Summary:
Mecca, California, has two public elementary schools serving kindergarten through grade 6 in Coachella Valley Unified. In 2025–26, the schools’ average proficiency was about 25% in English language arts (ELA), 18% in math, and 14% in science, compared with state rates of 49%, 38%, and 36%. The most important finding is that both schools are below state proficiency in all three subjects, and the area’s gap from the state widened in every subject over the latest year.
Saul Martinez Elementary stands out in math and science, while ELA is virtually tied between the schools. Saul’s all-grades math result was 21%, compared with 15% at Mecca Elementary, a 7-point advantage; in science, Saul led 15% to 13%, a 2-point difference. Their ELA results were nearly identical. Grade-level results show why families may want to look beyond those overall comparisons: Saul led in grade 4 math by 20 points, while Mecca led in grade 3 math by 6 points. Saul’s grade 4 and 5 math results also exceeded district rates, and Mecca’s grade 6 ELA result was above its district rate.
Recent progress is mixed, with the sharpest concern in math: from 2024–25 to 2025–26, the two-school average fell 2 points in ELA and 4 points in math, while science rose 1 point. State results rose in all three subjects, so local results lost ground relative to the state. SchoolDigger ranks Saul at the 15th percentile, down from the 20th in 2023–24, and gives it one star; Mecca is at the 10th percentile, up from the 4th in 2023–24, and has zero stars. Saul’s 2024–25 student–teacher ratio was 23.2, compared with 22.4 at Mecca; free/reduced lunch eligible figures that year were 96% and 97%, respectively. Chronic absenteeism in 2025–26 was 34% at Saul and 33% at Mecca, both below the district’s 37% but above the state’s 18%. These comparisons describe a small group of just two schools.
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