2%
6Not reported2%
7Black or African American1%
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
58%
Across California, 63% of students qualify.
2024–25 · 14,360 of 24,927 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?
Orange 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, 50% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (1,299 of 2,600 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent.
Which public schools in Orange Unified rank highest?
Elementary: Anaheim Hills Elementary, 98th percentile (Strong). Middle: El Rancho Charter, 95th percentile (Strong). High: Canyon High, 88th percentile (Strong). 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 Orange 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 Orange Unified good?
Orange Unified’s 27 public elementary schools run from the 21st to the 98th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 13 Strong, 3 Solid, 8 Developing and 3 Needs Support. Orange Unified’s 7 public middle schools run from the 44th to the 95th percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 4 Strong, 1 Solid and 2 Developing. Orange Unified’s 5 public high schools run from the 28th to the 88th percentile among the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests). By band: 1 Strong, 3 Solid and 1 Developing. 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 Orange Unified compare with California?
The average elementary school in Orange Unified had 12 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 Orange Unified had 12 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100. The average high school in Orange Unified had 21 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 Orange Unified spend per student?
Orange Unified spent $18,412 per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491. About 60 cents of every Orange 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 Orange Unified’s 2026–27 spending plan?
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $438.1 million into 50 funded actions in 4 goals, all of its general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $377.2 million, 86% 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 Orange 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.