School district · Monterey County

Pacific Grove Unified schools

Pacific Grove Unified’s 2 public elementary schools have Scope Scores from 77 to 84. Its middle school has a Scope Score of 82. Its high school has a Scope Score of 86.

75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state.

Pacific Grove High · campus drawing © OpenStreetMap contributors

Schools

4

listed public schools. We score two elementary, one middle and one high.

Students

1,749

in the October 2024–25 enrollment count.

Spending

$29,595

per student in 2024–25. The typical California district spent $20,491.

The path

What is the path through the district?

Pacific Grove Unified has two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school that we score.

Elementary · 2 schools

Middle · grades 6–8

Pacific Grove Middle

Scope Score 82

Strong · 80th percentile

High · grades 9–12

Pacific Grove High

Scope Score 86

Strong · 86th percentile

Each score compares a school with California schools at its own level. The levels are not one ranking. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.

Elementary schools

Which elementary schools in Pacific Grove Unified score highest?

Robert Down Elementary is highest, with a Scope Score of 84. That is higher than 84 in 100 California elementary schools we score.

AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined

  1. Rank 1

    Robert Down Elementary

    Grades K–5 · 422 students

    29% below the standard

    Scope Score 84Strong · 84th percentile

  2. Rank 2

    Forest Grove Elementary

    Grades K–5 · 324 students

    44% below the standard

    Scope Score 77Solid · 60th percentile

Each score compares a school with the 5,726 California elementary schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026.

Middle schools

Where does the middle school we score in Pacific Grove Unified stand?

Pacific Grove Middle has a Scope Score of 82. That is higher than 80 in 100 California middle schools we score. It is the only public middle school we score in Pacific Grove Unified.

AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined

  1. Rank 1

    Pacific Grove Middle

    Grades 6–8 · 439 students

    35% below the standard

    Scope Score 82Strong · 80th percentile

Each score compares a school with the 2,529 California middle schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026.

High schools

Where does the high school we score in Pacific Grove Unified stand?

Pacific Grove High has a Scope Score of 86. That is higher than 86 in 100 California high schools we score. It is the only public high school we score in Pacific Grove Unified.

AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined

  1. Rank 1

    Pacific Grove High

    Grades 9–12 · 552 students

    31% below the standard

    Scope Score 86Strong · 86th percentile

Each score compares a school with the 1,498 California high schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2025. The state called the top two levels Exceeded and Met in spring 2025.

Against California

How does the district compare with California?

Students from low-income families: 19% here. California: 63%.

Students from low-income families

Qualify for free or reduced-price meals

Pacific Grove Unified19%
California63%

Spending per student

Day-to-day spending, 2024–25

Pacific Grove Unified$29,595
Typical district$20,491

English learners who moved up a level

On the state’s English test (ELPAC)

Pacific Grove Unified48%
California47%

Meals: 330 of 1,749 students, 2024–25, summed from the state’s meal counts for every school listed under the district, charters included. Spending: day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, 2024–25. The typical district is the middle one when California districts are put in order. English learners: From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 48% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (15 of 31 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent. Source: California Department of Education, English learner progress files.

The district

Where does Pacific Grove Unified’s money go?

About 58 cents of every Pacific Grove Unified dollar went to classroom instruction.

$29,595

spent per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491.

Every dollar, by what it paid for

  • Instruction58%
  • Student services11%
  • Buildings & maintenance10%
  • Instruction support10%
  • Administration9%
  • Other2%

The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $50.3 million into 30 funded actions in 4 goals. That is nearly all of its $50.4 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts. The district reports what it spent in a later plan.

Spending is day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education, 2024–25. It covers the whole district, including central administration. Shares are rounded so they add up to 100. Planned amounts are from the yearly spending plan (LCAP) as posted to the California School Dashboard.

State records

Who attends, and is the state giving extra help?

1,749 students were enrolled in the October 2024–25 count. Pacific Grove Unified isn’t getting extra state help in 2026, only the standard support every district gets.

Who goes to the district’s schools

  • White 54%
  • Hispanic or Latino 20%
  • Asian 10%
  • Two or more races 8%
  • Other or not reported 8%
October 2024–25 enrollment count, including the district’s charter schools. Source: California Department of Education.

Is the state giving the district extra help?

Pacific Grove Unified isn’t getting extra state help in 2026, only the standard support every district gets.

State results from the 2026 California School Dashboard. Source: District help (CDE).

1 school getting state support, 2025–26

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. Source: School support (CDE).

Common questions

What do parents ask about this district?

  • Are the public schools in Pacific Grove Unified good?

    Pacific Grove Unified’s 2 public elementary schools have Scope Scores from 77 to 84. Of those, 1 is Strong and 1 is Solid. Pacific Grove Unified has one public middle school we score. Pacific Grove Middle has a Scope Score of 82. It is Strong, at the 80th percentile. Pacific Grove Unified has one public high school we score. Pacific Grove High has a Scope Score of 86. It is Strong, at the 86th percentile. 75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How we score schools.

  • Which public schools in Pacific Grove Unified rank highest?

    Robert Down Elementary is the highest elementary school, with a Scope Score of 84. It is Strong, at the 84th percentile. Pacific Grove Middle is the only middle school we score here. It has a Scope Score of 82. It is Strong, at the 80th percentile. Pacific Grove High is the only high school we score here. It has a Scope Score of 86. It is Strong, at the 86th percentile. Each score compares a school with the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.

  • How much does Pacific Grove Unified spend per student?

    Pacific Grove Unified spent $29,595 per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491. About 58 cents of every Pacific Grove 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 Pacific Grove Unified’s 2026–27 spending plan?

    The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $50.3 million into 30 funded actions in 4 goals. That is nearly all of its $50.4 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $47.2 million, 94% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.

  • Does living in the Pacific Grove 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.

  • Where do these results come from?

    The test results are from California’s state tests (CAASPP). They are from spring 2026 for elementary and middle schools. The results are from spring 2025 for high schools. Chronic-absence rates are for 2025–26. The California Department of Education publishes both. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.

Next

Which places nearby can you look at next?

Schools in Pacific Grove

Every public school with a Pacific Grove address.

Compare schools

See the same numbers for each school.

Open the map

See these schools on the map.

Sources and methodology

This page lists the public schools governed and funded by Pacific Grove Unified, with the district’s spending and state 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.

View CDE data ↗ (opens in a new tab)How Scope Scores work →

State tests are the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), springs 2025 and 2026.

Download these schools (CSV) Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.