Poway Unified: Poway Unified elementary schools lead at 67.6. A 37.2-point spread across all schools shows this is a district of contrasts.
Poway Unified has 38 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 66.4/100 — 21.6 points above the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Willow Grove Elementary at 83/100, where 56.8% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $12,246 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 4 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 9.7%, below the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Solid 67.6/100 | 26 | 46.9% | 8.6% |
| Middle | Solid 61.5/100 | 6 | 36.2% | 10.2% |
| High | Solid 66.1/100 | 6 | 37.7% | 14.0% |
Poway Unified's elementary schools average 67.6/100 — 22.8 points above the state average with a −1.6pp declining trajectory.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Poway Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Poway Unified has 38 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 66.4/100 — 21.6 points above the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: Poway Unified's elementary schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 67.6.
District-wide elementary growth averages -1.6pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.
Score range of 37.2 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 9.7%, 8.2pp below the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 1.1%, near the state average of 1.6%.
Willow Grove Elementary leads the district at 83 with 56.8% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Poway Unified
Hidden gems: 4 schools in Poway Unified are classified as Growth Engine (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
District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data
District Funding
Poway Unified spends $12,246 per student in current expenditures — $2,568 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 Poway Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (26)
Poway Unified has 26 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 67.6 — 22.8 points above the state average of 44.8. 11 of 26 elementary schools score above 70.
Growth averages -1.6pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Willow Grove Elementary with a Scope Score of 83 and 56.8% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Willow Grove Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling | 56.8% | Strong 83/100 |
| 2 | Design 39 Campus Poway Unified High Ceiling | 55.2% | Strong 83/100 |
| 3 | Stone Ranch Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling | 56.5% | Strong 82/100 |
| 4 | Rolling Hills Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling | 58.4% | Strong 82/100 |
| 5 | Deer Canyon Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling | 61.1% | Strong 78/100 |
| 6 | Monterey Ridge Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling | 61.9% | Strong 78/100 |
| 7 | Adobe Bluffs Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling | 59.6% | Strong 76/100 |
| 8 | Sundance Elementary Poway Unified Strong All-Around | 41.4% | Strong 73/100 |
| 9 | Park Village Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling | 57.8% | Strong 72/100 |
| 10 | Creekside Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling | 52.3% | Strong 70/100 |
| 11 | Del Sur Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling | 53.1% | Strong 70/100 |
| 12 | Tierra Bonita Elementary Poway Unified Strong All-Around | 52.3% | Solid 68/100 |
| 13 | Highland Ranch Elementary Poway Unified Growth Engine | 39.5% | Solid 68/100 |
| 14 | Los Penasquitos Elementary Poway Unified Growth Engine | 47.0% | Solid 67/100 |
| 15 | Canyon View Elementary Poway Unified Building Momentum | 49.0% | Solid 67/100 |
| 16 | Westwood Elementary Poway Unified Building Momentum | 49.0% | Solid 67/100 |
| 17 | Sunset Hills Elementary Poway Unified Growth Engine | 41.7% | Solid 67/100 |
| 18 | Chaparral Elementary Poway Unified Solid Base | 44.4% | Solid 64/100 |
| 19 | Shoal Creek Elementary Poway Unified Growth Engine | 40.9% | Solid 62/100 |
| 20 | Painted Rock Elementary Poway Unified Strong All-Around | 41.0% | Solid 62/100 |
| 21 | Midland Elementary Poway Unified Strong All-Around | 37.5% | Solid 59/100 |
| 22 | Pomerado Elementary Poway Unified Building Momentum | 35.3% | Solid 59/100 |
| 23 | Morning Creek Elementary Poway Unified Strong All-Around | 40.6% | Solid 58/100 |
| 24 | Turtleback Elementary Poway Unified Building Momentum | 30.7% | Solid 50/100 |
| 25 | Garden Road Elementary Poway Unified Culture First | 34.4% | Developing 48/100 |
| 26 | Valley Elementary Poway Unified Building Momentum | 21.9% | Developing 46/100 |
Middle Schools (6)
Poway Unified has 6 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 61.5 — 18.9 points above the state average of 42.6. 2 of 6 middle schools score above 70.
Growth is essentially flat at -0.1pp.
The highest-scoring middle school is Mesa Verde Middle with a Scope Score of 76 and 50.5% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mesa Verde Middle Poway Unified High Ceiling | 50.5% | Strong 76/100 |
| 2 | Oak Valley Middle Poway Unified Strong All-Around | 49.0% | Strong 75/100 |
| 3 | Black Mountain Middle Poway Unified Building Momentum | 33.7% | Solid 63/100 |
| 4 | Bernardo Heights Middle Poway Unified Strong All-Around | 35.1% | Solid 60/100 |
| 5 | Meadowbrook Middle Poway Unified Building Momentum | 25.7% | Developing 48/100 |
| 6 | Twin Peaks Middle Poway Unified Building Momentum | 23.3% | Developing 47/100 |
High Schools (6)
Poway Unified has 6 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 66.1 — 22.4 points above the state average of 43.7. 2 of 6 high schools score above 70.
The highest-scoring high school is Del Norte High with a Scope Score of 77 and 51.8% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Del Norte High Poway Unified High Ceiling | 51.8% | Strong 77/100 |
| 2 | Westview High Poway Unified High Ceiling | 50.1% | Strong 75/100 |
| 3 | Poway High Poway Unified Strong All-Around | 32.0% | Solid 64/100 |
| 4 | Mt. Carmel High Poway Unified Strong All-Around | 35.3% | Solid 64/100 |
| 5 | Rancho Bernardo High Poway Unified Strong All-Around | 34.7% | Solid 63/100 |
| 6 | Poway to Palomar Middle College High Poway Unified Building Momentum | 22.2% | Solid 53/100 |
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