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B

Central Union High School District

Public school districtGrades 9–12Regional · 2 towns

Serves El Centro and Imperial.

El Centro’s School Grade C better than 33% of California school districts

Students
4,070
Schools
5
Spent per student
$20,868
CA $21,206
Students per teacher
20:1
Free or reduced lunch
73%
Debt
$4.4M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Central Union High School District

  • Its letter, B: results better than 64% of California districts
  • Math proficiency 13 pts below the state
  • Reading proficiency 16 pts above the state
  • 20 students per teacher
  • Debt of $4.4M, about $1,077 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B: better than 64% of the 1,872 California school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math above the state, 2021–22
B+
GraduationFour-year graduation close to the state, class of 2023
C
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
CEl Centro 44,382B+Imperial 22,330

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for El Centro. Grade by grade →

K–69 schoolsEl Centro Elementary School District
7–83 middle schoolsEl Centro Elementary School District
9–122 high schoolsThis district

Test scores vs. CA

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency20%
State average 33.1% · 828 students tested
Reading / language arts63%
State average 46.7% · 831 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)86%
State average 86.2% · 1,033 in the class

92% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$20,868 per student · 2% below CA
Spending
Classroom instruction 59%Support & administration 38%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 15%State 74%Federal 11%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
4,140’20
4,115’21
4,093’22
4,023’23
4,070’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
Hispanic 96%White 2%Black <1%Asian <1%Two or more races <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

5 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with California’s other public schools.

Central Union High
High · Grades 9–12 · El Centro
B
2,006 students21:1
Southwest High
High · Grades 9–12 · El Centro
B
1,846 students20:1
Desert Oasis High (Continuation)
High · Grades 9–12 · El Centro
C−
138 students14:1
Mt. Signal Virtual Academy
High · Grades 9–12 · El Centro
60 students25:1
Phoenix Rising High
Secondary · Grades 9–10 · El Centro
20 students7:1

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within California.