Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified: Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified elementary schools add +4.5 points from grade 3 to 5 — a signal that schools are adding real value.
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified has 15 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 74.8/100 — 29.9 points above the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Cornerstone at Pedregal Elementary at 93/100, where 68.3% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $12,873 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 1 school shows positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 9.5%, below the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Strong 75.9/100 | 10 | 56.3% | 8.4% |
| Middle | Solid 69.7/100 | 3 | 46.8% | 9.8% |
| High | Strong 76.8/100 | 2 | 51.3% | 14.5% |
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified's high schools average 76.8/100 — 33.1 points above the state average.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified has 15 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 74.8/100 — 29.9 points above the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified's high schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 76.8.
District-wide elementary growth averages +4.5pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — schools are adding meaningful value beyond what students arrive with.
Score range of 34.4 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 9.5%, 8.4pp below the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 1.0%, near the state average of 1.6%.
Cornerstone at Pedregal Elementary leads the district at 93 with 68.3% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified
Hidden gems: 1 school in Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified is classified as Growth Engine — 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
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified spends $12,873 per student in current expenditures — $1,941 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 Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (10)
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified has 10 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 75.9 — 31.1 points above the state average of 44.8. 1 of 10 elementary schools have Scope Scores above 90.
Grade-to-grade growth averages +4.5pp — schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Cornerstone at Pedregal Elementary with a Scope Score of 93 and 68.3% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornerstone at Pedregal Elementary Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified High Ceiling | 68.3% | Strong 93/100 |
| 2 | Soleado Elementary Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified High Ceiling | 65.0% | Strong 79/100 |
| 3 | Point Vicente Elementary Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified High Ceiling | 54.6% | Strong 78/100 |
| 4 | Rancho Vista Elementary Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified High Ceiling | 59.3% | Strong 77/100 |
| 5 | Vista Grande Elementary Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified High Ceiling | 59.2% | Strong 76/100 |
| 6 | Lunada Bay Elementary Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified High Ceiling | 50.1% | Strong 76/100 |
| 7 | Montemalaga Elementary Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified High Ceiling | 60.1% | Strong 76/100 |
| 8 | Silver Spur Elementary Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified High Ceiling | 61.4% | Strong 75/100 |
| 9 | Mira Catalina Elementary Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified Growth Engine | 46.8% | Solid 68/100 |
| 10 | Dapplegray Elementary Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified Strong All-Around | 38.5% | Solid 61/100 |
Middle Schools (3)
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified has 3 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 69.7 — 27.1 points above the state average of 42.6. 2 of 3 middle schools score above 70.
Growth is essentially flat at -0.9pp.
The highest-scoring middle school is Ridgecrest Intermediate with a Scope Score of 78 and 56.4% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ridgecrest Intermediate Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified High Ceiling | 56.4% | Strong 78/100 |
| 2 | Palos Verdes Intermediate Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified Strong All-Around | 48.4% | Strong 72/100 |
| 3 | Miraleste Intermediate Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified Solid Base | 35.7% | Solid 59/100 |
High Schools (2)
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified has 2 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 76.8 — 33.1 points above the state average of 43.7. 2 of 2 high schools score above 70.
The highest-scoring high school is Palos Verdes Peninsula High with a Scope Score of 79 and 57.8% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palos Verdes Peninsula High Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified High Ceiling | 57.8% | Strong 79/100 |
| 2 | Palos Verdes High Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified Strong All-Around | 44.8% | Strong 75/100 |
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