San Marcos Unified: San Marcos Unified elementary schools lead at 54.5. A 47.3-point spread across all schools shows this is a district of contrasts.
San Marcos Unified has 20 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 52.3/100 — 7.5 points above the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Discovery Elementary at 75/100, where 54.4% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $13,048 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 3 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 16.2%, near the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Solid 54.5/100 | 14 | 30.1% | 13.2% |
| Middle | Developing 43.9/100 | 3 | 21.3% | 15.0% |
| High | Solid 50.5/100 | 3 | 12.3% | 31.4% |
San Marcos Unified's elementary schools average 54.5/100 — 9.7 points above the state average.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in San Marcos Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
San Marcos Unified has 20 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 52.3/100 — 7.5 points above the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: San Marcos Unified's elementary schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 54.5.
District-wide elementary growth averages +0.9pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — schools are making incremental gains.
Score range of 47.3 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 16.2%, 1.7pp near the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 1.8%, near the state average of 1.6%.
Discovery Elementary leads the district at 75 with 54.4% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in San Marcos Unified
Hidden gems: 4 schools in San Marcos Unified are classified as Growth Engine (3) 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
San Marcos Unified spends $13,048 per student in current expenditures — $1,766 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 San Marcos Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (14)
San Marcos Unified has 14 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 54.5 — 9.7 points above the state average of 44.8. 3 of 14 elementary schools score above 70.
Grade-to-grade growth averages +0.9pp — schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Discovery Elementary with a Scope Score of 75 and 54.4% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discovery Elementary San Marcos Unified High Ceiling | 54.4% | Strong 75/100 |
| 2 | Double Peak San Marcos Unified Growth Engine | 46.6% | Strong 73/100 |
| 3 | Paloma Elementary San Marcos Unified Strong All-Around | 45.5% | Strong 72/100 |
| 4 | La Costa Meadows Elementary San Marcos Unified Building Momentum | 43.4% | Solid 69/100 |
| 5 | Carrillo Elementary San Marcos Unified Solid Base | 44.2% | Solid 64/100 |
| 6 | San Elijo Elementary San Marcos Unified Strong All-Around | 42.2% | Solid 63/100 |
| 7 | Knob Hill Elementary San Marcos Unified Growth Engine | 31.7% | Solid 60/100 |
| 8 | Richland Elementary San Marcos Unified Solid Base | 38.5% | Solid 56/100 |
| 9 | Twin Oaks Elementary San Marcos Unified Growth Engine | 19.1% | Solid 50/100 |
| 10 | La Mirada Academy San Marcos Unified On the Rise | 8.6% | Developing 39/100 |
| 11 | Foothills High San Marcos Unified Culture First | 8.8% | Developing 39/100 |
| 12 | Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary San Marcos Unified Building Momentum | 21.7% | Developing 38/100 |
| 13 | Pivot Charter School - San Diego II San Marcos Unified Building Momentum | 8.0% | Developing 38/100 |
| 14 | San Marcos Elementary San Marcos Unified Building Momentum | 8.7% | Needs Support 27/100 |
Middle Schools (3)
San Marcos Unified has 3 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 43.9 — within 1.2 points of the state average of 42.6.
Growth averages -4.9pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring middle school is San Elijo Middle with a Scope Score of 52 and 29.0% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Elijo Middle San Marcos Unified Culture First | 29.0% | Solid 52/100 |
| 2 | Woodland Park Middle San Marcos Unified Building Momentum | 19.7% | Developing 42/100 |
| 3 | San Marcos Middle San Marcos Unified Building Momentum | 15.3% | Developing 38/100 |
High Schools (3)
San Marcos Unified has 3 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 50.5 — 6.8 points above the state average of 43.7.
The highest-scoring high school is Mission Hills High with a Scope Score of 55 and 18.1% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mission Hills High San Marcos Unified Building Momentum | 18.1% | Solid 55/100 |
| 2 | San Marcos High San Marcos Unified Building Momentum | 18.1% | Solid 55/100 |
| 3 | Twin Oaks High San Marcos Unified Building Momentum | 0.7% | Developing 41/100 |
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