Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The middle years
Consistently strong: all 2 middle schools land within 9 points of each other, averaging 47.8/100 — 9.3 points above the state average.
All 2 middle schools land within 9 points — the average is a fair summary here.
Mission Hill Middle (52/100) holds the Strong band — 25.4% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 23.3%. 1 school here ranks as a Growth Engine — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.
Only 2 campuses at this level — one school's year moves every number in this chapter.
The high school years
51 points separate Santa Cruz High (72) from Costanoa Continuation High (21) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
51 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 6 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.
Santa Cruz High (72/100) holds the Strong band — 37.5% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 17.0%. 2 schools classify as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.
33.1% 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 Mission Hill Middle at 52/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
1 of the 8 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.
A band is a position, not a prophecy — 1 campus here ranks as Growth Engine, its 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:
Mission Hill Middle 81st percentile · StrongScope Score 52/100Santa Cruz High 89th percentile · StrongScope Score 72/100
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.