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Public school district · California

Riverside Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

Compare elementary, middle, and high schools across Riverside Unified—and look beyond a single district average.

Riverside STEM AcademyMartin Luther King Jr. HighPolytechnic HighBenjamin Franklin ElementaryArlington HighRamona HighTomas Rivera ElementaryRiverside VirtualJohn W. North HighMagnolia ElementaryMark Twain ElementaryJohn F. Kennedy ElementaryCastle View ElementaryLake Mathews ElementaryPachappa ElementaryWilliam Howard Taft ElementaryMountain View ElementaryVictoria ElementaryPatricia Beatty ElementaryREACH Leadership STEAM AcademyWoodcrest ElementaryMonroe ElementaryHawthorne ElementaryRaincross High (Continuation)Adams ElementaryBryant ElementaryJefferson ElementaryFremont ElementaryEmerson ElementaryAbraham Lincoln ContinuationAlcott ElementaryMadison ElementaryJackson ElementaryHarrison ElementaryHighgrove ElementaryWashington ElementaryHarada ElementaryLiberty ElementaryLongfellow ElementaryRiverside UnifiedN ↑
39 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary31 schools
avg 33.9/10010 Solid, 10 Developing, +11 more
Middle1 school
avg 73.1/1001 Strong
High7 schools
avg 47.9/1003 Solid, 2 Strong, +2 more

Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.

Stage 1 of 3

The elementary years

40 points separate Benjamin Franklin Elementary (56) from Longfellow Elementary (16) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

40 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 31 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.

The strength

Benjamin Franklin Elementary (56/100) holds the Strong band — 34.8% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 17.2%. 1 school here ranks as a Growth Engine — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.

The catch

9 of 31 elementary schools sit in the Needs Support band — which campus you're zoned for carries real weight here.

83rd percentile · StrongScope Score 56/100
75th percentile · StrongScope Score 49/100
Riverside Virtual
Culture First
75th percentile · SolidScope Score 49/100

All 31 elementary schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 3

The middle years

One middle school: Riverside STEM Academy at 73/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.

0100

One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.

The strength

Riverside STEM Academy (73/100) holds the Strong band — 41.9% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 41.9%. 1 school here ranks as a Growth Engine — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.

The catch

One campus is the whole sample — a single year's cohort moves every number in this chapter.

95th percentile · StrongScope Score 73/100

Middle school detail in the appendix →

Stage 3 of 3

The high school years

The high schools average 47.9/100 — 6.1 points below the state average. Here is what that number does and doesn't say.

0100

36 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 7 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.

2 continuation/alternative schools not plotted — they rank within their own class, not on this statewide axis.

The strength

Martin Luther King Jr. High (63/100) holds the Strong band — 22.9% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 12.4%. 1 school classifies as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.

The catch

33.6% of students are chronically absent (state: 23.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.

76th percentile · StrongScope Score 63/100
Polytechnic High
Building Momentum
67th percentile · SolidScope Score 59/100
Arlington High
Building Momentum
54th percentile · SolidScope Score 54/100

All 7 high schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Worth a second look

Despite a 54% free-or-reduced-lunch rate, Riverside STEM Academy posts a Scope Score of 73 — 95th percentile statewide. Scores this high are rare among schools serving this level of economic need — worth a closer look than the band alone suggests.

What it means for your family

If you're choosing a neighborhood

Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Benjamin Franklin Elementary at 56/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.

If you already live here

1 of the 39 ranked schools is a charter — enrollment paths that don't depend on your address. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, those lotteries and applications are the levers worth the paperwork.

If your kid is enrolled now

A band is a position, not a prophecy — 9 campuses here rank as On the Rise (7) or Growth Engine (2), their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.

The strongest-scoring run through the district:

Benjamin Franklin Elementary 83rd percentile · StrongScope Score 56/100Riverside STEM Academy 95th percentile · StrongScope Score 73/100Martin Luther King Jr. High 76th percentile · StrongScope Score 63/100

Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.

What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.

Riverside Unified has 39 public schools in this SchoolScope results directory. Compare schools by their primary reporting level below.

2024–25 CAASPP reporting · SchoolScope analysis. Directory coverage, not a complete inventory of every campus. Each school appears at its primary reporting level; K–8 and K–12 campuses can serve additional grades. Sources and methodology →

One district, three stages

The average changes with the journey.

Elementary schools

Explore elementary →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

31 comparable schools · average 33.9/100 · range 15.5–55.6

Middle schools

Explore middle →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

1 comparable schools · average 73.1/100 · range 73.1–73.1

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

5 comparable schools · average 55.2/100 · range 48.5–62.8

Explore Riverside Unified by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
Riverside Unifiedthis district37.9 / 10037Riverside STEM Academy—
Rialto Unified39.6 / 1005Samuel W. Simpson Elementary9.9 mi
Fontana Unified34.7 / 10020Henry J. Kaiser High10.0 mi
Corona-Norco Unified43.6 / 1002El Cerrito Middle10.3 mi
San Bernardino City Unified36.3 / 1003Middle College High11.0 mi
Redlands Unified35.6 / 1002Bryn Mawr Elementary11.1 mi

Averages blend every school level in a district and carry no score band. Compare a level at a time in the spreads above, then open the schools. Distances run between school-location centers.

Cities served

City pages include schools from other districts too. Check the district named on each school profile.

Patterns across the district

What kinds of schools are here?

Patterns worth exploring.

Choose a pattern to find matching schools in the lists below. Open a profile to see the underlying measures and questions to ask on a visit.

How patterns are defined →

Archetypes describe reported patterns, not school quality or fit. Available measures differ by school level.

Schools in Riverside Unified

Browse by level, then compare the evidence behind each profile.

Map ↗

Elementary schools in Riverside Unified · 31 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Benjamin Franklin Elementary
Riverside Unified Culture First
34.8%83rd percentile · StrongScope Score 56/100
Tomas Rivera Elementary
Riverside Unified On the Rise
30.3%75th percentile · StrongScope Score 49/100
Riverside Virtual
Riverside Unified Culture First
21.0%75th percentile · SolidScope Score 49/100
Magnolia Elementary
Riverside Unified Growth Engine
21.8%73rd percentile · SolidScope Score 48/100
Mark Twain Elementary
Riverside Unified Building Momentum
26.6%70th percentile · SolidScope Score 45/100
John F. Kennedy Elementary
Riverside Unified Building Momentum
32.8%68th percentile · SolidScope Score 44/100

Middle schools in Riverside Unified · 1 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Riverside STEM Academy
Riverside Unified Growth Engine
41.9%95th percentile · StrongScope Score 73/100

High schools in Riverside Unified · 7 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Martin Luther King Jr. High
Riverside Unified Strong All-Around
22.9%76th percentile · StrongScope Score 63/100
Polytechnic High
Riverside Unified Building Momentum
22.0%67th percentile · SolidScope Score 59/100
Arlington High
Riverside Unified Building Momentum
15.0%54th percentile · SolidScope Score 54/100
Ramona High
Riverside Unified Building Momentum
10.0%48th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 52/100
John W. North High
Riverside Unified Building Momentum
13.2%35th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 48/100
Raincross High (Continuation)
Riverside Unified continuation high school
1.7%92nd percentile · StrongWithin its own school classScope Score 33/100
Compare selected schools

Select two to four schools at the same level. Rankings and score bands compare each school with its own enrollment group.

District finance · FY 2024–25

Where the district's dollars go.

Riverside Unified spent $20,502 per student in FY 2024–25 — close to the median California district ($20,491). About 61 cents of every dollar goes to classroom instruction.

Current expense per student

Current expense of education per unit of average daily attendance, from the district's annual SACS filing to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus. Spending is context, not a measure of school quality.

Share by function

  • Instruction61%
  • Instruction support12%
  • Student services11%
  • Administration6%
  • Buildings & maintenance9%
  • Other1%

Shares of the same current-expense total, by SACS function. Names are simplified from the filing's own categories.

The system behind the schools

The people behind the classrooms — district-grain context that never enters a school's score.

People
Teacher salary range$73,657–$142,078
Teaching staff1,865 · FTE
District enrollment39,443 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 70.5% · White 14.7% · Black 5.7% · Asian 3.7% · Other 5.4%
Free/reduced lunch76% · economic need indicator

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule 2024–25 · CDE enrollment (district averages)

See how the school years fit together.

Explore the next stage, then verify the schools available for your address.

These are browsing links, not a feeder path. Assignments vary by residence, program, permits, and available space.

Looking beyond Riverside Unified?

Explore public, private, and early-learning options.

Know what you’re comparing.

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.

Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 39 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in Riverside Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 39 public schools in Riverside Unified with 2024–25 reporting records. This is directory coverage, not a complete campus inventory. Each school appears under its primary reporting level; a K–8 or K–12 campus may serve additional grades.
Which schools have the highest scores in Riverside Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: Benjamin Franklin Elementary (56/100). Middle: Riverside STEM Academy (73/100). High: Martin Luther King Jr. High (63/100). These are separate level rankings, not a single cross-level league table. A score does not establish fit or enrollment eligibility. See the methodology.
Can I compare elementary, middle, and high schools directly?
Compare schools at the same level and within the same enrollment group. Scope Score formulas and available measures differ by level. The plots show comprehensive public schools separately for each level; individual profiles explain their comparison group.
Does living in Riverside Unified guarantee a particular school?
A district outline does not establish assignment to an individual school. Attendance boundaries, programs, permits, and available space can affect enrollment. Confirm the requirements directly with the district.
What does a SchoolScope pattern mean?
Archetypes summarize patterns in publicly reported academic and school-climate measures. They describe reported results, not a school’s quality or a child’s fit. Open the school profile for reporting years, missing measures, and questions to ask. Read how the patterns are defined.
Where do these results come from?
The underlying public data comes from the California Department of Education, including CAASPP reporting for 2024–25. Scope Scores and archetypes are SchoolScope calculations, not official CDE ratings. View CDE data and SchoolScope’s methodology and limitations.