Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
49 points separate Portola Hills Elementary (76) from Olivewood Elementary (27) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
49 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 21 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.
Portola Hills Elementary (76/100) holds the Strong band — 49.4% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 28.9%. 6 schools here rank as Growth Engines — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.
49 points separate the top and bottom elementary schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.
The middle years
One middle school: SVUSD Virtual Academy (Alternative) at 47/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.
One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.
The level averages 47.3/100 — 8.8 points above the state average.
36.3% of students are chronically absent (state: 18.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.
The high school years
The high schools sit at the state line (56.2 vs 54.0) — the 43-point school-to-school spread is where the choice lives.
43 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 5 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.
1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.
Trabuco Hills High (68/100) holds the Strong band — 35.5% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 22.0%. 3 schools classify as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.
26.7% 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.
What it means for your family
Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Portola Hills Elementary at 76/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
3 run a magnet program — 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.
A band is a position, not a prophecy — 12 campuses here rank as Growth Engine (6) or On the Rise (6), 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:
Portola Hills Elementary 97th percentile · StrongScope Score 76/100SVUSD Virtual Academy (Alternative) 74th percentile · SolidScope Score 47/100Trabuco Hills High 85th percentile · StrongScope Score 68/100
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.