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Public school district · California

South Pasadena Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

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

South Pasadena Senior HighSouth Pasadena MiddleMarengo ElementaryMonterey Hills ElementaryArroyo Vista ElementarySouth Pasadena UnifiedN ↑
5 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary3 schools
avg 76.2/1003 Strong
Middle1 school
avg 84.2/1001 Strong
High1 school
avg 84.6/1001 Strong

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

Consistently strong: all 3 elementary schools land within 10 points of each other, averaging 76.2/100 — 37.4 points above the state average.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

3 elementary schools span 10 points around an average of 76.2.

The strength

Marengo Elementary (83/100) holds the Strong band — 66.9% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 59.6%.

The catch

Only 3 campuses at this level — one school's year moves every number in this chapter.

Marengo Elementary
High Ceiling
99th percentile · StrongScope Score 83/100
96th percentile · StrongScope Score 73/100
95th percentile · StrongScope Score 72/100

Elementary school detail in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 3

The middle years

One middle school: South Pasadena Middle at 84/100 — 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

South Pasadena Middle (84/100) holds the Strong band — 58.0% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 58.0%.

The catch

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

98th percentile · StrongScope Score 84/100

Middle school detail in the appendix →

Stage 3 of 3

The high school years

One high school: South Pasadena Senior High at 85/100 — 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

South Pasadena Senior High (85/100) holds the Strong band — 55.2% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 55.2%.

The catch

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

98th percentile · StrongScope Score 85/100

High school detail in the appendix →

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 Marengo Elementary at 83/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.

If you already live here

No charters or magnets among the ranked schools here, so the main lever is an intra-district transfer — California districts run them on their own windows and criteria. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, ask the district office for this year's dates.

If your kid is enrolled now

A band is a position, not a prophecy — a school's number can move without your kid's experience moving with it. 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:

Marengo Elementary 99th percentile · StrongScope Score 83/100South Pasadena Middle 98th percentile · StrongScope Score 84/100South Pasadena Senior High 98th percentile · StrongScope Score 85/100

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.

South Pasadena Unified has 5 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

3 comparable schools · average 76.2/100 · range 72.5–82.9

Middle schools

Explore middle →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

1 comparable schools · average 84.2/100 · range 84.2–84.2

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

1 comparable schools · average 84.6/100 · range 84.6–84.6

Explore South Pasadena Unified by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
South Pasadena Unifiedthis district79.5 / 1005South Pasadena Senior High—
San Marino Unified82.1 / 1004San Marino High3.0 mi
Temple City Unified63.3 / 1003Temple City High5.0 mi
Arcadia Unified63.4 / 10011Arcadia High7.1 mi
La Canada Unified83.5 / 1004La Canada High7.2 mi
Monrovia Unified63.7 / 1003Monrovia High8.5 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 South Pasadena Unified

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

Map ↗

Elementary schools in South Pasadena Unified · 3 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Marengo Elementary
South Pasadena Unified High Ceiling
66.9%99th percentile · StrongScope Score 83/100
Monterey Hills Elementary
South Pasadena Unified High Ceiling
52.0%96th percentile · StrongScope Score 73/100
Arroyo Vista Elementary
South Pasadena Unified High Ceiling
59.8%95th percentile · StrongScope Score 72/100

Middle schools in South Pasadena Unified · 1 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
South Pasadena Middle
South Pasadena Unified High Ceiling
58.0%98th percentile · StrongScope Score 84/100

High schools in South Pasadena Unified · 1 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
South Pasadena Senior High
South Pasadena Unified High Ceiling
55.2%98th percentile · StrongScope Score 85/100
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.

South Pasadena Unified spent $15,959 per student in FY 2024–25 — $4,532 less than the median California district ($20,491), about 22% lower. About 68 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

  • Instruction68%
  • Instruction support11%
  • Student services6%
  • Administration6%
  • Buildings & maintenance8%
  • 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
District enrollment4,718 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 23.1% · White 22.1% · Black 1.0% · Asian 33.4% · Other 20.4%
Free/reduced lunch15% · economic need indicator

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 South Pasadena 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 · 5 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in South Pasadena Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 5 public schools in South Pasadena 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 South Pasadena Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: Marengo Elementary (83/100). Middle: South Pasadena Middle (84/100). High: South Pasadena Senior High (85/100). 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 South Pasadena 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.