Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified: Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified schools score 13.8 points above the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 3.2 points.
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified has 31 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 58.6/100 — 13.8 points above the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Golden Elementary at 95/100, where 70.1% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $12,415 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 2 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 15.5%, below the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Solid 60.2/100 | 23 | 37.6% | 12.7% |
| Middle | Developing 49.8/100 | 3 | 24.4% | 15.9% |
| High | Solid 56.7/100 | 5 | 27.5% | 27.7% |
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified's elementary schools average 60.2/100 — 15.4 points above the state average with a −3.2pp declining trajectory.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified has 31 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 58.6/100 — 13.8 points above the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified's elementary schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 60.2.
District-wide elementary growth averages -3.2pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.
Score range of 66.2 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 15.5%, 2.4pp below the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 0.6%, near the state average of 1.6%.
Golden Elementary leads the district at 95 with 70.1% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified
Hidden gems: 3 schools in Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified are classified as Growth Engine (2) or On the Rise — 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
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified spends $12,415 per student in current expenditures — $2,400 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 Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (23)
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified has 23 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 60.2 — 15.4 points above the state average of 44.8. 1 of 23 elementary schools have Scope Scores above 90.
Growth averages -3.2pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Golden Elementary with a Scope Score of 95 and 70.1% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified High Ceiling | 70.1% | Strong 95/100 |
| 2 | Bryant Ranch Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified High Ceiling | 54.7% | Strong 81/100 |
| 3 | Sierra Vista Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified High Ceiling | 51.4% | Strong 75/100 |
| 4 | Woodsboro Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Building Momentum | 49.9% | Strong 74/100 |
| 5 | Lakeview Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified High Ceiling | 56.9% | Strong 72/100 |
| 6 | Fairmont Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Building Momentum | 49.0% | Solid 70/100 |
| 7 | Mabel M. Paine Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Building Momentum | 45.8% | Solid 67/100 |
| 8 | Rose Drive Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Building Momentum | 49.9% | Solid 66/100 |
| 9 | Linda Vista Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Solid Base | 45.3% | Solid 64/100 |
| 10 | Brookhaven Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Strong All-Around | 44.8% | Solid 63/100 |
| 11 | Travis Ranch Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Solid Base | 46.4% | Solid 63/100 |
| 12 | Charles Wagner Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Solid Base | 41.6% | Solid 61/100 |
| 13 | John O. Tynes Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Growth Engine | 32.8% | Solid 59/100 |
| 14 | Parkview Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Strong All-Around | 30.5% | Solid 58/100 |
| 15 | Glenknoll Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Solid Base | 42.4% | Solid 57/100 |
| 16 | Van Buren Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Culture First | 39.4% | Solid 56/100 |
| 17 | Morse Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Culture First | 29.3% | Solid 50/100 |
| 18 | Buena Vista Virtual Academy Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Building Momentum | 19.1% | Developing 48/100 |
| 19 | Ruby Drive Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Building Momentum | 16.1% | Developing 46/100 |
| 20 | Melrose Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Growth Engine | 8.9% | Developing 45/100 |
| 21 | Topaz Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified On the Rise | 13.7% | Developing 44/100 |
| 22 | Glenview Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Building Momentum | 14.7% | Developing 38/100 |
| 23 | Rio Vista Elementary Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Building Momentum | 11.9% | Developing 33/100 |
Middle Schools (3)
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified has 3 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 49.8 — 7.2 points above the state average of 42.6.
Growth is essentially flat at -0.4pp.
The highest-scoring middle school is Yorba Linda Middle with a Scope Score of 64 and 39.7% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yorba Linda Middle Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Strong All-Around | 39.7% | Solid 64/100 |
| 2 | Bernardo Yorba Middle Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Building Momentum | 25.3% | Developing 49/100 |
| 3 | Valadez Middle School Academy Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Building Momentum | 8.2% | Developing 36/100 |
High Schools (5)
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified has 5 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 56.7 — 13.0 points above the state average of 43.7.
The highest-scoring high school is Yorba Linda High with a Scope Score of 67 and 36.4% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yorba Linda High Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Strong All-Around | 36.4% | Solid 67/100 |
| 2 | El Dorado High Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Strong All-Around | 35.1% | Solid 65/100 |
| 3 | Valencia High Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Strong All-Around | 32.8% | Solid 62/100 |
| 4 | Esperanza High Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Strong All-Around | 30.5% | Solid 61/100 |
| 5 | El Camino Real Continuation High Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Building Momentum | 2.5% | Needs Support 29/100 |
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